Oxidative stress in patients with non-complicated malaria.
OBJECTIVE
To compare oxidative stress in adults with non-complicated malaria and healthy controls.


METHODS
We measured malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant status (TAS), catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX). Oxidative stress was calculated based on MDA/TAS, MDA/GSH-PX and SOD/catalase indexes.


RESULTS
Mean MDA in patients was 3.9 micromol/L (controls = 1.3 micromol/L). Mean TAS was 0.9 mmol/L in patients and controls. Malaria patients had less catalase activity when compared to controls (209.4 vs. 320.4 k/gr), while SOD and GSH-PX activity was higher (79.4 U/mL, 11,884.2U/L vs. 54.3 U/mL, 9,672.6 U/L). MDA/TAS index was 3.5 fold more in patients than in controls, MDA/GSH-PX and SOD/catalase indexes were increased by 6 and 2.8 fold. MDA levels and MDA/TAS index showed no differences according to malarial history, parasitaemia, Plasmodium species, parasite's stage, place of residence and drinking or smoking habits.


CONCLUSIONS
During acute non-complicated P. falciparum or P. vivax malaria, we observed high oxidative stress. This resulted from lipid peroxidation rather than from a reduced TAS. We propose MDA/TAS index as a useful marker of oxidative stress during malaria infection.
Pabón
Adriana
A
Grupo Malaria, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín-Colombia, Colombia.
Carmona
Jaime
J
Burgos
Luis C
LC
Blair
Silvia
S
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D002374:Catalase / Q000097:blood; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000097:blood* / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000378:metabolism; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013045:Species Specificity; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood
D000975:Antioxidants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase