title: Antioxidant status and lipid peroxidation in hereditary haemochromatosis.
abstract: Hereditary haemochromatosis is characterised by iron overload that may lead to tissue damage. Free iron is a potent promoter of hydroxyl radical formation that can cause increased lipid peroxidation and depletion of chain-breaking antioxidants. We have therefore assessed lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status in 15 subjects with hereditary haemochromatosis and age/sex matched controls. Subjects with haemochromatosis had increased serum iron (24.8 (19.1-30.5) vs. 17.8 (16.1-19.5) mumol/l, p = 0.021) and % saturation (51.8 (42.0-61.6) vs. 38.1 (32.8-44.0), p = 0.025). Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), a marker of lipid peroxidation, were increased in haemochromatosis (0.59 (0.48-0.70) vs. 0.46 (0.21-0.71) mumol/l, p = 0.045), and there were decreased levels of the chain-breaking antioxidants alpha-tocopherol (5.91 (5.17-6.60) vs. 7.24 (6.49-7.80) mumol/mmol cholesterol, p = 0.001), ascorbate (51.3 (33.7-69.0) vs. 89.1 (65.3-112.9), p = 0.013), and retinol (1.78 (1.46-2.10) vs. 2.46 (2.22-2.70) mumol/l, p = 0.001). Patients with hereditary haemochromatosis have reduced levels of antioxidant vitamins, and nutritional antioxidant supplementation may represent a novel approach to preventing tissue damage. However, the use of vitamin C may be deleterious in this setting as ascorbate can have prooxidant effects in the presence of iron overload.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Queen's University of Belfast, UK.
authors.forename: I S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Trouton
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Torney
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McMaster
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Callender
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Trimble
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005609:Free Radicals; D006432:Hemochromatosis / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005609:Free Radicals; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D014801:Vitamin A; D014810:Vitamin E; D007501:Iron; D001205:Ascorbic Acid