Oxidant and antioxidant status in patients with chronic bronchitis and pneumonia

Abstract

The study was performed during a treatment of 50 chronic bronchitis patients including those with exacerbation of the disease, and 20 pneumonia patients. Oxidant status was assessed using the total oxidant activity parameters and lipid hydroperoxides and malonyldialdehyde serum levels; antioxidant status was evaluated using the total antioxidant activity and superoxide dismutase and catalase activities parameters in erythrocytes. The patients with exacerbation of the chronic bronchitis had a severe oxidative stress provided by a significant hyperproduction of free-radical metabolites against the background of a decreased activity of intracellular antioxidant enzymes. The severity of the oxidative stress improved under the therapy, basically due to reducing in free radical production and the absence of a considerable change in antioxidant enzymes' activity. Patients with stable chronic bronchitis have still kept the oxidative imbalance. The pneumonia patients have the similar oxidative stress mostly at the top of the clinical signs, which was characterized by the initiation of the free-radical oxidation on the permanent activity of intracellular antioxidant enzymes.