[Express of plasma ROS, SOD and GSH-PX in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma].
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the levels of plasma reactive oxygen species(ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and to observe the state of metabolism of free radical in patients with NPC and the effects of them on nasopharyngeal carcinoma. METHOD: The levels of plasma ROS, SOD and GSH-PX in 40 patients with NPC and 20 normal controls were identified by Fenton reaction method, xanthine oxidase method and dithiocarbamate method respectively. RESULT: Plasma ROS activity[(11,327.835 +/- 483.777)/(U.ml-1)] in NPC increased significantly in comparison with the control group [(10,262.712 +/- 525.287)/(U.ml-1)] (P < 0.05). Plasma SOD and GSH-PX activities [(76.619 +/- 22.283)/(NU.ml-1), (98.653 +/- 46.374)/AU] in NPC decreased significantly in comparison with the control group [(154.603 +/- 27.241)/(NU.ml-1), (307.872 +/- 116.275)/AU] (P < 0.05). But there was no significant difference of the levels of plasma ROS[(10,987.235 +/- 469.340)/(U.ml-1), (10,081.53 +/- 488.409)/(U.ml-1), (12,085.044 +/- 564.721)/(U.ml-1)], SOD[(79.517 +/- 20.368)/(NU.ml-1), (67.975 +/- 24.202)/(NU.ml-1), (58.692 +/- 29.946)/(NU.ml-1)] and GSH-PX[(101.362 +/- 59.859)/AU, (89.338 +/- 42.259)/AU, (101.890 +/- 33.559)/AU] in different pathological kinds of NPC. CONCLUSION: The metabolism of free radical is disturbed and the ability of anti-oxidation injury decreases significantly in patients with NPC, so anti-oxidation treatment should be given to suppress the development of NPC.