Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci.  2022 May;20(2):240-247. 10.9758/cpn.2022.20.2.240.

The Evaluation of Thiol/Disulfide Homeostasis and Oxidative DNA Damage in Patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

• Kurhan F
• Alp HH
• Işık M
• Atan YS

• KMID: 2530454
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.9758/cpn.2022.20.2.240

Abstract

Objective
In this study, we aimed to examine thiol/disulfide homeostasis and oxidative DNA damage in patients with OCD and compare them with healthy controls.
Methods
Thirty-five patients previously diagnosed with OCD in Van Yuzuncu Yil University Department of Psychiatry and thirty-three healthy volunteers were included in the study. The severity of the symptoms was measured using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Five ml of blood samples were taken from the patient and control groups. The samples were stored at appropriate conditions until use. Leukocyte DNA was isolated and the levels of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and deoxyguanosine were detected to assess the oxidative DNA damage. The level of oxidative DNA damage was expressed as 8-OHdG/10⁶ dG. Total thiol/native thiol levels were measured for thiol/disulfide homeostasis. The level of disulfide was determined by subtracting the native thiol value from the total thiol value and the result was divided by two. Results were given as percentages.
Results
The total and native thiol levels in patients with OCD were significantly lower, and the disulfide levels were significantly higher in patients with OCD than healthy control subjects. In addition, 8-OHdG, an indicator of DNA damage, was significantly lower in the control group compared to the patient group.
Conclusion
Increased levels of disulfide/native thiol and disulfide/total thiol in patients with OCD show that levels of oxidative stress were elevated and therefore, higher 8-OHdG levels in patients with OCD is a marker of oxidative DNA damage.

Keyword

Obsessive-compulsive disorder; Thiol disulfide; DNA damage