1. ¹Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey
2. ²Department of Ophthalmology, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey
3. ³Department of Biochemistry, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey
4. ⁴Department of Biostatistics, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey
5. ⁵Department of Phsiology, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey

Correspondence: Nurcan Aras Ate, PhD, Mersin Üniversitesi Tp Fakültesi, Tbbi Biyoloji ve Genetik Anabilim Dal, Yeniehir Kampüsü Mersin 33161, Turkey. Tel: +90 324 3412815/1012; Fax: +90 324 3412400; GSM: +90 532 2269903; E-mail: naras@mersin.edu.tr

Received 16 April 2003; Accepted 16 July 2003.

Abstract

Purpose Oxidative mechanisms play a major role in the aetiology and pathogenesis of cataract, especially in age-related cataract. Our study aims to investigate systemic oxidant and antioxidant markers in cataract patients.

Methods The activity of erythrocyte catalase and the level of malondialdehyde in plasma were measured in 40 patients with cataract and 60 healthy control subjects. The malondialdehyde level, as an index of lipid peroxidation, was determined by thiobarbitüric acid reaction according to Yagi. The determination of catalase activity was measured by a method that was defined by Beutler. Catalase enzyme activity and malondialdehyde level were evaluated to find out whether there was a significant difference in these variables. Analysis of variance was used by forming a general linear model that takes age and gender as the covariate.

Results CAT activity was found to be 13 920.2847.9 U/l in cataract patients and 16 061.31126.6 U/l in control subjects. CAT activity in cataract patients was significantly lower than the control subjects (P=0.008). Plasma MDA level is significantly higher in patients with cataract 4.47 0.35 nmol/ml compared to the control subjects 2.940.26 nmol/ml (P=0.0001). There was no significant difference between different cataract subgroups when erythrocyte CAT activities and plasma MDA levels were compared (P=0.322, 0.062).

Conclusion This study shows that oxidant/antioxidant balances alter in the presence of cataract.