title: Lack of changes in the concentration of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and in the activities of erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes in alcohol-dependent patients after detoxification.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic alcohol consumption induces an increase in oxidative stress. There are studies that indicate changes in the activity of antioxidant enzymes and the concentration of lipid peroxidation products in the blood of organisms as a result of alcohol consumption, but published results are somewhat conflicting. The aim was to study the effect of alcohol withdrawal and detoxification on the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) in erythrocytes and on the concentration of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in the erythrocytes and blood plasma of alcohol-dependent patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group consisted of 42 alcohol-dependent men who underwent seven-day detoxification at an addiction treatment department. The control group consisted of 20 healthy male volunteers. Blood for analysis was taken from the antecubital vein before detoxification, after the first detoxification, and after several (> or =3) detoxifications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before detoxification, the concentration of TBARS in the men's blood plasma was 40% higher (p<0.001) than in the control group. After detoxification, the concentration of TBARS decreased, but remained higher than in the control group. The activities of SOD and GPx in erythrocytes of alcohol-dependent persons were statistically significantly lower than in the control group both before and after detoxification. However, after detoxification, a slight increase in the activity of SOD was observed compared to that before detoxification.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms that alcohol-dependency leads to oxidative stress in the peripheral blood. Seven-day alcohol withdrawal and detoxification has no effect on TBARS concentration and antioxidant enzyme activity.
authors.affiliation: Department and Clinic of Neurosurgery and Neurotraumatology, Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Bartosz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Woźniak
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Musiałkiewicz
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Woźniak
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Drewa
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Drewa
authors.forename: Sylwia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Drewa
authors.forename: Celestyna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mila-Kierzenkowska
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Porzych
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Musiałkiewicz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002374:Catalase / Q000097:blood; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase