Clinical Research
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2005. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 21, 2005; 11(27): 4194-4198
Published online Jul 21, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i27.4194
Patients with primary biliary cirrhosis have increased serum total antioxidant capacity measured with the crocin bleaching assay
George Notas, Niki Miliaraki, Marilena Kampa, Fillipos Dimoulios, Erminia Matrella, Adam Hatzidakis, Elias Castanas, Elias Kouroumalis
George Notas, Fillipos Dimoulios, Erminia Matrella, Elias Kouroumalis, Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Crete, Faculty of Medicine, Heraklion 71003, Greece
Niki Miliaraki, Laboratory of Clinical Chemistry, University of Crete, Faculty of Medicine, Heraklion 71003, Greece
Marilena Kampa, Elias Castanas, Laboratory of Experimental Endocrinology, University of Crete, Faculty of Medicine, Heraklion 71003, Greece
Adam Hatzidakis, Department of Radiology, University of Crete, Faculty of Medicine, Heraklion 71003, Greece
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr. George Notas, Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Crete, School of Medicine, PO Box 2208, Heraklion 71003, Greece. gnotas@med.uoc.gr
Telephone: +30-810-394634 Fax: +30-810-394634
Received: September 11, 2004
Revised: October 13, 2004
Accepted: October 18, 2004
Published online: July 21, 2005
Abstract

AIM: The balance between oxidants and antioxidants can play an important role in the initiation and development of liver diseases. Recently, we have described a new automated method for the determination of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in human serum and plasma.

METHODS: We measured TAC and corrected TAC (CTAC -abstraction of interactions due to endogenous uric acid, bilirubin and albumin) in 52 patients with chronic liver diseases (41 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), 10 patients with chronic hepatitis C and 13 patients with viral HCV cirrhosis) as well as in 10 healthy controls. In 23 PBC patients measurement were also done 6 mo after treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). The TAC assay was based on a modification of the crocin bleaching assay. The results were correlated with routine laboratory measurements and the histological stage of PBC.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences in TAC between the various groups. However, CTAC was consi-derably increased in the PBC group compared to controls and cirrhotics. Analysis of these patients according to disease stages showed that this increase was an early phenomenon observed only in stages I and II compared to controls, cirrhotics and patients with chronic hepatitis C). After 6 mo of treatment with UDCA, levels of CTAC decreased to those similar to that of controls.

CONCLUSION: Patients in the early stages of PBC present with high levels of corrected total antioxidant capacity and this maybe related to the pathophysiology of the disease. UDCA treatment restores the levels of CTAC to control levels.

Keywords: Antioxidants; Serum total antioxidant capacity; Primary biliary cirrhosis; Chronic hepatitis C; Viral HCV cirrhosis; Ursodeoxycholic acid