Original Contribution LIPID PEROXIDATION AND CATALASE ACTIVITIES IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY WITH OTHER PULMONARY DISEASES

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common chronic diseases and a major cause of morbidity and mortality. An imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants (oxidative stress) has been proposed as a critical event in the pathogenesis of COPD. The aim of the present study was to find whether an oxidative stress occurs at the clinical onset of COPD and some other pulmonary diseases through the level of lipid peroxidation products in plasma and the activity of CAT an important extracellular antioxidant enzyme. We evaluated a biomarker of oxidative stress malondialdehyde, a lipid peroxidation derived product (MDA) and an enzymatic antioxidant catalase (CAT) in COPD patients and healthy controls. The marker of oxidative stress was found to be significantly (p<0.001) higher in COPD patients when compared with control group. COPD patients had a significant (p<0.0001) increase in antioxidant enzime CAT as compared with control group. Our results show that oxidative stress is an important pathophysiologic change in COPD.