[Coenzyme q10 in childhood: detection methods, reference values and disease-related changes in the coenzyme q10 status].

The lipophilic antioxidant coenzyme Q10 is an effective inhibitor of oxidative damage. Furthermore coenzyme Q10 is involved in electron transport related to the mitochondrial respiratorial chain. Because of this double function coenzyme Q10 has become a special role in the group of antioxidants. Little is known about coenzyme Q10 in healthy and sick children. The aim of the study was to determine the role of coenzyme Q10 in the pathophysiological concept of pediatric diseases. At first a HPLC-method for the detection of coenzyme Q10 in plasma, erythrocytes and platelets was developed and age-related reference values for children were established. Based on these reference values the CoQ10 status was measured in different pediatric diseases. By this way various conditions for low coenzyme Q10 plasma values in children could be defined. Furthermore there were different in vivo models developed to define pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of coenzyme Q10. The established methods and measured data might be a helpful contribution for estimating coenzyme Q10 deficiency and for planning therapeutical studies with coenzyme Q10 in childhood.