Modern Chemistry & Applications

Abstract

Evaluation of Carbonylated Proteins in Hepatitis C Virus Patients

Mahmoud Mohamed Alou-El-Makarem, Moussa Madany Moustafa, Mohamed Abdel-Aziz Fahmy, Aamer Mohamed Abdel-Hamed, Khaled Nagy El-fayomy and Medhat Mohamed Abdel-Salam Darwish

Carbonylated proteins are irreversible posttranslational oxidative modifications, which may interfere with the normal homeostasis of cell growth inducing liver cirrhosis and risk of malignancy.

Objective: To determine plasma levels of carbonylated proteins and total antioxidant capacity and evaluate their role in HCV hepatitis patients and HCV induced liver cirrhosis before and after antiviral therapy; interferon and ribavirin.

Methods: This study included twenty chronic hepatitis C patients with cirrhotic changes, twenty chronic hepatitis C patients without cirrhotic changes and before taking interferon therapy and Fifteen chronic hepatitis C patients without cirrhotic changes and after taking antiviral therapy; interferon (PEG-IFN α2a 180-μg/week and Ribavirin 800 mg capsule one time daily for 24 weeks). Twenty male healthy individuals were included as the control group (age, and body mass index matched). All patients were taking liver support supplements containing vitamins; C, E, folic acid and carotenoids.

Results: There was a highly significant increase (p value 0.00001) in plasma carbonylated protein level in cirrhotic patients (44.9 ± 5.63 nM/dL) as compared to the control group (22.3 ± 3.35 mM/L). TAC in serum in cirrhotic patients was significantly decreased to 0.765 ± 0.249 mM/L as compared to all other groups. These patients were taking antioxidants vitamins (vitamin C, carotenoids and vitamin E), and other supplements known to have antioxidant effects (silimaryn, trace elements), which did not increase their TAC.

Conclusions: Carbonylated proteins may play a role in HCV induced liver cirrhosis. The currently used antioxidants did not increase the antioxidant capacity of plasma. New antioxidants as well as inducers of antioxidant enzymes may be helpful in increasing TAC and prevention of formation of carbonylated proteins and liver cirrhosis.