Oxidative stress in alcoholic liver disease

We report on the prooxidant (lipid peroxides) and antioxidant levels (ascor bic acid, reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutate activity) in healthy in dividuals (30) and patients with cirrhosis (37; 22 alcoholic cirrhosis and 15 non alcoholic cirrhosis). A significant increase in plasma lipid peroxid es (P<0.05) and ascorbic acid (P<0.01) and a significant decrease in reduce d glutathione (P<0.001) and superoxide dismutase activity (P<0.05) in haemo lysate was observed in cirrhosis patients compared to the control group.. A significant decrease in reduced glutathione (P<0.01) and superoxide dismut ase (P<0.05) activity was also observed when the alcoholic cirrhosis group was compared to non alcoholic group, A significant increase in aspartate tr ansaminase (P<0.05), gamma. glutamyl transaminase (P<0.01) and aspartate tr ansaminase/alanine transaminase (P<0.05) ratio was seen in alcoholic cirrho sis group. A significant positive correlation between gamma glutamyl transf erase and lipid peroxides (r=0.48, P<0.05) was observed in alcoholic cirrho sis.