Dynamic thiol-disulfide homeostasis is disturbed in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Abstract

AbstractBackground:Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Plasma thiols are major defense mechanisms against oxidative stress and undergo oxidation to form disulfides under oxidative conditions. This study was conducted to investigate thiol-disulfide homeostasis in NAFLD patients.Methods:Thirty patients with biopsy proven non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), 40 patients with simple steatosis and 50 healthy controls were included in the study. Serum total and native thiol concentrations and serum disulfide concentration were measured using the Erel and Neselioglu’s method.Results:The mean serum total thiol concentrations in the NASH, simple steatosis and control groups were 415±64 μmol/L, 447±38 μmol/L and 480±37 μmol/L, respectively (p<0.001). The mean serum native thiol concentrations in the NASH, simple steatosis and control groups were 378±62 μmol/L, 416±41 μmol/L and 451±36 μmol/L, respectively (p<0.001). The mean serum disulfide concentrations in the NASH, simple steatosis and control groups were 18.5±6.3 μmol/L, 15.5±4.8 μmol/L and 14.9±3.6 μmol/L, respectively (p=0.005). The native thiol/total thiol ratio was significantly lower and the disulfide/total thiol and disulfide/native thiol ratios were significantly higher in the NASH group than in the simple steatosis and control groups.Conclusions:Thiol-disulfide homeostasis is disturbed and shifted toward disulfide side in NAFLD and NASH patients.