Antioxidant supplementation attenuates oxidative stress in chronic hepatitis C patients.

UNLABELLED: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) overgeneration is involved in the pathogenesis of hepatitis C. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant status in the blood of HCV infected patients treated or not with standard therapy before and after supplementation of vitamins E, C and zinc. Biomarkers of oxidative stress were evaluated in the blood of three groups of patients: group 1 - controls; group 2 - HCV patients without treatment examined before and after a daily antioxidant supplementation (vitamin E 800 mg, C 500 mg and zinc 40 mg) for 6 months; and group 3 - HCV patients treated with pegylated interferon combined with ribavirin, also examined before and after the same antioxidant supplementation. Before antiviral treatment HCV patients showed enhanced superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities and decreased glutathione reductase activity, while lipoperoxidation was increased and reduced glutathione showed decreased levels compared to controls. Treatment with standard therapy enhanced the activities of catalase and glutathione S-transferase, increased contents of protein carbonyl and promoted further reduced glutathione depletion. After antioxidant supplementation, decreased catalase and glutathione S-transferase activities, decreased lipoperoxidation in group 2, and increased reduced glutathione contents in both supplemented groups were detected. Before antioxidant supplementation, alanine aminotransferase and gamma glutamyl transferase contents showed significant increases in group 2. CONCLUSION: Untreated HCV patients and also those treated with the standard therapy are coping with a systemic oxidative stress. The antioxidant supplementation conferred an antioxidant protection to both supplemented groups attenuating oxidation processes related to the disease.

Proinflammatory and oxidative stress markers in patients with periodontal disease.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the involvement of proinflammatory and oxidative stress markers in gingival tissue in individuals with chronic periodontitis. SUBJECT AND METHODS: Eighteen subjects were divided in two groups: experimental (age 52.9+/-5.0) and control (age 51.1+/-9.6). The activities of enzymatic antioxidants such as catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase, nonenzymatic antioxidants: total glutathione and reduced glutathione, oxidized glutathione (GSSG), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and myeloperoxidase activity (MPO) were evaluated in gingival tissues from interproximal sites. Statistical differences between groups were determined by independent Student t test and P<.05. RESULTS: Individuals with periodontal disease exhibited a significant increase in the activities of MPO, GPx, GST, and also in TBARS and GSSG levels in gingival tissue compared to the control group (P<.05). CONCLUSION: The results of the present work showed an important correlation between oxidative stress biomarkers and periodontal disease.

Influence of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery on vitamin C, myeloperoxidase, and oral clinical manifestations: a 2-year follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery influences the intake and absorption of nutrients, which, when associated with vomiting, can damage the oral cavity. The serum concentrations of vitamin C and myeloperoxidase (MPO) and oral clinical manifestations were examined in patients 2 years after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). METHODS: Clinical prospective study with control group (CG; n = 26), assessed only once, and the bariatric group (BG; n = 26), assessed in the basal period and at 12 and 24 months after surgery. The mean ages in the CG and BG were 37.8 ± 1.51 and 39.6 ± 1.93 years, respectively, and their body mass indices were 22.07 ± 0.29 and 45.62 ± 1.46 kg/m(2), respectively. RESULTS: At 12 months after surgery, increased episodes of vomiting (P < .001) and dental hypersensitivity (P = .012) were observed, with a reduction in the saliva-buffering capacity of 21.3% ± 2.9% (P = .004). At 24 months after RYGB, a significant reduction in serum vitamin C was detected (32.9% ± 5.3%, P < .001), and MPO values were higher than in the basal period (P = .032). With regard to oral hygiene habits, 92.3% of patients reported frequent tooth brushing and 96.1% used fluoride, which were similar across the 2 years. However, dental hypersensitivity (P = .048) was significantly increased than baseline. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated that vitamin C deficiency and increased vomiting after gastric bypass for morbid obesity may contribute to increased periodontal disease. The fact that it is impossible to determine which factor or factors (diet, poor compliance with supplementation, vomiting, poor oral hygiene) contributed to the dental problems in these patients is a shortcoming of the report.