The Effects of COVID-19 on Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Defense Mechanism in Children

Objective Oxidative stress and antioxidants play an important role in infections' response. We aimed to investigate the potential association between oxidative stress and the pathogenesis of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Methods We analyzed oxidant and antioxidant parameters from serum samples of children with novel corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) besides demographic and clinical data of children. Serum levels of the 8-hydroxy deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), protein carbonyl (CO), malondialdehyde (MDA), total glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) enzyme activities were evaluated and compared between groups. Results A total of 96 children were evaluated, including 32 patients with confirmed COVID-19 (group 1), 35 patients with symptomatic infections without COVID-19 (group 2), and 29 healthy patients as a control group (group 3). Group 1 included 7 (21.8%) asymptomatic, 22 (68.7%) mild, and 3 (9.5%) moderate patients according to the severity of the disease. In all groups, there were no significant differences in oxidative stress and antioxidant parameter levels (p > 0.05). Furthermore, no statistical difference was found when the parameters of patients with COVID-19 and healthy children were evaluated according to disease course. Conclusion Serum levels of oxidant and antioxidant parameters were similar in children infected with SARS-CoV-2 and other infectious agents. However, further studies, including children with severe to critical disease, are necessary to characterize the oxidative stress, antioxidants, cytokine responses in COVID-19, and elucidate the pathogenesis.