Oxygen radicals have been implicated in a variety of disease processes including asthma. In this study we investigated the free radical activation products and antioxidant status in children with asthma compared with a control group. Serum lipid peroxides (LP) and selenium levels and red blood cell glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were measured in 34 children (20 males and 14 females) with asthma in the acute attack. These investigations were reassayed in 24 children after treatment (in between the attacks) Thirty apparently healthy children (17 males and 13 females) were used as a control group. Children during the acute attack of asthma had signtlicantly higher levels of LP (3.62 ± 0.8 nmol/ml) and lower levels of red blood cell GSH-Px activity (33.6 ± 11.7 U/g Hb) and serum selenium (122 ± 53 mg/ I) when compared with the levels in between the attacks (3.11 ± 0.6 rtmol/m1, 41.9 ± 15.3 U/ g Hb and 162 ± 61 mg /I respectively) and when compared with the levels of the control group (2.53 ± 0.6 nmol/ml, 51.8 ± 13.8 U/ g Hb and 230 ± 43 mg/I respectively). However the asthmatic children in between the attacks had significantly higher levels of serum LP and lower levels of red cell GSH-Px and serum selenium when compared with the controls. There were no significant differences in activity of SOD among the studied groups. We concluded that the imbalance between generation of oxygen radicals and antioxidant status may have etiological implications for asthma and may contribute to asthma exacerbation.
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