Changes in antioxidant status and lipid peroxidation in Nigerian patients with prostate carcinoma

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the etiology of several pathologies.

The study was designed to investigate the levels of antioxidants and lipid peroxidation (LPO) in relation to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in blood of Nigerian prostate cancer (PCa) patients.

One hundred twenty PCa patients were assigned to 3 groups; group 1 (low grade) with a PSA level of 5-10 ng/ml (n = 33), group 2 (medium grade) with PSA of 11-20 ng/ml (n = 45) and group 3 (high grade) with PSA >20 ng/ml (n = 42). The control group comprised 50 healthy subjects with PSA <3.0 ng/ml.

Subjects with a PSA level of 11-20 ng/ml and PSA >20 ng/ml had significantly lower uric acid and reduced glutathione levels (p <0.05). A significant reduction (p <0.05) in plasma vitamin C and E levels was observed in these patients. The levels of vitamins C and E decreased by 27% and 77% in subjects with PSA >20 ng/ml, and by 25% and 47% in subjects with a PSA level of 11-20 ng/ml, respectively. Serum total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and LPO were significantly (p <0.05) elevated in subjects with PSA >11 ng/ml. More specifically, total bilirubin, ALP and LPO levels were elevated by 75%, 66% and 107% in subjects with PSA at 11-20 ng/ml, and by 167%, 105%, 98% in subjects with PSA > or = 20 ng/ml, respectively. Moreover, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were lower (p <0.05) in all cancer patients.

The results confirmed the depletion of antioxidants in PCa patients, and an inverse relationship between antioxidants and PSA values in this group.