EN
Despite similar vitamin E concentrations, erythrocytes in children of smoking parents have an increased tendency to peroxidize in vitro compared with children of nonsmoking parents. The increased susceptibility to erythrocyte peroxidation in children of smoking parents may reflect lower erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dimutase activities. Children of smoking parents seem to be under sustained oxidant stress with increased plasma-conjugated dienes, dehydroascorbate and oxidized glutathione concentrations. Infections of the lower respiratory tract were more frequent in children of smoking parents.