Plasma antioxidant enzymes and clastogenic factors as possible biomarkers of colorectal cancer risk

Oxidative damage plays an important role in the pathogenesis of colorectal (CR) cancer. This study investigated the activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) in plasma of 82 participants of a screening program for CR cancer prevention (30 females and 52 males; age 50–70 years). All subjects resulted positive to fecal occult blood test and were subsequently classified, according to the colonoscopy and histological findings, in patients with CR cancer, patients with colorectal polyps or controls. Furthermore, the activity of clastogenic factors (CFs) in plasma from study population was measured as the ability of inducing micronuclei (MN) in vitro in peripheral of a healthy donor. CAT and GR activities were significantly lower in CR cancer patients compared to controls (P < 0.05) and polyps groups (P < 0.05). SOD activity was significantly higher in patients with CR cancer than in polyp (P < 0.05) and control (P < 0.05) groups. GST activity was not significantly different in plasma of the three groups. An increase of CFs induction was observed in plasma of CR cancer patients (MN: 8.89 ± 3.42) with respect to control (MN: 6.37 ± 0.96 P < 0.05). These results can contribute to define plasma biomarkers associated to oxidative stress damage that could predictive of CR cancer risk.

► Plasma antioxidant enzymes is altered in colorectal cancer patients.
► Clastogenic factors induction is increased in plasma of colorectal cancer patients.
► Plasma biomarkers can be useful for the risk-assessment of colorectal cancer.