Relationship Between Chromosome Damage In Lymphocytes And Oxidative Stress In Patients With Alcoholic Liver Disease

AIM:To observe the rate of micronucleus formation in peripheral blood lymphocytes, plasma MDA content and SOD activity and to explore the relation between chromosome damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes and oxidative stress in patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD)Methods:Thirty-one ALD patients (experimental group) and 22 healthy volunteers (control group) were included in the study. Chromosome damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes was detected by cytokinesis-block micronucleus test (CB-MNT). Plasma MDA content was detected by the thiobarbituric acid (TBA)method,and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was measured by xanthine oxidase method.Results:The content of plasma MDA was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group(5.88±2.62μmol/L vs 2.89±1.33μmol/L, P<0.01), while the activity of SOD was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group(49.28±6.03kU/L vs 57.35±4.96 kU/L,P<0.01). A negative correlation was noted between the contents of MDA and the activity of SOD (P<0.05,r=-0.454) in both groups. The rate of micronucleus formation was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group(P<0.01). A positive correlation between the contents of MDA and the rate of micronucleus formation (P<0.01, r=0.493), and a negative correlation between SOD activity and the rate of micronucleus formation were found in the experimental group (P<0.05,r=-0.422).Conclusion:Oxidative stress plays an important role in chromosome damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with alcoholic liver disease, suggesting that oxidative stress is one of the mechanisms causing chromosome damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes in these patients. Cytokinesis-block micronucleus test can be used as one of methods testing chromosomal damage in patients with alcoholic liver disease.