Oxidative Stress and Benefits of Antioxidant Agents in Acute and Chronic Hepatitis

Abstract

: Context: Oxidative damage due to oxidative stress is the failure of the cell's defense against the deleterious effects of harmful agents by means of its numerous autoprotective mechanisms. oxidative stress is a key impairment induced by various conditions, including atherosclerosis, hypertension, ischemia-reperfusion, hepatitis, pancreatitis, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.Evidence Acquisition: Oxidative stress is a common pathogenetic mechanism contributing to the initiation and progression of hepatic damage in cases of inflammatory liver disorders, including acute and chronic hepatitis. Antioxidant administration is a good therapeutic strategy for the treatment of hepatitis.Results: Our comprehensive review of the literature revealed that contradictory results have been obtained with many antioxidants and antioxidant agents.Conclusion: Since clinical studies to date have generally involved testing of the effects of antioxidant mixtures containing more than 2 antioxidants and also have been limited because of toxic effects of high doses of some antioxidants, antioxidant therapy for acute and chronic hepatitis needs further study. Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education:Acute and chronic hepatitis are common viral diseases. Since oxidative stress is a common pathogenetic mechanism contributing to initiation and progression of hepatic damage in acute and chronic hepatitis, antioxidants represent a good therapeutic strategy for the treatment of acute and chronic hepatitis. Therefore, study of this article is recommended to the epidemiologists, hepatologists,virologists and other researchers who are interested in the field of public health. Please cite this paper as: Esrefoglu M. Oxidative Stress and Benefits of Antioxidant Agents in Acute and Chronic Hepatitis. Hepat Mon. 2012;12(3):160-7. DOI: 10.5812/hepatmon.837 Copyright © 2012 Kowsar Corp. All rights reserved.