title: One more health benefit of blood donation: reduces acute-phase reactants, oxidants and increases antioxidant capacity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  One of the most important problems in finding blood donors is the inadequacy of volunteer number. To overcome this problem, one of the solutions we suggest is innovating new health benefits of blood donation. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of blood donation on oxidative status markers and acute-phase reactants.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 96 healthy volunteers were recruited into the study. Blood samples were withdrawn 5 min before and 24 h after the blood donation. Serum nitric oxide, malondialdehyde levels, and activity of superoxide dismutase and myeloperoxidase were measured spectrophotometrically. Serum levels of high-sensitive C-reactive protein and pentraxin-3 as acute-phase reactants were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found statistically significant lower pentraxin-3 and high-sensitive C-reactive protein levels and higher superoxide dismutase activity and nitric oxide level 24 h after blood donation in serum of blood donor when compared with before blood donation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that blood donation affected oxidative status and acute-phase reactants in donors. Blood donation removes oxidants and decreases oxidative stress by elevating antioxidant enzyme such as superoxide dismutase. This is one more health benefit or reason why we should donate blood. Further large-scale studies should evaluate this mechanism and compare the same effect of wet cupping therapy.
authors.forename: Muharrem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yunce
authors.forename: Husamettin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Erdamar
authors.forename: Nezihe Asli
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Bayram
authors.forename: Sumeyye
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gok
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001782:Blood Donors; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D016877:Oxidants / Q000097:blood*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D000975:Antioxidants; D016877:Oxidants; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D002097:C-Reactive Protein