Acta Pharm. 54 (2004) 79-89

Supplementation with antioxidants in the treatment of Graves' disease: the effect on the extracellular antioxidative parameters

VESNA BACIC VRCA,^1* FRANJO SKREB,² IVANA CEPELAK ³
and LJILJANA MAYER⁴

vesnav@kbd.hr

¹Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
²Department of Nuclear Medicine, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
³Department of Medical Biochemistry and Haematology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, Croatia
⁴Department of Medical Biochemistry and Haematology, Dubrava University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia

In this study, the effect of supplementation with a fixed combination of antioxidants (vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and selenium) on concentrations of antioxidative parameters in serum was monitored. Measurements were performed prior to the commencement of therapy and after 30 and 60 days in patients with Graves' disease treated with methimazole. Patients who received extra supplementation with antioxidants (group A, n = 29) attained euthyroidism faster than the patients treated only with methimazole (group B, n = 28). Statistically significant differences were achieved after supplementation with antioxidants for all investigated parameters (uric acid, transferrin, ferritin), except TAS and glucose. Nevertheless, due to the fact that all measured parameters remained within the range of referent values, they may not be proposed as reliable indicators of the level of oxidative stress in Graves' disease.

Keywords: Graves' disease, antioxidants, ferritin, TAS, transferrin, uric acid