Protein carbonyl products, malondialdehyde, glutathione and vitamins C/E of breast cancer patients subjected to chemotherapy

Introduction: Various endogenous and exogenous processes contribute to the production of oxidative stress, of which anticancer drugs may be one. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of breast cancer chemotherapy on oxidative stress. Material and Methods: Oxidative markers and antioxidant defense molecules were monitored in 59 women undergoing a year of treatment for breast cancer. Results: During the treatment, the levels of vitamin C and glutathione decreased, while both malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl products increased. Vitamin E levels were affected to a smaller extent. The patients were grouped by principal component analysis using their oxidative stress profiles according to the time of the chemotherapy and 95.9% of the total variance was explained by the first three principal components. Conclusion: The oxidative stress profile of the study population was modified extensively during one year of exposure to antineoplastic drugs.