Evaluation of Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidant Enzyme Activities in the Serum of Adult Asthma Patients

In recent years, free radical damage and insufficiency of antioxidant defense system has been gradually accused of the pathogenesis of many diseases. One of these diseases is bronchial asthma. In this study we aimed to investigate the role of oxidative damage and antioxidant system in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. Seventy mild-moderate asthmatic adults and seventy healthy adults were enrolled in the study for this aim. The levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) and nitric oxide (NO) and the activities of xanthine oxidase (XO), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were measured in serum of patients and control subjects. The mean TBARS (p < 0.01) and NO (p < 0.05) values and XO (p < 0.01) activity were significantly higher in the serum of the patients compared to the control group. The mean values of serum SOD (p < 0.01) and GSH-Px (p < 0.05) enzymatic activities were significantly lower in the patients compared to the control group. These results suggest that oxidative and nitrosative stress result in lipid peroxidation and alterations in antioxidant enzymes in asthma patients.