Pro-Oxidant - Antioxidant Balance in Patients with High Grade Glioblastoma Multiform

Background: Gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors of the central nervous system. Among a number of different bio-molecular events, molecular connections between oxidative stress pathways and their development is prevalent. Oxidative stress is the consequence of an imbalance between pro-oxidant factors and antioxidant defense. This imbalance may lead to DNA damage and changes in growth and function of cells in the brain. Many evidences show that reactive oxygen species in the mammalian brain are directly responsible for cell and tissue function and dysfunction. A brain tumor is correlated with oxidative stress. In this study, we determine the pro-oxidant – antioxidant balance in patients with grade IV brain tumors (glioblastoma multiforme) by the pro-oxidant – antioxidant assay. Methods: We collected sera from 50 patients with high grade (IV) glioblastoma multiform and 49 healthy subjects. The pro-oxidant - antioxidant assay was measured. Results: There was a significant increase in pro-oxidant - antioxidant values in patients (158.10±85.71 HK unit) compared to the control group (74.54±33.54 HK; P=0.001. Conclusion: The pro-oxidant - antioxidant balance assay can show a high level of pro-oxidants in the sera of patients with glioblastoma which indicates the presence of oxidative stress in this group.