The Role of Oxidative Stress and Antioxidants in Patients with Allergic Rhinitis

Objectives: In this study, the effects of oxidative stress and antioxidants were evaluated in the etiopathogenesis of allergic rhinitis in 40 patients with allergic rhinitis. Fourty healthy individuals without complaint were selected as the control group. Study and control groups were constituted from individuals who did not use nasal or systemic steroid, antihistamines or chromoline sodium in the previous 4 weeks. Blood and serum species taken from the study and control groups were spectrophotometrically analyzed and enzymatic antioxidant myeloperoxidase (MPO), nonenzymatic antioxidant A and E vitamins, oxidative stress product Malondialdehit (MDA) (which is a metabolite formed from lipid peroxidation), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (which shows the balance of the oxidative stress) levels were measured.

Material and Methods: Patient group age range was 4 to 63 years (mean age, 30.38 ± 14.43); the control group age range was 5 to 56 years (mean age, 25.85 ± 12.75). In the patients group, 13 patients were male (32.5%) and 27 patients were female (67.5%). In the control group, 20 patients were male (50%) and 20 patients were female (50%). In the patients group, the complaint time ranged from 1 year to 23 years (mean time, 5.20 ± 4.87).

Results: The MDA level in the allergic patient group (5.23 ± 1.71) was significantly higher than in the control group (4.05 ± 1.74). Vitamin A (1.39 ± 1.44), vitamin E (8.50 ± 9.45), and MPO (1.69 ± 0.68) levels in the patient group were statistically significantly lower than in the control group (2.07 ± 1.43; 23.61 ± 14.96; 1.24 ± 0.49 respectively). Total antioxidant capacity levels were low as parallel these findings.

Conclusion: As a result, the etiopathogenesis of allergic rhinitis is unclear; however, while the role of free oxygen radicals and antioxidant defense mechanisms are considered, lack of sufficient investigation in this area reveals that further studies must be performed.