Role of Free Radicals and Antioxidants in Nasal Polyps

Objectives/Hypothesis: The aim of this study is to determine the role of free radicals and antioxidants in nasal polyps. Study Design: Prospective, random-ized, controlled study. Methods: Thirty-one patients with nasal polyposis and a control group consisting of 19 patients with septal deviation and lower turbinate hypertrophy were included in the study. Levels of the antioxidants retinol, -carotene, -tocopherol, and ascorbic acid were measured from the sera of the patients with nasal polyposis and the control group. Plasma levels of superoxide dismutase activity (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSHPX) activity, and re-duced glutathione (GSH) were also obtained. As a per-oxidation product, the levels of the malondialdehyde-thiobarbituric acid (MDA) combination were measure