Status of lipidsoluble antioxidants and TRAP in patients with Crohn's disease and healthy controls

Objective: to assess the status of lipidsoluble antioxidants (carotenoids, tocopherols, ubiquinone), retinol and their correlation with TRAP (total radical-trapping antioxidant potential) in patients with Crohn's disease. Design: Prospective case-control study. Setting: Clinic of Internal Medicine IV/Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Vienna Medical School. Subjects/Methods: Plasma antioxidant concentrations were determined in patients with Crohn's disease (n = 24) to evaluate the antioxidant capacity compared to healthy controls (n = 33). Additionally, plasma TRAP (total radical-trapping anitoxidant potential) was measured in 13 patients and 22 controls. Results: All investigated carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and cryptoxanthin) were significantly decreased in patients with Crohn's disease (10.2 +/- 9.3, 16.2 +/- 12.4 and 7.8 +/- 5.5 mu g/dl) compared to controls (13.3 +/- 5, 1, 34.7 +/- 18.8 and 48.5 +/- 38.4 mu g/dl, respectively), whereas gamma-tocopherol and ubiquinone were significantly elevated in patients (0.14 +/- 0.07 mg/dl and 82.3 +/- 41.5 mu g/dl, controls: 0.09 +/- 0.04 mg/dl and 60.8 +/- 30.0 mu g/dl, respectively). Retinol and alpha-tocopherol did not significantly differ from controls. The total radical-trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP) was significantly lower in patients (1.11 +/- 0.28 mu mol/l) compared to controls (1.34 +/- 0.26 mu mol/l). Antioxidants were neither related to duration or severity of disease nor to disease activity. Conclusions: In patients with Crohn's disease several plasma antioxidant parameters are altered and the total radical-trapping antioxidant potential is decreased.