Thiol/disulfide homeostasis in retinitis pigmentosa patients.

PURPOSE

This research is aimed at determination of total oxidant status, total antioxidant status, serum thiol-disulfide, catalase, albumin, ischemia-modified albumin, and ceruloplasmin in patients suffering from retinitis pigmentosa and drawing a comparison with these parameters determined from healthy controls.

METHODS

The study involved 35 patients of retinitis pigmentosa and 33 controls who were healthy individuals of comparable gender and age. Native thiol, total thiol, disulfide concentration, disulfide/native thiol, disulfide/total thiol, native thiol/total thiol ratios, total oxidant status, total antioxidant status, catalase, ceruloplasmin, albumin, and ischemia-modified albumin were determined from peripheral blood samples and comparison was drawn between the measurements of retinitis pigmentosa and controls.

RESULTS

The two groups were similar in gender and age distributions. It was found that retinitis pigmentosa group demonstrated greater total oxidant status, ischemia-modified albumin, and disulfide concentrations as compared to controls (p < 0.001). However, total antioxidant status, catalase, native thiol, total thiol, albumin, and ceruloplasmin of the two groups did not show statistically significant difference (p > 0.05). Moreover, disulfide/total thiol and disulfide/native thiol ratios of the retinitis pigmentosa group were significantly greater in comparison to controls (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The researchers reached the conclusion that thiol oxidation in retinitis pigmentosa patients caused the dynamic thiol/disulfide homeostasis to shift toward the generation of disulfide. This is a novel research that involves analysis of thiol/disulfide homeostasis in retinitis pigmentosa patients using a novel automated assay. The researchers identified the cause for persistent oxidative stress and damage reported in retinitis pigmentosa patients. Still, future research is required for analysis of progression of antioxidant-oxidant state through various retinitis pigmentosa stages.