ASSESSMENT AND CORELATION OF OXIDATIVE STRESS BETWEEN HEALTHY ADULTS AND ADULT PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC MYELOID LEUKEMIA TREATED WITH IMATINIB

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are oxygen-containing radicals essential for cell signaling and other vital physiological functions. However, their increased production to an excessive amount can cause alterations in the cellular redox status with consecutive disruption of various normal biological functions. Oxidative stress (OS) occurs when there is an imbalance between ROS production and antioxidant defence mechanisms. Chronic OS results in many DNA modifications, and alterations in DNA repair, leading to DNA lesions of which many can be toxic and/or mutagenic. It is proven that OS is involved in the pathogenesis of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), a myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by uncontrolled proliferation of maturing and mature myeloid cells, caused by the presence of translocation t(9;22) leading to the abnormal BCR-ABL fusion protein.