title: Superoxide anion radical, lipid peroxides and antioxidant status in the blood of patients with breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reactive oxygen species (ROS), including superoxide anion radical (O2(-)), plays an important role in carcinogenesis. The human body has developed different antioxidant systems to defend against free radical attacks. We investigated the changes of the antioxidant status in the blood of patients with breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The O2(-) generation and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured as an index of lipid peroxidation along with the examination of the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GRx), the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), and vitamins A, C, and E.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the levels of O2(-) and MDA, and the activities of antioxidant enzymes in the blood of the patients with breast cancer were significantly higher than the controls. However, the levels of vitamin C, GSH, GSSG and ratio of GSH/GSSG in the blood of the patients with breast cancer were significantly decreased compared to control subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oxidative stress may be involved in breast cancer. The increased activities of erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes may be a compensatory upregulation in response to the increased oxidative stress.
authors: Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors: Chih-Ching
authors: CC
authors: Yeh
authors: Ming-Feng
authors: MF
authors: Hou
authors: Shih-Meng
authors: SM
authors: Tsai
authors: Shu-Kai
authors: SK
authors: Lin
authors: Jen-Kuei
authors: JK
authors: Hsiao
authors: Jung-Chih
authors: JC
authors: Huang
authors: Li-Hsuan
authors: LH
authors: Wang
authors: Szu-Hsien
authors: SH
authors: Wu
authors: Linda Ann
authors: LA
authors: Hou
authors: Hsu
authors: H
authors: Ma
authors: Li-Yu
authors: LY
authors: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008054:Lipid Peroxides / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D013481:Superoxides / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D008054:Lipid Peroxides; D013481:Superoxides; D008315:Malondialdehyde