Delta-ALA-D activity is a reliable marker for oxidative stress in bone marrow transplant patients.
BACKGROUND
Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is often used in the treatment of various diseases. Before BMT, patients are submitted to a conditioning regimen (CR), which consists of the administration of high doses of chemotherapy. The action of many cytostatic drugs involves the overproduction of reactive oxygen species, which together with inadequate antioxidant protection can lead to oxidative stress and this has been implicated in the etiology of various diseases. The objectives of this study were to look for evidence of oxidative stress and also to analyze delta-Aminolevulinato dehydratase (delta-ALA-D) activity as a possible marker of oxidative stress in autologous and allogeneic BMT patients.


METHODS
Lipid peroxidation, vitamin C and thiol group levels as well as catalase, superoxide dismutase and delta-ALA-D activity were determined in 37 healthy controls, 13 patients undergoing autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation and 24 patients undergoing allogeneic BMT.


RESULTS
We found that patients presented signs of oxidative stress before they were submitted to BMT, during CR and up to 20 days after BMT. There was a decrease in enzymatic and non enzymatic antioxidant defenses, in delta-ALA-D activity, and an increase in lipoperoxidation in the blood of both patient groups.


CONCLUSIONS
This study has indicated that autologous and allogeneic BMT are associated with oxidative stress. Moreover, blood delta-ALA-D activity seems to be an additional biomarker of oxidative stress in BMT patients.
Departamento de Química, CCNE, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. thissianegoncalves@yahoo.com.br
Thissiane L
TL
Gonçalves
Dalila M
DM
Benvegnú
Gabriela
G
Bonfanti
Andressa V
AV
Frediani
João Batista T
JB
Rocha
D000328:Adult; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002374:Catalase / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D000623:Porphobilinogen Synthase / Q000097:blood*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D015415:Biomarkers; D002374:Catalase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000623:Porphobilinogen Synthase; D001205:Ascorbic Acid