DNA damage and antioxidants in treatment naïve children with obsessive–compulsive disorder

•GPx, CoQ and 8-OHdG levels were significantly higher in the treatment naïve OCD group.•There was no significant difference in SOD levels between the groups.•There was no correlation between the CY-BOC scores and biochemical parameters.•The present study indicates the presence of oxidative DNA damage and an active antioxidant defense system in children with OCD.•Further studies are required to investigate the potential benefits of adding antioxidants to conventional OCD treatments.

The current study aimed to investigate whether serum antioxidant levels and DNA damage differ between the children and adolescents with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and healthy controls. The study included 31 children (Male/Female, 22/9; age range 7–17 years), with treatment naïve OCD diagnosed according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V (DSM-V) and 28 age- and gender-matched healthy control subjects. Children's Yale Brown Obsession Compulsion Scale (CY-BOC) was applied to the children. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), coenzyme Q (CoQ), and 8-Hydroxy-2-Deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were all measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. GPx, CoQ and 8-OHdG levels were found to be significantly higher in the OCD group, compared to the control group (p=0.010, p=0.034, p=0.010, respectively); however, no significant difference was found in the SOD levels between two groups (p=0.10). There were no correlations between the CY-BOC scores, depression scores, duration of the disease and biochemical parameters (p>0.05, for all). Children with OCD were found to have higher antioxidant levels and oxidative DNA damage. The findings of this study support the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of OCD. In this regard, any possible effect of adding antioxidants to conventional treatment can be investigated.