ABSTRACT

Photometric assay ofplasma non-enzymatic antioxidants- ascorbic acid, and (3-carotene and enzymatic antioxidant enzyme - superoxide dismutase (SOD),malondialdehyde (MDA), total lipid, total cholesterol levels and haematological parameters were carried out on sixty (60) typhoid fever patients and fortwenty (20) typhoid fever negative control subjects at the University ofCalabar Teaching Hospital. These patients were divided into twenty (20) subjects confirmed to be typhoid positive and have not started treatment (Pretreatment group), twenty (20) confirmed to be typhoid patients on treatment and twenty (20) persons confirmed to have been cured of typhoid fever (Post-treatment group). Twenty (20) volunteers confirmed not to have had typhoid fever at all or had no other ailment by the time their blood samples were collected, were used as negative control. Result showed that the mean plasma antioxidant levels (Ascorbic acid, uric acid, and pcarotene) ofthe pre-treatment and treatment groups were 0.34 ± 0.03 mg/dl, 1.64 ± 0.15 mg/ml, 7.88 ± 0.22 qg/ml and 0.54 ± 0.4 mg/dl, 2.81 ± 0.05 mg/dl and 8.63 ± 0.13 qg/ml respectively and were found to be significantly lower (P<0.05) than those ofthe control group (0.09 ± 0.05 mg/dl and 10.68 ± 0.12 qg/ml respectively). Similarly, the mean activity of superoxide dismutase (2.24 ± 0.431 U/ml and 2.97 ± 0.321 U/ml) was significantly lower (P< 0.05) in the pre-treatment and treatment groups respectively than in the control group (3.74 ± 0.45 IU/L). Furthermore the results revealed a significantly lower (P<0.05) mean plasma total cholesterol and total lipid concentrations, with values of 103.24 ± 4.61 mg/1, 0.003 ± 0.001 mg/ml respectively in the pre-treatment group than in the control group (188.65 ± 4.61 mg/1 and 0.015 ± 0.001 mg/1 respectively). Furthermore, mean plasma MDA concentrations (4.73 ± O.llnmol/ml) in the pretreatment group was shown to be significantly higher (P<0.05) than in the control group. The result ofthe study also revealed that the mean WBC ofthe pretreatment (3.61 ± 0.32) was significantly different from the mean WBC ofthe male normal control (2.41 ± 0.28). This results also showed significant increase in the mean concentrations ofNeutrophils (53. 07 ± 2. 17), Eosinophils (3.61 ± 0.32), Basophil (7.35 ± 0.39) ofthe pretreatment group of the male patients when compared with the control. Conversely the mean concentrations ofHGB (2.85 ± 0.21) and RBC (1.8 ± 0.26) ofthe pretreatment groups were significantly lower than the mean concentrations ofHGB (12.51 ± 1.04) and RBC (5.56 ± 0.22) of the control. Similarly, the study revealed significant difference in the mean concentration of the haematological parameters between the male in the pretreatment group WBC (3.61 ± 0.32) Neutrophile (53.0 ± 2.17), HGB (2.85 ± 0.21), Eosinophils (3.61 ± 0.32), Basophils (7.35 ± 0.39) and RBC (1.8 ± 0.26) when compared with the mean concentration of the females WBC (3.62 ± 0.31) Neutrophil, (55. 63 ± 1.64), HGB (2.89 ± 0.21), Eosinophil (3.62 ± 0.31), Basophils (6.85 ± 0.4) and RBC (1.38 ± 0.24). These results appear to indicate the generation of oxidative stress and heamatological changes during the progress of typhoid fever. However, the possible involvement of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of typhoid fever needs to be investigated further.