Assessment of urinary malondialdhyde in health and diseased childern

Oxidative stress seems to be involved in the pathogenesis of several disease in infants and children.The question can still be asked, in most circumstances, whether the oxidant stress precedes, and therefore is involved in tissue or cellular injury or it is a result of injury and not of clinical importance.Malondialdhyde is a low molecular weight aldehyde that can be produced from free radical attack on polyunsaturated fatty acids.This study aimed to measure the level of urinary MDA in some disease at the time of diagnosis and after treatment to evaluate its importance as follow up parameter.This study was carried out in the Medical Biochemistry Department and the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University and included 73 children which are classified into two groups:Group I (Control group): included 15 healthy children.Group II (Patient group): this group include 5 subgroups:(1) Patients with nephrotic syndrome included 12 patients.(2) Patients with iron deficiency anemia included 10 patients.(3) Patients with pneumonia included 12 patients.(4) Patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia included 14 patients.(5) Patients with parasitic infestation included 10 patients.All subjects of the study were subjected to full history and clinical examination, laboratory investigation including complete blood picture, urine analysis, determination of urinary MDA using thiobarbituric acid test,