LEVEL OF SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE ENZYME IN EGYPTIAN PATIENTS WlTH LIVER CIRRHOSIS

Abstract

Free radical damage has been implicated in a variety of hepatic disorders: toxic liver injuries, cholestatic liver disorders, liver fibrosis inflammatory, immune liver diseases and alcoholic liver disease. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the level of superoxide dismatase which is a key component in free radical detoxification process and chronic liver diseases (HCC, decompensated and compensated liver cirrhosis and chronic active hepatitis). The levels of superoxide dismutase in the RBCs haemolysate of healthy controls and patients with chronic liver diseases were measured. The results showed that the RBCs SOD levels of patients with HCC and decompensated liver cirrhosis (449 ± 150.74 u/ml, n=IO) were highly significantly lower than those with decompensated liver cirrhosis only (721.25 ± 125.43 u/ml, n=20) than those with compensated liver cirrhosis (1168.85 ± 190.12 u/ml, n=20) than those with chronic active hepatitis (1634 ± 304.02 u/ml, n=l5) than the healthy controls (1967.67 ± 308.87, n=l5) respectively. Also, the RBCs SOD levels of Child's class C cirrhotic patients (562.95 ± 164.58 u/ml, n=22) were significantly lower than Child's class B cirrhotic patients (816.25 ± 86.47 u/ml, n=8) than Child's Class A cirrhotic patients (1168.85 ± 190.12 u/ml, n=20) respectively. The correlation analysis revealed that the RBCs SOD levels in decompensated liver cirrhotic patients were highly significantly correlated with serum albumin levels (r = 0.965 P< 0.01), total bilirubin (r = -0.93, P < 0.01) and significantly correlated with P.T (r = -0.393, P < 0.05). however, there was no significant correlation between the SOD levels and serum levels of AST and ALT. So, the decrease of SOD levels in decompensated cirrhotic patients is related to the impairment ofliver function but not to the inflammation. These findings suggest that there is a possible role of free radicals in chronic liver diseases and pathogenesis of HCC. The role of antioxidants in preventing or even reverting the already present hepatic pathology is being under study.