Background/Aims: In this study, mucosal antioxidant defense was investigate
d in the biopsy samples from 12 patients with active ulcerative colitis and
from 13 patients under remission.
Methodology: Biopsy samples obtained from healthy colon parts of the same s
ubjects were used as control.
Results: No changes were observed between superoxide dismutase, glutathione
peroxidase and catalase enzyme activities of control or inflamed biopsy sa
mples. However, antioxidant potential values were found to be higher and ma
londialdehyde levels lower in inflamed samples compared with controls.
Conclusions: Our results show that in contrast to previous suggestions, muc
osal antioxidant defense is not impaired in ulcerative colitis.