Complex relation of blood cell antioxidant enzymes in symptomatic chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer disease

Aim: To investigate relationship between activities of antioxidative enzymes in blood and gastric mucosa inflammation in patients with chronic gastritis (regardless of Helicobacter pylori infection) and peptic ulcer patients. Patients and Methods: Antioxidant capacity (plasma total antioxidant status, TAS) and activities of erythrocyte copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD), whole-blood selenium glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and erythrocyte glutathione reductase (GR) were measured in 31 patients with chronic gastritis, 25 patient with peptic ulcer, and 21 healthy persons. Results: Erythrocyte SOD activity was higher in chronic gastritis patients compared with peptic ulcer patients (P = 0.001) and the control group of healthy subjects (P < 0.001). GR activity was lower in healthy subjects compared with chronic gastritis patients (P = 0.006) and peptic ulcer patients (P = 0.013), whereas whole-blood GPx activity was lower in chronic gastritis patients (P < 0.001) compared with healthy controls. Helicobacter pylori negative patients had higher SOD compared with both groups (H. pylori positive: P = 0.003 ; healthy controls P < 0.001) and lower GPx enzyme activity compared with the control group (P = 0.003). GR activity in healthy subjects was lower than in the group of patients with (P = 0.009) and without (P = 0.008) Helicobacter pylori infection. Conclusions: Presented results suggest that alteration of antioxidative enzymes in blood cells could be related to pathogenesis of gastroduodenal disease and might reflect a response of the body to excessive oxygen free radical release due to damage of gastric mucosa induced by inflammation process.