Increased oxidative stress associated with the severity of the liver disease in various forms of hepatitis B virus infection

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress can be defined as an increase in oxidants and/or a decrease in antioxidant capacity. There is limited information about the oxidative status in subjects with hepatitis B virus infection. We aimed to evaluate the oxidative status in patients with various clinical forms of chronic hepatitis B infection. METHODS: Seventy-six patients with hepatitis B virus infection, in whom 33 with chronic hepatitis, 31 inactive carriers and 12 with cirrhosis, and 16 healthy subjects were enrolled. Total antioxidant response and total peroxide level measurement, and calculation of oxidative stress index were performed in all participants. RESULTS: Total antioxidant response was significantly lower in cirrhotics than inactive HbsAg carriers and controls (p = 0.008 and p = 0.008, respectively). Total peroxide level and oxidative stress index was significantly higher in cirrhotic (p < 0.001, both) and chronic hepatitis B subjects (p < 0.001, both) than inactive HbsAg carriers and controls. Total antioxidant response was comparable in chronic hepatitis B subjects, inactive HbsAg carriers and controls (both, p > 0.05/6). Total peroxide level and oxidative stress index were also comparable in inactive HBsAg carriers and controls (both, p > 0.05/6). Serum alanine amino transferase level was positively correlated with total peroxide level and oxidative stress index only in chronic hepatitis B subjects (p = 0.002, r = 0.519 and p = 0.008, r = 0.453, respectively). CONCLUSION: Oxidative stress occurs secondarily to increased total lipid peroxidation and inadequate total antioxidant response and is related to severity of the disease and replication status of virus in hepatitis B infection

Seroepidemiology of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Istanbul: A 20-year Survey

Objective: Turkey is an intermediate endemic country for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, with the prevalence rates showing regional differences. The aim of this study was to determine the recent prevalence of HBV infection among adults in Istanbul and to evaluate the impact of national vaccination program that started in 1998

Ethanol and Nicotine Interaction on Liver Oxidative Status: An Experimental Study

Objective: To investigate the additive effect of ethanol and nicotine on rat liver oxidative status following either alone or combined sub-chronic administration. Material and Methods: Forty-eight female Sprague Dewley rats were grouped randomly into one of the protocols, which consisted of treatment for 10 days with ethanol 2 g/kg/day (ethanol group, n= 12), nicotine 0.15 mg/kg/day (nicotine group, n= 12), both drugs (ethanol plus nicotine group, n= 12) or saline solution on (control group, n= 10) for 10 days. Following 10 days of administration of thesethe above-mentioned agents, malondialdehyde concentration, reduced glutathione concentration and glutathione peroxidase activity were assessed in the liver. Results: The ethanol plus nicotine group had significantly higher malondialdehyde and lower glutathione concentrations than either the ethanol and nicotine and the control groups (both, p 0.05). No significant difference was observed in glutathione peroxidase activity of ethanol, nicotine or ethanol plus nicotine groups (all p> 0.05). Conclusions: Co-administration of ethanol and nicotine results with significant increase in lipid peroxidation and significant decrease in glutathionelevels compared to their separate administration