Plasma superoxide dismutase measurement in children with viral hepatitis

Seventy-seven blood samples from normal controls aged 0-8 years and 93 blood samples from children of similar ages with various viral hepatitis were investigated by measuring plasma superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1) using chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA). Total and Cu,Zn-SOD activities of normal controls of group 2 (1-8 years old) were significantly higher than that of normal controls of group 1 (0-1 year old) (P less than 0.01, P less than 0.01), while there were no differences of Mn-SOD activities between the two groups. Total, Cu,Zn- and Mn-SOD activities significantly increased in the acute phase (0-4 weeks after onset) and dropped to the normal levels in the restoration phase (4th week later) for 29 children with cytomegalovirus hepatitis (CMVH), in comparison with group 1. Only Mn-SOD activities were significantly increased in the acute phase (with increased ALT levels) and restoration phase (with normal ALT levels) for 18 children with hepatitis A (HA). Total and Cu,Zn-SOD activities significantly decreased and Mn-SOD activities significantly increased in both the active (with increased ALT levels) and the inactive phases (with normal ALT levels) for 36 children with chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH). Only Cu,Zn-SOD activities fell significantly in both active and inactive phases for 10 children with chronic active hepatitis (CAH).