Oxidative stress and antioxidant defense in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress is defined as a disturbance of balance between free radicals and antioxidant defense system. This study investigated oxidative stress in patients with chronic hepatitis B. METHODS: Sixty nine patients with chronic hepatitis B admitted to the Department of the Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology of Medical Faculty of Ondokuz Mayis University were enrolled into study. Twenty healthy persons were included as a control group. The study group was divided into three groups: healthy controls (group 1), chronic hepatitis B (group 2), and inactive hepatitis B carriers (group 3). Antioxidant status of plasma, including glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, vitamin E, and vitamin C levels were measured. Carbonyl and lipid peroxidation levels were measured as parameters of oxidative stress. RESULTS: Glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, vitamin E, and vitamin C levels were found to be significantly decreased in the chronic hepatitis B group when compared with the control group (9.5 vs. 13.8, p < 0.05; 22.98 vs. 32.4, p < 0.05; 15.1 vs. 16.4, p < 0.05; 12.9 vs. 18.4, p < 0.05, respectively). Carbonyl and lipid peroxidation levels were significantly increased in the chronic hepatitis B group compared to controls (0.7 vs. 0.5, p < 0.05; 2 vs. 0.7, p < 0.05, respectively). However, whereas the glutathione and carbonyl level correlation with HBV DNA levels were mild to moderate (glutathione vs. HBV DNA, r:-0.288, p < 0.05; carbonyl vs. HBV DNA, r:0.317, p < 0.05), the lipid peroxidation levels were strongly related with HBV DNA levels in chronic hepatitis B (r:0.545, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Oxidative stress was significantly increased in hepatitis B patients. Consequently, decreases were seen at the level of protective antioxidative parameters in the blood of these patients.