ABSTRACT
Antioxidant enzymes work together in human blood cells against toxic reactive oxygen species. Recently, oxidative stress has been linked to the pathogenesis of several chronic inflammatory disorders of the respiratory tract. However, little is known about the connection between oxidative products and antioxidant enzymes in rhinoscleroma. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate and to determine the level of lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide and antioxidant enzyme activities in blood of patients suffering from rhinoscleroma. The study was carried out on 33 patients and 15 normal healthy controls. Venous blood samples were taken from all subjects. The specific activity levels of malondialdehyde [MDA] and nitric oxide [NO] as oxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase [SOD], and catalase [CAT] as antioxidant enzymes were estimated in all blood samples. Levels of MDA, and NO were significantly higher [P <0.001], whereas levels of SOD, and CAT showed no significant change [P >0.05] in rhinoscleroma patients when compared with control group. These results provide some evidences for potential role of oxidative products as contributing factors in patients with rhinoscleroma, and estimation of antioxidant enzymes in blood may, therefore, help to orientate rhinoscleroma therapy