Background. Essential parameters of antioxidative system were compared at pre- and post-surgical periods for lung cancer patients in order to find their correlation and the link to course of late post-surgical period.
Material and methods. 29 lung cancer patients (average age 61.2 years; SD - 7.4) surgically treated at Institute of Oncology Vilnius University were examined. Cancer stage, degree of tumour differentiation, duration of disease-free period and of survival period were considered. Blood plasma and erythrocyte haemolysate samples were analyzed at pre-surgical and post-surgical periods of one to two months. Malondialdehyde level, total glutathione amount, catalytic activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione S-transferase, and total antioxidative activity was determined spectrophotometrically.
Results. Total glutathione amount, superoxide dismutase and total antioxidative activities were not sig- niftcantly aftected by surgery but the treatment caused statistically significantly enhanced glutathione S-transfe- rase (p=0.0001) activity, reduced catalase (p=0.011) activity and lowered malondialdehyde level (p=0.048). Reduced malondialdehyde level and enhanced glutathione S-transferase ac- tivtty showed the restore of organtsm adaptation mechanisms post-surgi- cally. Activities of glutathione S-trans- ferase and superoxide dismutase after surgery were in positive correlation to disease-free period what should be important from clinical approach. More significant correlation was between glutathione S-transferase activity and disease-free period (r=0.718).
Conclusions. Lower level of malondialdehyde and higher catalytic activity of glutathione S-transferase after surgical treatment showed recovery of adaptation mechanisms. Correlation of glutathione S-transferase and superoxide dismutase activities with disease-free period might be considered as a favourable prognostic factor for lung cancer patients although further experimental study is necessary to confirm this hypothesis.
