Study of antioxidant levels in patients with multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma (MM), neoplastic disorder, is a B-cell malignancy characterised by the accumulation of clonal population of plasma cells. Reactive oxygen species and other free radicals mediate phenotypic and genotypic changes leading from mutation to neoplasia in all cancers including MM. In the present study, 50 clinically diagnosed patients with MM at stage II of international staging system and 50 healthy controls were included. beta(2) microglobulin levels were estimated by ELISA. The circulating levels of enzymatic antioxidants; superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) were spectrophotometrically estimated using RANDOX kits whereas catalase, malondialdehyde (MDA), vitamin C and E were estimated by standardised protocols using spectrophotometer/fluorometer. The serum beta(2) microglobulin levels were significantly higher (>3 microg/mL) in patients with MM than healthy controls. The estimated levels of SOD, GPX and catalase (enzymatic antioxidants) and vitamin C and E (non-enzymatic antioxidants) were significantly declined in patients whereas MDA levels were elevated as compared with controls. These results suggest that MM is closely associated with oxidative stress and reduced antioxidant capacity and further investigation might provide an insight to understand a putative causal link between oxidative stress and MM disease progression.