ABSTRACT
Infection with the human immunodeficieney virus [HIV] is assumed to induce oxidative stress with consequent depletion of antioxidant molecules. The aim of this study was to determine the superoxide dismutase [SOD] level in HIV patients, as a way of determining its possible role in the pathogenesis of HIV disease. We prospectively studied 233 HIV-antibody negative apparently healthy controls and 175 consecutive acquired immunodeficiency syndrome [AIDS] patients for levels of SOD by standard methods. [Randox, UK]. The AIDS patients who were mainly distributed in the age grade of 20-29 years and 30-39 years, had mean SOD concentration of 96.83 +/- 20.44 U L. The control had mean SOD concentration of 187.33 +/- 21.12 U/L. The difference in these results was statistically significant [P<0.05]. SOD correlated negatively but not significantly for age in controls [r = -0.0468, p = 0.5878], and positively but not significantly in AIDS patients [r = 0.0109, p = 0.8965]. SOD is significantly depleted in the AIDS patients compared to controls. This result suggests that SOD which is a component of the total antioxidant system is greatly consumed in advanced HIV disease and is predicative of abnormalities in its replenishing mechanism. Regular measurement of SOD levels in HIV infection could serve as an adjunct in monitoring disease progression