Blood plasma antioxidant defense in patients with pancreatitis.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to establish the main determinants of plasma antioxidant potential in different types of human pancreatitis: chronic pancreatitis (CP, n = 19), chronic pancreatitis exacerbated (CPE, n = 16), and acute pancreatitis (AP, n = 8).


METHODS
We measured the plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), total peroxyl radical trapping potential (TRAP), and the levels of antioxidants such as uric acid (UA), SH groups (SH), ascorbic acid (AA), and bilirubin (BIL).


RESULTS
In comparison to healthy volunteers (HV, n = 22) the average levels of TBARS in all types of pancreatitis were significantly higher (by 50%-90%), and plasma SH groups were lower (approximately 30%). In the multivariate regression models, the variability of plasma TRAP was explained in the HV group through UA only (36%), in the CP group through UA, AA, and BIL together (75%), and in CPE group through UA and AA together (81%). Plasma SH concentration did not enter the regression models in all groups. The AP group revealed "paradoxically" high concentrations of AA and TRAP and a negative, linear correlation between the level of TRAP versus UA concentration (R = -0.87).


CONCLUSIONS
The multivariate regression analysis points to different structures of antioxidant defense in healthy people and those with pancreatitis: they were much the same in the CP and CPE groups but fundamentally different in the AP group. AP may activate unidentified antioxidant defenses as an adaptive response against oxidative stress.
Sajewicz
Waldemar
W
Department of Toxicology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland. sajewicz@tox.am.wroc.pl
Milnerowicz
Stanisław
S
Nabzdyk
Stanisław
S
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood
D000975:Antioxidants; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D014527:Uric Acid; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D001663:Bilirubin