Blood antioxidant parameters in sickle cell anemia patients in steady state

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a hereditary disorder with higher potential for oxidative damage due to chronic redox imbalance in red cells. We measured antioxidant enzymes including catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). We also determined oxidative damage of proteins in hemolysate of red blood cells (RBCs) and plasma (carbonyl assay). We characterized the membrane damage in terms of lipid peroxidation by accumulation of malonaldehyde (MDA) by HPLC in 30 healthy controls and 20 SCA patients in steady-state condition. Twenty (9 males/11 females) adult SCA patients and 30 healthy controls were studied. All patients and control subjects had antioxidant (CAT, GPx, SOD, carbonyl and MDA) and hematological parameters done. Our data show that SCA patients had significant higher GPx and SOD activities than healthy controls. Carbonyl assay was noted in plasma but not in hemolysate. An enhanced production of MDA was observed in the serum of SCA patients. Our data support the growing evidence that patients with SCA are subjected to chronic oxidative stress and are able to oxidative damage in biological macromolecules such as proteins and lipids.