Abstract

While Entamoeba histolytica is a major human pathogen, other species like Entamoeba coliare not known to be pathogenic. Thus, there have been studies investigating the possible pathogenic nature of E. coli. The aim of this study is to evaluate the serum levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) and nitric oxide (NO) levels in E. coli-infected patients. The study was conducted between January 2005 and December 2007. In this study the sera of 35 patients with E. coli infection and 40 healthy people in the control group were analyzed for MDA, NO and GSH levels. The mean values for the cases were 1.37 +/- 0.03mmol/L for GSH, 42.38 +/- 2.96 nmol/L for MDA and 44.71 +/- 1.12 mmol/dl for NO. For the control group, the mean values were 2.49 +/- 0.10 for GSH, 19.47 +/- 2.25 nmol/L for MDA, and 17.83 +/- 0.50 mmol/dl for NO. A statistically significant difference existed between the cases control groups. In the present study, significant increases were detected in the serum levels of MDA and NO while there was a significant decrease in the serum levels of, GSH. It is concluded that the E. coli infection was associated with significant oxidative stress.

Key words: Entamoeba coli, Oxidative stress, Malondiadehyde, Glutathone and Nitric Oxide