Abstract
Oxidative stress as a result of disequilibrium between free radical generation and
antioxidant status has been implicated in several pathologies including thyroid diseases.
Studies on antioxidant status in overt (OHT) and subclinical hypothyroidism (SHT)
are controversial and limited. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of
OHT and SHT on antioxidant status. Thirty-six patients with OHT, 36 patients with
SHT, and 39 healthy euthyroid subjects as the control group were included in the study.
Plasma levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH) and total antioxidant
capacity (TAC) as ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), and erythrocyte antioxidant
enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), SOD/GPx ratios,
catalase (CAT), and glutathione reductase (GR) were analyzed in all groups. MDA and
GPx values were elevated, while GSH, FRAP, SOD, and SOD/GPx ratio were decreased in
both patient groups compared with controls. No change in activities of CAT and GR
were observed in both the patient groups. Significant differences were observed between
OHT and SHT groups with high MDA, GPX and low GSH, FRAP, SOD, and SOD/GPx ratio in
OHT group. Thus, hypothyroid patients have a deficient antioxidant defense in the
form of decreased activity of SOD, decreased levels of FRAP and GSH along with an
increase in GPx activity. The severity of the disease appears to decide the degree
of deficiency and our findings also point to this, in the form of decrease in SOD,
FRAP, and GSH observed being more in OHT than in SHT patients. Hormonal changes and
increased lipid peroxidation, which also vary with severity of disease, appear to
contribute to the antioxidant deficiency.
Key words
hypothyroidism - oxidative stress - glutathione - antioxidant status