Aim: To detect changes in the concentration of nitric oxide and its metabolites--nitrites and nitrates in conjunction with the indices of the glutathione system in the children with chronic hepatitis B and C.
Patients and methods: In the research took a part 76 patients (boys or girls) with chronic hepatitis B and C aged from 7 up to 16 years. Nitric oxide and its metabolites determined by method of V.A. Metel'skaya and N.G. Gumanova; level of reduced glutathione - the titrimetric analysis; activity of glutathione transferase - the method of spectrophotometry.
Results: The content of nitric oxide and its metabolites--nitrites and nitrates--in serum and urine of children with chronic viral hepatitis B and C have increased. Correlations were revealed between nitric oxide and its metabolites in serum and urine, as well as between these indices and glutathione system parameters-reduced glutathione concentration and activity of enzymes of glutathione transferase of erythrocytes and plasma.
Conclusions: In the children with chronic viral hepatitis B and C the increase of the concentration of nitric oxide and its metabolites in serum and urine is accompanied by decrease of reduced glutathione concentration and increase of glutathione transferase activity in erythrocytes and plasma. These findings suggest the presence of oxidative stress due to which the therapy should be strengthened by antioxidant effect.