Antioxidant status of erythrocytes from patients with cirrhosis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of the present study was to investigate possible i nvolvement of oxidant stress in the anemia of cirrhotic patients and to ass ess blood antioxidant status of these patients. METHODOLOGY: Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) enzyme activities were measured in the erythroctes from patients with live r cirrhosis and from controls. Levels of thiobarbituric acid reagent substa nce were also measured in the erythrocyte (TBARSe) and plasma (TBARSp) samp les of the groups. RESULTS: Lower activities of SOD and GSH-Px were established in the erythro cytes from patients compared with control subjects. No differences were fou nd between erythrocyte TEARS levels of control and patient groups. Plasma T BARS levels were, however, found to be significantly higher in the patient groups compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that although enzymatic antioxidant defense sy stem is significantly reduced in the erythrocytes from cirrhotic patients, this does not lead to further peroxidative reactions in the erythrocytes, p ossibly due to preoxidation of some cellular structures sensitive to peroxi dative attacks. There was, however, an important indication of accelerated peroxidative reactions in the plasma of the cirrhotic patients, which possi bly resulted from extracellular oxidant stress in these patients.