Abstract

Background:- Down syndrome or trisomy 21 is the single most common genetic cause of mental retardation. It has been postulated that the oxidative stress due to overexpression of superoxide dismutase (SOD-1) gene on chromosome 21 leads to the high morbidity associated with the Down syndrome. Method:-This case control study was done to assess the oxidative stress and the antioxidant activity in Down syndrome. Karyotypically proven 25 cases of Down syndrome (DS) and 25 normal subjects were selected for the study .Serum Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, erythrocytic catalase(CAT) activity, erythrocytic G6PDH activity, whole blood glutathione peroxidase (GPX) levels and serum uric acid (UA) levels were estimated. Stastical analysis was done using independent sample t test , p value of<0.05 was considered significant. Result:- The MDA values, CAT values and UA values were significantly elevated (p<0.000) in DS. The GPX values were significantly decreased and G6PDH values did not show any significant change. Conclusion:-In this study, significant oxidative stress exists in DS inspite of the activation of antioxidant enzymes and increased uric acid production to combat the oxidative stress . Apart from antioxidants and dietary supplementation , prospective and interventional studies are required in this field to effectively decrease oxidative stress and its consequences in DS .

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