Comparative redox status in alcoholic liver disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
OBJECTIVE
Altered redox status has been implicated in pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) as well as in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study was planned to find the relative role of redox status in these two diseases.


METHODS
A total of 44 patients with ALD and 32 patients with NAFLD and 25 apparently healthy controls were included in the study. Redox status was estimated by measuring oxidative stress (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lipid peroxidation products as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)) and antioxidant status (ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and vitamin C).


RESULTS
TBARS level was raised significantly in both ALD (3.5 (2.3-9.4) vs. 1.8 (0.5-4.1) nmol/ml; P = 0.0001) and NAFLD (5.1 (1-10.2) vs. 1.82 (0.51-4.1) nmol/ml; P = 0.0001) as compared with controls, but was not different between ALD and NAFLD. SOD was significantly higher in ALD as compared to NAFLD (2.4 (1.3-7.8) vs. 0.68 (0.05-19.1) U/ml; P = 0.0001) and controls (1.12 (0.01-3.5) U/ml; P = 0.001). FRAP was lower in ALD as compared with NAFLD (345.4 (56-615.9) vs. 434.1 (197.6-733.3) mumol of Fe(+2) liberated; P = 0.001) but similar to that of controls (340.9 (141.5-697.5) mumol of Fe(+2) liberated).


CONCLUSIONS
ALD patients have a higher degree of redox imbalance as compared with NAFLD patients.
Bhardwaj
Payal
P
Department of Gastroenterology and Human Nutrition Unit, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India, payalyad@gmail.com.
Madan
Kaushal
K
Thareja
Sandeep
S
Joshi
Yogendra Kumar
YK
Saraya
Anoop
A