title: Alteration in systemic markers of oxidative and antioxidative status in Tunisian patients with asthma: relationships with clinical severity and airflow limitation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to determine the systemic oxidant-antioxidant status in Tunisian patients with asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) as thiobarbituric acid complexes, total protein carbonyls (PCs) and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP). The levels of total thiols, protein sulfhydryls, glutathione (GSH), together with hydrogen peroxide, ascorbic acid, iron and total antioxidant status (TAS) were colorimetrically estimated. Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were assessed in plasma and erythrocytes by spectrophotometry. We also determined the levels of nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite in plasma from asthmatic patients and healthy controls. The volume of fractionated exhaled NO (FeNO) was evaluated by the Medisoft HypAir method. Estimation of DNA damage was determined using the comet assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Asthmatic patients showed increased levels of MDA in comparison to healthy controls (p < 0.001), while no significant difference was found in protein carbonyls (p = 0.79) and AOPP (p = 0.98). Patients with asthma also had significantly lower levels of total thiols (355.9 ± 15.72 versus 667.9 ± 22.65, p < 0.001), protein sulfhydryls (333.99 ± 16.41 versus 591.95 ± 24.28, p < 0.001) and glutathione (p < 0.001). They also showed decreased GSH-Px activity (p < 0.001), whereas no significant differences in measurements of catalase and SOD enzyme activities were observed between the two groups (respectively, p = 0.06 and p = 0.55). In addition, ascorbic acid and nitric oxide levels were decreased in asthmatics in comparison to controls (p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings highlight that oxidative stress and defective anti-oxidative status are major alterations in Tunisian patients with asthma.
authors.affiliation: a Unité de Recherche UR12ES06, Physiologie de l'Exercice et Physiopathologie, de l'Intégré au Moléculaire, Biologie, Médecine et Santé, Université de Sousse , Sousse, Tunisia .|b Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte , Université de Carthage , Bizerte, Tunisia .
authors.forename: Amel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ben Anes
authors.affiliation: a Unité de Recherche UR12ES06, Physiologie de l'Exercice et Physiopathologie, de l'Intégré au Moléculaire, Biologie, Médecine et Santé, Université de Sousse , Sousse, Tunisia .
authors.forename: Hela
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ben Nasr
authors.affiliation: c Faculté des Sciences de Sfax , Unité de Recherche de Toxicologie-Microbiologie Environnementale et Santé (UR/11 ES70) , Sfax, Tunisia .
authors.forename: Hamadi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fetoui
authors.affiliation: a Unité de Recherche UR12ES06, Physiologie de l'Exercice et Physiopathologie, de l'Intégré au Moléculaire, Biologie, Médecine et Santé, Université de Sousse , Sousse, Tunisia .
authors.forename: Sarra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bchir
authors.affiliation: d Génome, Diagnostic Immunitaire et valorisation, Unité de Recherche 03/UR/09-01, Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Monastir, Université de Monastir , Monastir, Tunisia .
authors.forename: Hassiba
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chahdoura
authors.affiliation: e Unité de Recherche, UR06SP05, Centre Régional de Transfusion Sanguine, CHU Farhat Hached , Sousse-Tunisia .
authors.forename: Saloua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yacoub
authors.affiliation: f Service de Pneumo-Allergologie, CHU Farhat Hached , Sousse-Tunisia , and.
authors.forename: Abdelhamid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garrouch
authors.affiliation: f Service de Pneumo-Allergologie, CHU Farhat Hached , Sousse-Tunisia , and.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benzarti
authors.affiliation: a Unité de Recherche UR12ES06, Physiologie de l'Exercice et Physiopathologie, de l'Intégré au Moléculaire, Biologie, Médecine et Santé, Université de Sousse , Sousse, Tunisia .
authors.forename: Zouhair
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tabka
authors.affiliation: a Unité de Recherche UR12ES06, Physiologie de l'Exercice et Physiopathologie, de l'Intégré au Moléculaire, Biologie, Médecine et Santé, Université de Sousse , Sousse, Tunisia .|g Faculté des Sciences de Sfax , Université de Sfax , Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chahed
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D062107:Advanced Oxidation Protein Products / Q000378:metabolism; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D050050:Protein Carbonylation / Q000502:physiology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D062107:Advanced Oxidation Protein Products; D015415:Biomarkers; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005978:Glutathione; D001205:Ascorbic Acid
keywords: Asthma; airflow limitation; antioxidants; glutathione; oxidative stress