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Plasma lipid peroxides in cholestatic children
F Lemonnier1, D Cresteil, M Fénéant
1INSERM U 56, Hôpital de Bicêtre, France.
Insights
Children with chronic cholestasis, including biliary atresia and syndromatic paucity of interlobular bile ducts (PILBD), exhibit significantly elevated plasma lipid peroxide levels. Vitamin E showed no effect on these levels in this study.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Oxidative Stress Research
Background:
- Chronic cholestasis in children encompasses conditions like biliary atresia and syndromatic paucity of interlobular bile ducts (PILBD).
- Oxidative stress, indicated by lipid peroxide levels, is implicated in various chronic diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate plasma lipid peroxide levels in children diagnosed with chronic cholestasis.
- To compare these levels between children with biliary atresia and syndromatic PILBD.
- To explore potential correlations with clinical markers and the effect of Vitamin E.
Main Methods:
- Quantified plasma lipid peroxide levels in 40 children (21 with PILBD, 19 with biliary atresia) and controls.
- Analyzed relationships between lipid peroxides and bilirubin, cholesterol, and phospholipid concentrations.
- Assessed the impact of Vitamin E treatment on lipid peroxide levels.
Main Results:
- Children with biliary atresia showed approximately double the lipid peroxide levels compared to controls.
- Children with PILBD exhibited approximately four times higher lipid peroxide levels than controls, a highly significant difference.
- In biliary atresia, increased lipid peroxides correlated with bilirubin, cholesterol, and phospholipid levels.
- No clear relationship was observed between lipid peroxides and these markers in the PILBD group.
- Vitamin E treatment did not alter elevated lipid peroxide levels during chronic cholestasis.
Conclusions:
- Elevated plasma lipid peroxide levels are a significant finding in pediatric chronic cholestasis, particularly in PILBD.
- The pathogenesis of increased lipid peroxidation may differ between biliary atresia and PILBD.
- Further research is essential to elucidate the underlying pathological mechanisms and therapeutic strategies.
Abstract:
Plasma lipid peroxide levels were studied in 40 children with chronic cholestasis comprising 21 with syndromatic paucity of interlobular bile ducts (PILBD) and 19 with biliary atresia. Compared to the controls, mean lipid peroxide values were twice as high in children with biliary atresia (4.56 +/- 2.28 nmol/ml) and four times as high in those with PILBD (9.62 +/- 3.3 nmol/ml). These differences are highly significant. In patients with biliary atresia, the increase in lipid peroxide levels was clearly related to the bilirubin, cholesterol and phospholipid concentrations. In the PILBD group, however, there was little evidence of such a relationship. Vitamin E treatment seemed to have no effect on these increased lipid peroxide levels during the evolution of chronic cholestasis, and further investigations are necessary to clarify the pathological mechanisms involved.