Studies on lipid peroxidation and non-enzymatic antioxidant status as indices of oxidative stress in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia.

INTRODUCTION Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder of the haematopoietic cell. Free radicals can be important causative agents of a number of human diseases, including cancer and leukaemia. Thus, antioxidants, which control the oxidative stress state, represent a major line of defense for regulating the overall true state of health. The relationship between non-enzymatic antioxidant status and the levels of well-known markers of oxidative stress that are measured as lipid peroxides reflects better health indices. The aim of this study was to evaluate the plasma levels of lipid peroxidation products and non-enzymatic antioxidant status as indices of oxidative stress, disease progression and early responses to chemotherapeutic agents in chronic myeloid leukaemia patients. METHODS The study included 128 CML patients and 50 age- and gender-matched healthy control volunteers. Indices of oxidative stress were evaluated as lipid peroxidation and non-enzymatic antioxidant status using the spectrophotometric method. RESULTS There was a significant increase in the plasma levels of lipid peroxidation products in CML patients as compared to the healthy volunteers. The plasma levels of lipid peroxidation products continued to rise significantly as the disease progressed. The non-enzymatic antioxidant status was found to be significantly decreased in CML patients as compared to the healthy participants. The plasma levels of non-enzymatic antioxidant status continued to decrease significantly during the disease progression. CONCLUSION It can be concluded that plasma lipid peroxidation and non-enzymatic antioxidant status reflect oxidative stress in CML patients, and may be used as indices for oxidative stress, disease progression and early responses to different therapeutic modalities.