A remarkable point for evaluating the severity of burns: Thiol-disulfide profile

Aim: The objective of this study was to examine the thiol-disulfide profile tests in patients suffering from burn injuries.

Methods: This case-control study comprised 48 patients with thermal burn injuries and 61 healthy individuals. Thiol-disulfide tests were conducted in both groups, and also, the changes of thiol-disulfide parameters were analyzed at zero time and on days 3, 7, 15, and 30 of the admission in patients with burn injuries.

Results: The patients had significantly decreased native and total thiol levels and native thiol/total thiol ratios, and significantly increased disulfide/native thiol and disulfide/total thiol ratios compared to control individuals (p<0.001 for all). The variations of native thiol levels, total thiol levels, and disulfide/native thiol ratios were significantly different over time in patients with burn injuries (p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.05, respectively). There were strong associations with the clinical parameters and thiol-disulfide profile tests (p<0.05 for all).

Conclusion: There was a metabolic disturbance of the thiol-disulfide system among patients with burn injuries. The courses of thiol-disulfide variables in time overlapped with the burn mechanism. Strong associations provide that thiol-disulfide homeostasis might be a notable key for evaluating the severity of burns and predicting the survival.