Assessment of Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Status in Allergic Rhinitis.

Background

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a chronic immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated inflammatory disorder triggered by aeroallergens. Oxidative stress (OS) is increasingly recognized as a key factor in AR pathophysiology. This study aimed to investigate dynamic thiol-disulfide homeostasis (TDH) and OS markers in AR patients compared to healthy controls.

Methods

Sixty-two participants (31 AR patients, 31 controls) were enrolled. Hematological and biochemical parameters were measured. OS markers including total thiol (TT), native thiol (NT), disulfide, total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were assessed. Correlations between OS markers and laboratory parameters were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis evaluated the diagnostic performance of OS markers.

Results

TT and NT levels were significantly lower in AR patients, whereas disulfide, disulfide/NT and disulfide/TT ratios, TOS and OSI were significantly higher. TAS levels were slightly lower in AR patients. TT and NT correlated positively with eosinophil counts and negatively with monocyte, platelet, AST, and creatinine levels. ROC analysis indicated strong diagnostic potential: TT (AUC = 0.749, cutoff 415 µmol/L, sensitivity 90%, specificity 61%), NT (AUC = 0.786, cutoff 373.2 µmol/L, sensitivity 90%, specificity 71%), and disulfide (AUC = 0.690, cutoff 20 µmol/L, sensitivity 74%, specificity 61%).

Conclusions

AR patients exhibit disrupted TDH and elevated OS. These markers may serve as sensitive indicators of oxidative imbalance, offering potential diagnostic and therapeutic insights into AR management.