Circadian periodicity of plasma lipid peroxides and anti-oxidant enzymes in pulmonary tuberculosis.

The circadian periodicity of plasma lipid peroxide levels and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were studied in 50 clinically, bacteriologically and radiologically proven fresh cases of pulmonary tuberculosis (age: 21-45 years) and 60 age-matched healthy volunteers with diurnal activity from 06∶00 to about 22∶00 and nocturnal rest. A marked circadian variation in plasma lipid peroxide level was recorded in healthy subjects and pulmonary tuberculosis patients with significant amplitude and acrophase around 16∶21 and 17∶12 respectively. The acrophase tended to be delayed in tuberculosis patients. Furthermore, a statistically significant circadian rhythm was found in SOD, CAT and GPx activities in normal volunteers and pulmonary tuberculopsis patients. SOD and CAT enzyme activity was noted to be maximum at 06∶00 and minimum at 00∶00 in tuberculosis patients. The circadian acrophase for GPx activity was recorded at 16∶15 in normals and around 22∶45 in patients. Moreover, the activity was found to be decreased at all sampling hours during 24-hours sleep-awake period in patients in comparison to healthy counterparts. The MESOR and circadian amplitude also decreased markedly. The decreased activity of measured antioxidant enzymes in pulmonary tuberculosis patients could probably be associated with oxidative stress and/or decreased anti-oxidant defensive mechanism in such patients.