Infiltrative ophthalmopathy, which may develop in patients with
Graves' disease, is considered an inflammatory disorder of autoimmune background. There is growing evidence that changed
reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism plays an important role in pathogenesis of
autoimmune diseases. Corticotherapy is a principal method of ophthalmopathy treatment, and its
therapeutic effect is partially connected with influence on ROS generation systems. This study was undertaken to investigate
corticosteroids treatment influence on blood extracellular indices of ROS metabolism in
Graves' ophthalmopathy patients. Plasma indices of
free radical generation and scavenging were determined in 22 euthyroid patients with active infiltrative
Graves' ophthalmopathy initially, after intensive corticotherapy and after completing of
steroid treatment. Age- and sex-matched 24 healthy volunteers and 25 euthyroid Graves' patients without overt ophthalmopathy served as controls. In the ophthalmopathy patients
hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)),
lipid hydroperoxides (ROOH),
thiobarbituric acid-reacting substances (
TBARS) and
ceruloplasmin (CP) levels and
superoxide dismutase (SOD) and
catalase (CAT) activities were increased, whereas
glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and
glutathione reductase (GR) activities were reduced. Intensive corticotherapy resulted in normalization (partial for ROOH) of ROS metabolism peripheral markers. After the withdrawal of
corticosteroids a reduction of ophthalmopathy clinical activity was present, yet a marked restoration of increased oxidative stress indices was observed, along with activation of
antioxidant defence systems (not significant for CAT activity). These data demonstrate that
corticosteroids are effective in reduction of peripheral oxidative stress present in infiltrative
Graves' ophthalmopathy, but this effect tends to be transient.