[Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant levels in patients with laryngeal carcinoma].

OBJECTIVES

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in the pathogenesis of cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of lipid peroxidation and ROS in laryngeal cancer tissues.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We determined glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) activities as markers of lipid peroxidation in laryngeal tumor specimens and tumor-free adjacent tissues of 30 patients with squamous cell carcinoma.

RESULTS

Compared to the tumor-free specimens, the level of GSH was significantly low (p<0.001) whereas MDA, a lipid peroxidation product, showed a significant increase (p<0.01) in cancer tissues. No significant differences were found in MDA and GSH levels between patients with early (n=14) and advanced (n=16) tumor stages (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION

Decreased antioxidant capacity of laryngeal cancer tissues results in elevation of free oxygen radicals and increased lipid peroxidation. Free radical metabolism may be involved in the pathogenesis of laryngeal cancers.