Superoxide anion radical, lipid peroxides and antioxidant status in the blood of patients with breast cancer.
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.
Yeh
Chih-Ching
CC
Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Hou
Ming-Feng
MF
Tsai
Shih-Meng
SM
Lin
Shu-Kai
SK
Hsiao
Jen-Kuei
JK
Huang
Jung-Chih
JC
Wang
Li-Hsuan
LH
Wu
Szu-Hsien
SH
Hou
Linda Ann
LA
Ma
Hsu
H
Tsai
Li-Yu
LY
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*
D000975:Antioxidants; D008054:Lipid Peroxides; D013481:Superoxides; D008315:Malondialdehyde