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Oxidative stress markers in hepatitis C infected hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND
Oxidative stress in hemodialysis (HD) patients or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections may be related to increased production of free radicals. We assessed the effect of HCV infection on the oxidative stress markers, malondialdehyde (as TBARS), protein carbonyl content and protein sulfhydryl groups, in chronic HD patients.


METHODS
Twenty HCV infected patients (9 men and 11 women, age 44.8 +/- 14.3 years) and 10 non-HCV infected patients (6 men and 4 women, age 55.6 +/- 14.3 years) receiving regular HD were recruited. The average hemodialysis duration was 30 +/- 8 months for HCV (+) patients and 14 +/- 8 months for HCV (-) patients. Controls consisted of healthy subjects.


RESULTS
Serum TBARS and carbonyl content were significantly elevated in HCV(-) patients (p<0.001, p<0.05) and in HCV(+) patients (p<0.001, p<0.001) vs. Controls. There was also a significant difference in serum TBARS and carbonyl content between HCV(-) patients and HCV(+) patients (p<0.001, p<0.05). Serum protein sulfhydryl groups in HCV(-) and HCV(+) patients were the same, but significantly lower than in Controls (p<0.001, p<0.001). When HCV(+) patients were divided into two sub-groups, one with shorter (13.4 +/- 8 months; n=7) and the other with longer (40.3 +/- 8 months; n=13) duration of HD treatment, no differences were found between subgroups.


CONCLUSION
HCV infection may aggravate oxidative stress in HD patients.