DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2016.v04i05.050

Pages: 1698-1702

Reactive oxygen species induced bronchial abnormalities is an important feature which may leads to asthma specially in children. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant substance known to scavenge the reactive oxygen species. Oxidative injury induces influx dependent changes in the intracellular calcium homeostasis. Antagonism of calcium and magnesium in the asthma and the beneficial effect of magnesium therapy in asthma have also been found in many studies. Children being the major target of asthma, we studied the plasma levels of ascorbic acid, serum ionized calcium, total calcium and magnesium in 50 asthmatic children attending the pediatric OPD and compare with similar number of age and sex matched control. It was found that there was highly significant decrease in the levels of plasma ascorbic acid in asthmatic children (0.43 ± 0.12) as compared to normal control (0.75 ± 0.18). Serum ionized calcium (1.15 ± 0.01 mmol/L), total calcium (8.93 ± 0.96 mg/dl) and serum magnesium (1.91 ± 0.23 mg/dl) in asthmatic children were also significantly decreased as compare to the normal controls (1.24 ± 0.01 mmol/L), (9.35 ± 0.90 mg/dl) and (2.05 ± 0.23 mg/dl) respectively. This significant decrease was irrespective with the age, gender of patients and the severity of disease. In an attempt to scavenge reactive oxygen species, the ascorbic acid is being continuously utilized causing its depletion. At the same time, with less ascorbic acid and continuation of oxidative stress may cause a defect in calcium homeostasis which may lead to increased utilization and translocation i.e. higher influx of calcium ions in bronchial smooth muscle and variety of other cells for e.g. mast cells might have caused its lowering in serum ionized calcium being a physically active fraction which account for nearly half of the total calcium levels.