title: Blood micronutrient, oxidative stress, and viral load in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition, Hung Kuang University, Taichung, Taiwan, China.
authors.forename: Wang-Sheng
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Chih-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Maw-Sheng
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Li-Yun
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Guoo-Shyng W
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Pei-Chung
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Mei-Ching
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Chia-Yeh
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D018977:Micronutrients; D012367:RNA, Viral; D008315:Malondialdehyde