Sacred Heart Journal

Abstract : Background: Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a major health problem in many parts of the world particularly in Sub-Saharan African countries. The disorder is characterized by chronic hemolytic events that result in increased generation of free radicals leading to excessive consumption and depletion of body antioxidants. Aim: This study evaluated the total antioxidant status (TAS) of children with SCA, aged 1–17 years, comparing findings among steady state, vaso-occlusive crisis and hemoglobin AA (HbAA) matched controls. Materials and Methods: Study participants were 50 children with SCA and 50 HbAA matched controls. Sociodemographic characteristics and clinical history were documented using pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaires. Physical examination was conducted and blood samples collected for serum TAS estimation. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 21 and P-value of significance was set at <0.05. Results: SCA subjects in vaso-occlusive crisis had lower mean serum TAS level than those in steady state (7.4 ± 3.5 vs 8.4 ± 4.0mmol/L) but this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.18). The mean TAS level of SCA patients either in steady state (8.4 ± 4.0 mmol/L) or vaso-occlusive crisis (7.5 ± 3.5 mmol/L) was higher than 7.0 ± 4.1 mmol/L for matched (HbAA) controls but the difference was also not statistically significant (F = 1.54, P = 0.09). Conclusion: This study shows that the TAS level of SCA children in steady state was higher than that of those in vaso-occlusive crisis, though not statistically significant. This may be an adaptive mechanism to counteract the oxidative stress seen in chronic inflammatory conditions like SCA.

Abstract The aim of this study was to compare the differences in the total antioxidant levels in the cord blood after a normal vaginal delivery and after an elective caesarean section. This was a prospective study approved by the sacred heart Hospital ethical research committee. The study was carried out in sacred heart hospital. We investigated 96 healthy pregnant women who had normal antenatal period with singleton pregnancies between 37 and 42 completed weeks of gestation. Sixty-five women had a spontaneous normal vaginal delivery and 31 underwent elective caesarean section. Umbilical cord blood was obtained immediately after delivery. Antioxidants such as glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured and compared between the normal vaginal delivery and elective ceasarean sections. The mean values for GPx in umbilical cord arterial blood (95; 86-103, n =74) was found to be significantly higher ( P =0.0133) than that found in umbilical cord venous blood (84; 80-88, n =95). The arterial SOD values were found to be significantly higher ( P =0.0337) in infants who had been delivered by caesarean section (1188; 1065-1311, n =22) than by vaginal delivery (1021;958-1083, n =39). The differences in the levels of GPX between the arterial and venous systems is not well documented but may be due to differences in the level of selenium, hydroperoxides or glutathione. In addition, why infants delivered by ceasarian section have a higher level of arterial SOD than those delivered by vaginal delivery remains unclear, but it may be a reflection of a relatively low level in infants subjected to the stress of labour