Study of serum malondialdehyde and whole blood reduced glutathione in emphysema patients

Background: Emphysema is associated with high incidence of morbidity and mortality. The imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants is thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of Emphysema. Methods: A total number of 80 subjects comprising of 40 healthy controls and 40 Emphysema cases were studied. In all the subjects, serum levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) as a biomarker of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant whole blood reduced glutathione (GSH) were estimated. Results: The level of whole blood reduced glutathione was significantly decreased in emphysema patients when compared to controls. Serum MDA was significantly increased in Emphysema patients when compared to controls. Conclusion: The presence of increased systemic oxidative stress in emphysema patients seems to be associated with current active smoking and systemic inflammation. The decrease in antioxidants levels appears to be mainly a consequence of increased oxidative stress. This suggests that oxidative stress is likely to be involved in pathogenesis of emphysema.