ESPE Abstracts

Background: The concentration and conformation of carotenoids and blood plasma in girls with Turner syndrome (TS) were observed.

Objective and hypotheses: The level and conformation of blood plasma carotenoids could be used as markers of overall condition of patients. The obtained data was compared with the parameters of antioxidant status before and after 1 year of GH therapy.

Method: 12 prepubertal girls (median 13.2 years) with TS were included in the study. All of them have not been treated with GH before. The conformation and total concentration of carotenoids were examined using Raman spectroscopy. Blood antioxidant system was examined using activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and ceruloplasmin level and total antioxidant capacity of plasma evaluated by FRAP. All parameters were measured before and after 1 year treatment of GH in dose 0.05 mg/kg per daily.

Results: The concentration of plasma carotenoids in girls with TS after 1 year treatment GH was significantly higher about 30% (2.15±0.18 and 2.86±0.19 μg/ml correspondingly). The mean values of band ratio I1525/I1008 after treatment was significantly less about 60%. The values of SOD and catalase activities were significantly decreased during the course of treatment (about 25% in both cases) and also the significantly elevated level of TBARS after treatment was observed (about 30%).

Conclusion: The changing of antioxidant status parameters may be interpreted as development of chronic oxidative stress. The increasing the total carotenoids concentration in plasma correlated with value of TBARS. This may be interpreted as a protective mechanism for scavenging of reactive oxygen species. The decrease of the band ratio at I1525/I1008 was by changing of carotenoids conformation probably in results of oxidative alterations of lipoproteins structure.