Oxidative Stress in Vivax Malaria

Malaria is still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The increase in lipid peroxidation reported in malaria infection and antioxidant status may be a useful marker of oxidative stress during malaria infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of antioxidant enzymes against toxic reactive oxygen species in patients infected with Plasmodium vivax and healthy controls. Malondialdehyde levels, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase activities were determined in 91 P. vivax patients and compared with 52 controls. Malondialdehyde levels, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase activities were 8.07+/-2.29 nM/ml, 2.69+/-0.33 U/ml, and 49.6+/-3.2 U/g Hb in the patient group and 2.72+/-0.50 nM/ml, 3.71+/-0.47 U/ml, and 62.3+/-4.3 U/g Hb in the control group, respectively. Malondialdehyde levels were found statistically significant in patients with vivax malaria higher than in healthy controls (P<0.001). On the other hand, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities were found to be significantly lower in vivax malaria patients than in controls (P<0.05). There was an increase in oxidative stress in vivax malaria. The results suggested that antioxidant defense mechanisms may play an important role in the pathogenesis of P. vivax.

Serum malondialdehyde level in patients with cystic echinococcosis

To investigate the changes of serum malondialdehyde [MDA] level for the oxidative stress hypothesis in patients with cystic echinococcosis [CE]. The study was conducted on patients with CE before the surgical treatment. Anti-Echinococcus granulosus antibodies were determined by serological method. We assayed MDA activities measured of 57 subjects and matched in 45 healthy controls. This study took place in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Cukurova, Balcali Hospital in Adana, Turkey, between March 2004 and October 2005. The mean +/- SD of MDA levels of patients with CE was 6.70 +/- 1.66 and healthy controls was 2.53 +/- 0.43. The difference between MDA levels of patients and controls was statistically significant [p<0.001]. The high infection/control ratio of MDA concentration and the significant correlation strongly indicate the occurrence of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation as a mechanism of tissue damage in cases of CE. Our study highlights the usefulness of serum markers to investigate complex pathological situations, including distinct forms of chronic liver inflammation associated with CE