Vitamin A and lipid peroxidation in patients with different forms of leprosy

Abstract

SUMMARYLeprosy, a chronic infectious disease, is caused by a Mycobacterium leprae infection. After India, Brazil has the second greatest number of cases in the world. Increase of oxidative stress and antioxidant deficiency are present in infected subjects and can be related to infection progression. We studied alterations in serum levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and vitamin A in patients with different forms of leprosy. Four groups of leprosy patients and a control group (healthy subjects) were selected, and their vitamin A serum levels and LPO profile, measured as malonaldehyde (MDA) were measured by spectrophotometric assays. The mean MDA serum levels (µmol/L) were 3.80 ± 0.5 for control group and 10.54 ± 1.1 in the leprosy patients and this increase was gradual, being more accentuated in severe forms of the disease. Also, the vitamin A serum levels (µg/dL) were diminished in the infected subjects (38.51 ± 4.2), mainly in lepromatous form, when compared with the control group (53.8 ± 5.6). These results indicate that LPO can be an important factor in Mycobacterium leprae infection, which can be related to increases in phagocytic activity and the general breakdown of antioxidants, contributing to an increase of LPO during infection progression. The evaluation of oxidant/antioxidant status in these patients can be an important factor in the treatment, control, and/or prognosis of this disease.

effects of 6-OHDA infusion into the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus in mediating stress-induced behavioural responses and oxidative damage in rats

“…Afterwards, samples were centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 10 min and supernatant read at 532 nm. The signal was read against an MDA standard curve, and the results were expressed as nmol/mg protein (21)(22)(23).…”

Achados fonoaudiológicos na hanseníase: considerações teóricas

“…A via inicial de contágio é respiratória ou gastrointestinal. Os bacilos isolados nas secreções nasais ressecadas mantêm alguma viabilidade por até sete dias e uma viabilidade um pouco maior em condições de umidade (1)(2)(3)(4)(5) .…”

“…A hanseníase é uma doença bacteriana crônica, de alta infectividade e baixa patogenicidade, na qual o agente etiológico é o Mycobacterium leprae, também chamado de bacilo de Hansen. Um parasita intracelular obrigatório que se acumula principalmente na pele, nos nervos periféricos e pares cranianos, levando a diversas lesões cutâneas, à perda da condução neural e, consequentemente, a severas alterações anatômicas e funcionais nas extremidades do corpo, membros e região orofacial (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9) .…”

“…A hanseníase representa um importante problema de saúde pública no panorama nacional, uma vez que figura em lugar destacado entre as morbidades e condições que originam incapacidades físicas (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9) .…”

Assessment of nitric oxide and uric acid in patients of leprosy

“…In leprosy, the defense mechanism against mycobacterium bacilli has primordial participation of the macrophages, lymphocytes and its cytokines, regulating the production, release and modulation of diverse and important cellular immunity reactions. 3 NO, a product of macrophages activated by cytokines , microbial compounds or both, is derived from the amino acid L-arginine by the enzymatic activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS or NOS2) and functions as an antimicrobial molecule. 4 The NO and peroxynitrite produced by macrophages in skin lesions are shown to be involved in nerve damage in borderline leprosy patients.…”