Kulkarni Aruna, Madrasi Narayan A
Department of Biochemistry, Government Medical College, Miraj, Maharashtra.
Indian J Tuberc. 2008 Jul;55(3):138-44.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly contagious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacilli replicate within the macrophages and can remain dormant for years; activated macrophages show immunity against these bacilli.
A prospective study was carried out in newly diagnosed TB patients (n = 70) before their antituberculosis treatment and in normal control subjects (n = 35). Serum level of nitric oxide was estimated by Moshage method, 1995 and Bories and Bories method, 1995 and protein carbonyl by Levine method, 1990. Pearson's correlation (r) and Fisher's 'z' test was performed on the obtained results.
In our study, serum nitric oxide and protein carbonyl levels were significantly increased (p < 0.001) in TB patients as compared to normal control group. Positive correlation was seen in pulmonary TB (r = 0.8892, p < 0.001) [Fisher's 'z' transformed = 0.7901 to 0.9430] and extra-pulmonary TB (r = 0.8330, p < 0.001) [Fisher's 'z' transformed = 0.6918 to 0.9128]; 'r' and Fisher's 'Z' was significantly different from zero (two sided p < 0.001).
The mean serum nitric oxide and protein carbonyl levels were concomitantly increased and positively correlated with each other in patients with pulmonary TB and extra-pulmonary TB. The changes in the level of nitric oxide and protein carbonyl are a reflection of increased defence mechanism and free radical activity in tuberculosis.
结核病（TB）是由结核分枝杆菌引起的一种高度传染性疾病。杆菌在巨噬细胞内复制，并可潜伏数年；活化的巨噬细胞对这些杆菌具有免疫力。
对新诊断的结核病患者（n = 70）在抗结核治疗前以及正常对照受试者（n = 35）进行了一项前瞻性研究。采用1995年的莫沙格法和1995年的博里斯和博里斯法测定血清一氧化氮水平，采用1990年的莱文法测定蛋白质羰基水平。对所得结果进行了皮尔逊相关性（r）检验和费舍尔“z”检验。
在我们的研究中，与正常对照组相比，结核病患者的血清一氧化氮和蛋白质羰基水平显著升高（p < 0.001）。在肺结核（r = 0.8892，p < 0.001）[费舍尔“z”转换值 = 0.7901至0.9430]和肺外结核（r = 0.8330，p < 0.001）[费舍尔“z”转换值 = 0.6918至0.9128]中观察到正相关；“r”和费舍尔“Z”与零显著不同（双侧p < 0.001）。
肺结核和肺外结核患者的血清一氧化氮和蛋白质羰基平均水平同时升高且呈正相关。一氧化氮和蛋白质羰基水平的变化反映了结核病中防御机制和自由基活性的增强。
