RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Oxidative stress plays a role in the pathogenesis in patients with HCV infection. The objective of this study was to evaluate oxidant and antioxidant biomarkers in patients with HCV. DESIGN AND METHODS: Serum malonaldehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels and the activities of myeloperoxidase (MPO), arylesterase (AE) and paraoxonase-1 (PON1) were determined in 23 chronic and 21 cirrhotic patients with HCV and 21 healthy subjects. RESULTS: Cirrhotic patients with HCV had higher serum NO level and MPO activity while lower AE and PON1 activities than the chronic. Significant inverse correlation was observed between MDA and PON1 activity in patients with HCV. The most significant HCV biomarker was MDA, AE, NO and PON1. The best combined ones for sensitivity, specificity were MDA+albumin, PON1+AST, and PON1+albumin. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the MDA, MPO, AE, NO and PON1 as biomarkers might be useful tools, helping in the monitoring of patients with HCV.
