Serum paraoxonase and arylesterase activities in metabolic syndrome in Zahedan, southeast Iran.

OBJECTIVE Paraoxonase (PON) is associated with high-density lipoprotein and protects serum lipid from oxidation. The aim of this study was to determine serum PON, arylesterase (ARE) activities, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in metabolic syndrome (MES). METHODS This case-control study was performed on 106 patients with MES and 231 healthy subjects. Serum PON and ARE activities were determined spectrophotometrically. TAC was determined using ferric reducing ability of plasma assay. RESULTS The results showed that serum PON activity was significantly lower in patients with MES (69.62 ± 59.86  IU/l) than healthy subjects (91.64 ± 77.45 IU/l) (P < 0.05). The serum ARE activity in MES and normal subjects were 45.23 ± 23.24 and 65.69 ± 31.10  kU/l respectively. The ARE activity was significantly lower in patients with MES than normal subjects (P < 0.0001). No significant differences were observed between MES and normal subjects regarding TAC. CONCLUSION The lower PON and ARE activities in MES may be considered an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which remains to be cleared.