title: Plasmatic vitamin C in nontreated hepatitis C patients is negatively associated with aspartate aminotransferase.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the possible relationship between aminotransferases levels and markers of oxidative stress in chronic hepatitis C patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients without treatment for hepatitis were divided in to group I (15-39 U/L); group II (41-76 U/L) and group III (81-311 U/L) of activity alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Blood markers of oxidative stress [catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), thiobarbituric acid-reactive species (TBARS), nonprotein and protein thiol (NP-SH and P-SH) groups and vitamin C] were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  P-SH and NP-SH levels, TBARS, GPx and CAT were not different between groups. Vitamin C was significantly decreased in groups II (P=0.03) and III (P=0.001) when compared with group I and correlated negatively with aspartate aminotransferase (AST; r=-0.29, P=0.042).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamin C levels were negatively associated with AST, suggesting that vitamin C could be an additional indicator of hepatitis C severity.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosane M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Souza dos Santos
authors.forename: Andreza F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: de Bem
authors.forename: Elisângela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Colpo
authors.forename: Iara
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bertoncello
authors.forename: Cristina W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: João B T
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Rocha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002374:Catalase / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D001205:Ascorbic Acid