Circulating lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status in cervical cancer patients: a case-control study

Objectives: The present case-control study was conducted to investigate the status of circulating lipid peroxidation and the enzymic and nonenzymic antioxidants of cervical cancer patients.

Design and methods: Plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), conjugated dienes (CD) and the levels of antioxidants such as reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), vitamin C and vitamin E were estimated in circulation of thirty patients and an equal number of age matched normal subjects as control.

Results: Significantly elevated levels of plasma TBARS and CD and significantly lowered levels of GSH, GPx, GST, SOD vitamin C and vitamin E were observed in cervical cancer patients as compared to controls. Our study reveals increased lipid peroxidation and possible breakdown of antioxidant status in patients with cervical carcinoma.

Conclusion: These results indicate that low levels of GSH, GPx, GST, SOD, vitamin E and vitamin C in the circulation of cervical cancer patients may be due to their increased utilization to scavenge lipid peroxides as well as their sequestration by tumor cells. Malnutrition may also be a significant cause for the increased prevalence of cervical cancer in women with a low socioeconomic status.