Oxidative stress and thyroid hormones in patients with liver diseases

Background: The liver metabolizes the thyroid hormones and regulates their systemic endocrine effects so liver disease could affect thyroid hormone metabolism. Oxidative stress could play a role in the pathogenesis and progression of liver diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate serum levels of oxidative stress and antioxidant in liver diseases as prognostic markers and know the importance of these antioxidants level in relation to thyroid hormones. Methods: Serum nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA) and triiodothyronine (T-3), thyroxine (T-4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), apolipoprotein-1 (APOA1) levels and erythrocyte reduced glutathione (GSH) level and glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities were determined in 20 control subjects, 13 patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), 18 patients with chronic HCV, 17 patients with compensated cirrhotic HCV and 42 patients with decompensated cirrhotic HCV. Results: Cirrhotic patients with HCV had higher NO and MDA levels while lower T-3 and erythrocyte GSH levels, and GSHPx activity than the chronic. Serum T-3 showed negative correlation with serum NO and MDA whereas positive correlation with APOA1, GSH, and GSHPx in cirrhotic patients with HCV. Conclusion: The measurement of the total T-3, NO, MDA, GSH reduced and GSHPx as biomarkers for liver diseases might be a beneficial tool, helping in monitoring the state of liver disease patients. (C) 2009 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.