Earlier studies in adults have indicated that increased oxidative stress may occur in the blood and airways of asthmatic subjects. Therefore the aim of this study was to compare the concentrations of antioxidants and protein carbonyls in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of clinically stable atopic asthmatic children (AA, n ϭ 78) with our recently published reference intervals for nonasthmatic children (C, n ϭ 124). Additionally, lipid peroxidation products (malondialdehyde) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and several antioxidants in plasma were deter- The epithelial lining fluid of the lung with its high concentration of antioxidants provides a first line of defense against inhaled, but also endogenously produced, oxidants (1, 2). Epidemiologic studies have found an inverse association between ascorbate intake and bronchial hyperresponsivness (3). In a small group of patients with exercise-induced asthma, Cohen et al. (4) showed that supplementation with ascorbate improved lung function. Dietary supplementation with a vitamin combination (ascorbic acid, ␣-tocopherol, and ␣-carotene) also had some positive effect on lung function during exercise in combination with ozone exposure (5). Studies in adults living in the United Kingdom have shown that low intake of fresh fruit and vegetables is a risk factor for decreased lung function (6, 7). Changes in ascorbate and urate in the lining fluid of the respiratory tract have been observed as a response to acute air pollution exposure (8) and recently in adults with mild asthma (9). Inflammatory cells from peripheral blood and BAL fluid of asthmatic subjects produce more superoxide anion radicals than those of control subjects (10 -12). Treatment with corticosteroids has been shown to reduce the amount of oxygen radicals released by these cells (13).In children, asthma is defined by symptoms such as wheeze or cough (14), and we have recently shown that atopic asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease in children as in adults (15). Ongoing inflammation in the airways of children with atopic asthma may lead to enhanced oxidative stress in the epithelial lining fluid, which may, as a consequence, lead to a higher consumption of the antioxidants found in BAL fluid. Oxidative damage to BAL proteins may reflect overall oxidative stress to the respiratory tract that could contribute to the underlying pathophysiology of established asthma. We have recently reported concentrations of total ascorbate, urate, ␣-tocopherol, and oxidized proteins in BAL fluid in nonasthmatic children (16