Identification and Quantification of Oxidative Stress Serologic Markers in Acute Viral Hepatitis

Abstract

Recent clinical studies have clearly demonstrated the implication of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of liver cell injury from acute and chronic hepatitis. Starting from these theoretical premises, the present study proposed to investigate the presence of two oxidative stress markers: lipidic peroxides – as markers of lipidic peroxidation and carbonylated proteins – as markers of protein peroxidation in acute viral hepatitis, but also separately on each etiologic type: acute viral hepatitis A, B and C. We carried out a clinical trial study of the type exposed - non-exposed which included a number of 47 patients diagnosed with acute viral hepatitis, out of which 18 cases – with acute viral hepatitis A, 16 cases – with acute viral hepatitis B, 13 cases – with acute viral hepatitis C, hospitalized in the Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases in Cluj-Napoca in the period 2003-2006. A number of 42 healthy subjects constituted the non-exposed sample. The results of the study prove the presence of some significantly high concentrations in acute viral hepatitis compared to the non-exposed sample, for lipidic peroxides and also for carbonylated proteins. Although both markers show the existence of oxidative stress in hepatitis, it seems that lipidic peroxides represents a more sensitive marker than carbonylated proteins, being known that, in acute and chronic hepatitis, lipoperoxidation of cell  membranes is the first process started by reactive oxygen species excessive production, also having as a result the production of liver cell injury. The assessment of lipidic peroxides in dynamics, by its prolonged persistence, can become not only a diagnosis marker in acute viral hepatitis, but also a prognosis marker, useful in monitoring the evolution of hepatitis.