Role of oxidative stress & antioxidant defence in ulcerative colitis patients from north India

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Oxidative stress contributes to severity of ulcerative colitis (UC) but the status of erythrocyte antioxidant defence remains unknown. The present study was aimed to study the role of oxidative stress and antioxidant levels in erythrocytes of UC patients from north India. METHODS A total of 81 adult UC patients and 85 age and sex matched apparently healthy controls were included in this study. Levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO), reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured in erythrocytes. RESULTS Mean age of UC patients was 43.5 yr (range 18-64 yr) while in the control group this was 45.3 yr (range 20-64 yr). LPO, catalase and SOD levels in UC patients were significantly increased (P< 0.05) compared to healthy controls, while GSH levels in UC patients were significantly decreased (P< 0.05) compared to healthy controls Ulcerative colitis activity score (UCAI) was 157.4±27.6 in UC patients. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS Increased levels of LPO, SOD, catalase and a decreased level of GSH represent that oxidative stress plays a significant role in pathophysiology of UC. Further, the levels of LPO, GSH, catalase and SOD remained same during different UCAI.