Antioxidant factors, nitric oxide levels, and cellular damage in leprosy patients

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: Taysa Ribeiro Schalcher, Jose Luiz Fernandes Vieira, Claudio Guedes Salgado, Rosivaldo dos Santos Borges, Marta Chagas Monteiro
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2013
• Subjects: Mycobacterium leprae; Oxidative stress; Leprosy patients; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-1506-2013; https://doaj.org/article/05ea6a0f321340f682ceb881fc4be691

Introduction The immune response caused by Mycobacterium leprae is a risk factor for the development of oxidative stress (OS) in leprosy patients. This study aimed to assess OS in leprosy patients before the use of a multidrug therapy. Methods We evaluated the nitric oxide (NO) concentration; antioxidant capacity; levels of malondialdehyde, methemoglobin and reduced glutathione; and the activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in leprosy patients. Results We observed lower SOD activity in these leprosy patients; however, the NO levels and antioxidant capacity were increased. Conclusions The infectious process in response to M. leprae could primarily be responsible for the OS observed in these patients.