Time-relative changes in the erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities and their relationship with Glasgow Coma Scale scores in severe head injury patients in the 21-day posttraumatic study period.
BACKGROUND
Reactive oxygen species are indicated to play a prime role in the pathophysiology of brain damage following a severe head injury (SHI).


OBJECTIVE
The current study was designed to understand the time-relative changes and relationship between erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activities and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores of SHI patients in the 21-day posttraumatic study period.


METHODS
The study included 24 SHI patients and 25 age- and sex-matched normal controls (NC). Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were assayed in these patients and controls. The GCS scores of these patients were also recorded for the comparative study.


METHODS
Venous blood samples were collected on day 7 (D7) and D21 from SHI patients and NC for the assay of SOD, GR and GSH-Px activities. These changes were correlated with age and changes in GCS scores of patients.


METHODS
A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare mean values of each parameter between group 1 (NC), group 2 (D7 changes in SHI patients) and group 3 (D21 changes in SHI patients). ANOVA was followed by Bonferroni post hoc tests. The Pearson correlation was applied to correlate between the antioxidant parameters and age and GCS scores of these patients.


RESULTS
A significant increase in erythrocyte SOD and GSH-Px activities was observed in group 3 as compared to groups 1 and 2. The increase in GSH-Px activity was significant in group 2 as compared to group 1. Although not significant, there was an increase in mean GR activity in groups 2 and 3 as compared to group 1.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that SHI patients have shown significantly enhanced erythrocyte SOD and GSH-Px activities during the 21-day posttraumatic study period.
Nayak
Chandrika D
CD
Department of Biochemistry, Melaka Manipal Medical College (Manipal Campus), Manipal University, Manipal-576 104, India. chandrikadinesh@yahoo.com
Nayak
Dinesh M
DM
Raja
Annaswamy
A
Rao
Anjali
A
D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D013995:Time; D013997:Time Factors; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*
D000975:Antioxidants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase