[Evaluation of antioxidant status in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma]

The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of the antioxidant system in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Total antioxidant status (TAS), superdoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity was examined in liver primary cancers and in blood serum of patients before and after surgery. In comparison with healthy liver, very low activity of TAS was observed in liver cirrhosis and in primary cancer. High activity of TAS in the blood serum of patients before and after surgery was comparable with TAS activity in blood serum of healthy persons. The highest activity of SOD and CAT was observed in liver cirrhosis. The lowest activity was observed in liver primary cancer. Activity of SOD and CAT in the blood serum of patients before surgery was higher than in the blood serum of patients after surgery. The highest activity was observed in the blood serum of healthy persons. Obtained results shows, that the dysfunction of the defensive antioxidant mechanisms have characterised with not only local disturbances (in the tumour cells region), but also circuital ones (blood). Low levels of the activity of TAS, SOD and CAT in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma indicate to the distortion of the oxidant--antioxidant balance and the decrease of organism antioxidant system efficiency. These observations show at the participation of free radical processes in the tumour pathogenesis.