title: Oxidative stress in patients with beta-thalassemia major.
abstract: The aim of this work is to study the level of oxidative stress in blood of beta-thalassemia major patients with transfusional iron overload and chelation therapy as a central pathological process. Beta-thalassemia major results in an increase in the concentration of lipid peroxidation products in blood plasma of more than 100% and in the intensity of chemiluminescence - about 20% in comparison to healthy controls. The activity of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase in the blood of beta-thalassemia major patients is decreased by more than 30% and the total antioxidant activity is diminished by about 70% compared to controls. Experimental data confirm the progression of oxidative stress in patients with beta-thalassemia major: activation of free radical processes and lipid peroxidation, decreased antioxidant capacity. Strong oxidative damage and essential alternations define these parameters as sensitive markers of oxidative stress in patients with beta-thalassemia major. The combination of effective iron-chelatory agents with natural or synthetic antioxidants can be extremely helpful in clinical practice in the regulation of the antioxidant status of patients with beta-thalassemia major.
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics, Faculty of Physics, St. Kliment Ohridski University, Sofia, Bulgaria. elli_pavlova@abv.bg
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Pavlova
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Savov
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Petkov
authors.forename: I P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Charova
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase