Enhanced lipid peroxidation and impaired enzymic antioxidant activities in the erythrocytes of patients with cervical carcinoma.

This study examined the relationship between oxidative stress and enzymic antioxidant status in the erythrocytes of thirty-two adult cervical cancer patients and an equal number of age-matched cervicitis patients and healthy subjects. Lipid peroxidation was significantly increased, while the activities of enzymic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were decreased in the erythrocytes of cervical cancer patients as compared to healthy subjects and cervicitis patients. Thus, this study has demonstrated elevated lipid peroxidation and impaired enzymic antioxidant activities in the erythrocytes of cervical cancer patients.