Urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine levels are elevated in HCV-infected patients

Abstract

HCV patients are usually under substantial oxidative stress because of viral infection. A total of 177 patients with HCV infection and 198 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study. We evaluated the urinary levels of 8-oxo-7, 8-dihydro-2’deoxyguanosine (8-oxodGuo) and 8-oxo-7, 8-dihydroguanosine (8-oxoGuo) in patients with HCV infection and explored the factors affecting the urinary 8-oxodGuo or 8-oxoGuo levels. Biomarkers of liver function, cancer, and inflammation were determined. Nonparametric correlations were used to evaluate the correlation between 8-oxoGuo or 8-oxodGuo and various laboratory biochemical indicators. Results showed that the levels of urinary 8-oxoGuo both in male and female patients with HCV infection were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (both p < 0.0001), while the urinary 8-oxodGuo levels only in male patients with HCV infection were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (p < 0.01). Urinary 8-oxoGuo was significantly associated with the white blood cell count, C-reactive protein level, and 8-oxodGuo level (p = 0.016, p = 0.003, and p = 0.000, respectively). Urinary 8-oxodGuo was significantly associated with the white blood cell count and 8-oxoGuo level (p = 0.018 and p = 0.000, respectively). A regression equation of urinary 8-oxoGuo or 8-oxodGuo was also established using the biomarkers in plasma. The results suggested that patients with a high C-reactive protein level are likely to have high urinary 8-oxoGuo levels as well, which may be useful for assessing the level of inflammation and oxidative stress in HCV patients. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/15257770.2021.1961272 .