Full Length Research Paper

DNA damage and plasma homocysteine levels are associated with serum metabolites and mineral constituents’ profiles in children with persistent diarrhea

 Shazia A. Bukhari¹, Fatima Jalal², S. A. Nagra³ and M. I. Rajoka²*

¹Center for Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology¹, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad- 38040, Pakistan.

²Industrial Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faisalabad, Pakistan.

³Institute of Chemistry, University of the Punjab, Lahore Pakistan.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: muhammadibrahim_rajoka@yahoo.com or mirajoka@nibge.org. Tel: +92 41 2550815. Fax: +92 41 2651472.

Accepted 15 December, 2009

   Abstract

This study describes the association between levels of DNA damage and homocysteine (Hcy) in persistent diarrheic (PD) patients and correlates them with serum biochemical metabolites and mineral components. PD patients (n = 36) age 4 - 6 years from Faisalabad hospitals were examined for anthropometric factors, plasma biochemical and mineral constituents. Compared to 36 normal controls, children with PD had significantly higher concentrations of LDL (p = 0.0001), ALT (p = 0.01), homocysteine (p = 0.001), TOS (p = 0.0001), TBARS (p = 0.001), K (p = 0.0001) and Mg (p = 0.0001) while serum triglyceride, total proteins, albumin, globulin, T₃, T₄, TAS, Na, Ca, Zn and Cu were significantly lower than those of healthy individuals. Both DNA damage and Hcy were positively linked with LDL-cholesterol, TBARS and K (all p values < 0.05). Both Hcy profile and percentage DNA damage in PD patients may impart role in the endothelium damage even in the normal range. PD patients have severe deficiency of macro- and micro-nutrients which may have resulted in enhancement of oxidative stress, DNA damage and Hcy levels in patients’ plasma. Appropriate supplementation of macro- and micro-nutrients may decrease the DNA damage, Hcy levels and enhance the levels of health markers and decrease the mortality rate of PD patients.

Key words: Diarrhea, biochemistry, health marker, homocysteine, DNA damage.