Blood micronutrient, oxidative stress, and viral load in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the extent of micronutrient and oxidative stress in blood and to examine their linkages with viral loads in chronic hepatitis C patients.


METHODS
Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA levels were quantified in the serum from 37 previously untreated patients with chronic hepatitis C. The plasma and erythrocyte micronutrients (zinc, selenium, copper, and iron) were estimated, and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were determined as a marker to detect oxidative stress. Antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities in blood were also measured. The control group contained 31 healthy volunteers.


RESULTS
The contents of zinc (Zn), and selenium (Se) in plasma and erythrocytes were significantly lower in hepatitis C patients than in the controls. On the contrary, copper (Cu) levels were significantly higher. Furthermore, plasma and erythrocyte MDA levels, and the SOD and GR activities in erythrocytes significantly increased in hepatitis C patients compared to the controls. However, the plasma GPX activity in patients was markedly lower. Plasma Se (r = -0.730, P<0.05), Cu (r = 0.635), and GPX (r = -0.675) demonstrated correlations with HCV-RNA loads. Significant correlation coefficients were also observed between HCV-RNA levels and erythrocyte Zn (r = -0.403), Se (r = -0.544), Cu (r = 0.701) and MDA (r = 0.629) and GR (r = 0.441).


CONCLUSIONS
The levels of Zn, Se, Cu, and oxidative stress (MDA), as well as related anti-oxidative enzymes (GR and GPX) in blood have important impact on the viral factors in chronic hepatitis C. The distribution of these parameters might be significant biomarkers for HCV.
Ko
Wang-Sheng
WS
Department of Food and Nutrition, Hung Kuang University, Taichung, Taiwan, China.
Guo
Chih-Hung
CH
Yeh
Maw-Sheng
MS
Lin
Li-Yun
LY
Hsu
Guoo-Shyng W
GS
Chen
Pei-Chung
PC
Luo
Mei-Ching
MC
Lin
Chia-Yeh
CY
D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D014766:Viremia / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology
D000975:Antioxidants; D018977:Micronutrients; D012367:RNA, Viral; D008315:Malondialdehyde