AntIoxIdant Enzyme ActIvItIes and SelenIum Status In VarIous Stages of GoIter 

Belma GİRAY*'^o, Filiz HINCAL^**, Tahsin TEZİÇ^***, Ayşenur ÖKTEN^****, Yusuf GEDİK^**** 

*Ph.D., Hacettepe University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Toxicology, Ankara, Turkey
**Prof.of Toxicology, Hacettepe University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Toxicology, Ankara, Turkey ***Prof. of Pediatrics, Dr. Sami Ulus Children’s Hospital, Ankara-Turkey
****Prof. of Pediatrics, Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Trabzon-Turkey
° Correspondence  

Summary:
The status of selenium (Se) and activities of antioxidant enzymes (AOE)  [Glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT)] were examined in goitrous children (n = 45) living in the East Black Sea Region. Compared to a non-goitrous children group (n = 41) selected from the same region and at the same age (15- 18 years) and gender, children with goiter had significantly lower erytrocyte AOE activities, plasma and erytrocyte Se levels and lower urinary iodine (UI) and plasma thyroxine (T₄) concentrations. These differences were not observed between subgroups of different goiter stages, suggesting that the development and not the progression of goiter may be related to the antioxidant status of subjects evaluated.

Keywords:
Endemic Goiter, Iodine and/or Selenium Deficiency, Antioxidant Enzymes