Erythrocyte Glutathione/Redox Balance and Serum Thiol/Disulfide Homeostasis in Hepatitis B and Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background Oxidative stress and imbalance in thiol-disulfide homeostasis play a crucial role in the pathogenesis and progression of liver-related diseases. This study aimed to determine the thiol-based redox system and glutathione homeostasis by evaluating erythrocyte glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and serum thiol/disulfide and GSH parameters in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methodology The study included 60 HBV and 22 HCC patients and 40 healthy subjects. SOD, TAS, TOS, oxidative stress index (OSI), MDA, GSH, total thiol, native thiol, and disulfide levels were measured to determine serum and erythrocyte oxidant/antioxidant balance. The relationship between these biomarkers and liver function tests was evaluated. Results In the serum of HBV and HCC patients, significant increases were observed in MDA, TOS, and OSI levels. In contrast, significant decreases were noted in GSH, SOD, TAS, total thiol, and native thiol levels. Oxidant-antioxidant parameters in erythrocytes paralleled those in serum. In HBV patients, alanine aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase levels were negatively correlated with TOS and OSI. In addition, a positive correlation was found between hepatitis B surface antigen levels and total thiol and native thiol levels. MDA, SOD, and total thiol levels showed high diagnostic performance in the diagnosis of HCC with area under the curve values of 0.993, 0.800, and 0.815, respectively. Conclusions Measurement of serum thiol-disulfide balance and erythrocyte SOD, MDA, and TOS levels may be helpful in the diagnosis of HBV and HCC. Antioxidant support that increases GSH and thiol levels is a critical approach to prevent disease progression.