Increased serum nitric oxide and malondialdehyde levels in patients with acute intestinal amebiasis.

OBJECTIVE To determine the level of oxygen-nitrogen stress parameters in the pathogenesis of amebiasis. METHODS Twenty-four acute intestinal amebiasis patients and 20 healthy controls were enrolled in the present study. Serum malondialdehyde and nitric oxide levels were determined spectrophotometrically. RESULTS Serum malondialdehyde and nitric oxide levels were significantly higher in acute intestinal amebiasis patients than healthy controls (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that oxidative and nitrosative stress may play a major role in tissue damage in acute intestinal amebiasis patients. Also these parameters can be used to supplement the conventional microscopic method for reliable diagnosis of intestinal amebiasis.