Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Status in Human InfectedWith Kala-azar

Abstract

Malondialdehyde (MDA) is the most commonly marker that is used to investigate the presence of oxidative stress in biological system, and glutathione
redox cycle is a major antioxidant defense system for the detoxification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within erythrocyte.
In the present study, we aimed to evaluate erythrocyte malondialdehyde (MDA) as an indicator for the oxidative status and erythrocyte reduced glutathione (GSH) level as indicators for the antioxidative status in Kala-azar patients.
The study included sixty patient with Kala-azar and they were followedup after their complete chemotherapy with antileishmanial drug (sodium stibogluconate) for (4) weeks. Seventy normal healthy individuals of age and sex match who served as control. After data analysis the following observations
were obtained, erythrocyte (MDA) and (GSH) level were significantly increased in Kala-azar patients as compared with normal healthy controls. After treatment, erythrocyte (MDA) and (GSH) level had decreased significantly as compared to patients before treatment groups. The results suggest that Kala-azar patients are in oxidative stress which most likely induces the endogenous antioxidant such as (GSH).