Serum malondialdehyde level in children infected with Vampirolepis nana

BACKGROUND: Vampirolepis nana is the only human tapeworm in which the intermediate host is not necessary and transmission is from person to person. In this study the changes of serum malondialdehyde level, that is, the oxidative stress hypothesis in patients infected with V. nana, was investigated. METHODS: Serum malondialdehyde concentration activity was measured in 32 patients who were positive for intestinal parasite of V. nana. Levels were obtained for the positively infected patients and their age and gender were matched to 32 healthy controls. RESULTS: The difference between malondialdehyde levels of patients infected with V. nana and the control group was statistically significant both for females (P < 0.05) and males (P < 0.05). In the patient and control groups, no correlation was found between age and malondialdehyde levels both in females and males. In addition, no significant correlation could be found between malondialdehyde levels of both females and males for the patient and control groups. CONCLUSION: Malondialdehyde levels were clearly increased in the patients infected with V. nana.