ROLE OF FREE OXYGEN RADICALS AND PROSTANOIDS IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF HENOCH-SCHONLEIN PURPURA

The pathogenesis of Henoch-Schonlein Purpura (HSP) is still controvers ial. The aim of our study was to investigate the role of oxidative str ess and cyclooxygenase (CO) pathway products in the pathogenesis of HS P. In order to investigate this, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, indicat ing lipid peroxidation, prostaglandin E (PGE)-like activity as inflamm atory mediator and vitamin E (vit-E) levels indicating anti-oxidant st atus were studied in a group of 10 children with HSP (five girls and f ive boys, aged 6-21 years, mean 10.7 years), both in the acute and rec overy phase of the disease and in five age and sex-matched healthy chi ldren as a control group. The patients were also grouped into low and high clinical score groups. Plasma levels of MDA and PGE-like activity were significantly elevated in the active phase of HSP compared to th e recovery phase. Vit-E levels were significantly reduced in the activ e phase compared to the recovery phase. The plasma levels of PGE-like activity of the patients obtained in the active phase were significant ly higher than the levels of the control group, whereas the levels of the recovery phase were significantly lower than in the control group. No such difference between the controls and MDA and vit-E levels in t he patient group was shown. No correlation between the clinical scores and the parameters studied could be found. Our findings indicate that oxidant stress and CO pathway products may play a role in the pathoge nesis of HSP.