Nonproteic antioxidant status in plasma of subjects with colon cancer

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) could be important causative agents of a number of human diseases, including cancer. Thus, antioxidants, which control the oxidative stress state, represent a major line of defense regulating overall health. Human plasma contains many different nonenzymatic antioxidants. Because of their number, it is difficult to measure each of these different antioxidants separately. In addition, the antioxidant status in human plasma is dynamic and may be affected by many factors. Thus, the relationship between nonenzymatic antioxidant capacity of plasma and levels of well-known markers of oxidative stress (oxidized proteins, lipid hydroperoxides, decreases in thiol groups) better reflects health status. The present study considers antioxidant capacity and oxidative stress in human plasma of patients with colon cancer or precancerous lesions, as well as before and after surgical removal of tumors and/or chemo/radiation therapy. Healthy blood donors were used as controls. Colon cancer patients demonstrated a significant decrease in nonproteic antioxidant status and in total thiol groups with respect to healthy controls, whereas oxidized proteins and lipid hydroperoxide levels were significantly increased. In patients with precancerous lesions, the only unmodified parameter was the thiol group level. After surgery, the levels of oxidized proteins, lipid hydroperoxides, and total thiol groups were restored to those seen in healthy subjects, whereas nonproteic antioxidant capacity remained unmodified from that determined before surgery. Conversely, chemo/radiation therapy increased both nonproteic antioxidant capacity and levels of oxidized proteins and lipid hydroperoxides and significantly decreased total thiol groups. These results further support the hypothesis that oxidative stress correlates to the risk of some forms of cancer, not only in the initial stages but also during progression.