Background/aim: Chronic echinococcocal disease is the parasite human disease caused by the penetration of larval (asexual) stages of the canine tapeworm (Echinococcus granulosus) in the liver of humans. After the penetration of the parasite, the host organism react by activating complement-depending immune response. The aim of this study was to elucidate the influence of larval form of Echinococcus granulosus in the liver on the activity of antioxidative defense enzymes in the blood of patients before and after the surgical intervention.
Methods: We investigated the activity of antioxidative defense enzymes: copper/zinc containing superoxide dismutase (CuZn SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) in the blood of patients before and after the surgical intervention in respect to the controls, clinically healthy persons.
Results: Our results showed that the activity of the GSH-Px was significantly decreased in the plasma of the patients with echinocococal disease before the surgery in respect to the controls. The activity of GST was significantly higher in the blood of the patients after the surgery in comparison to the controls.
Conclusion: Chronic liver echinoccocal disease caused significant changes of some antioxidative defense enzymes, first of all Se-dependent enzyme GSH-Px, which could be a suitabile biomarker in the biochemical evaluation of the disease. This work represents a first comprehensive study of the activity of antioxidative defense enzymes in cronic liver echinococcocosis in the patients before and after the surgical intervention in respect to the clinically healthy persons.