The leprosy is an infectious disease that represents a major preoccupation in global public health in 21st century. The treatment with Multi Drug Therapy (MDT) approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) is the best treatment to Mycobacterim leprae infection; however, is one of the factors of increasing Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production and the development of methemoglobinemia and hemolytic anemia in these patients. The aim of this study was to verify the oxidative damage in leprosy patients receiving MDT, by evaluation of hematological and oxidative stress biomarkers, and identify the effects of in vitro treatment with antioxidants alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and resveratrol (RSV) in antioxidant enzymes activity and prevention of methemoglobinemia. The results revealed a decrease in RBC count and reticulocytosis in patients receiving MDT during the 4th and 7th month of treatment. The percentual of methemoglobin increased since the fifth month of treatment with MDT, and the treatment with 100 μM RSV-treated and ALA-treated preserved the values similar to control group only in 4th to 6th month of MDT samples. The leprosy patients presented values of SOD activity similar to the control group and a decreased CAT activity, leading to an inbalance in the ratio of both enzymes and possibly resulting in an over-producing of H2O2. The treatment with RSV and ALA in 100 μM and 500 μM concentrations increases twice the SOD activity in 4th month patient samples; however, these concentrations did not change CAT and SOD activities found in leprosy patients. Such results demonstrate that RSV and ALA did not show antioxidant activity in installed oxidative stress, and subsequent studies are necessary to evaluate dose-dependent and time-dependent concentrations of RSV and ALA to prevent oxidative damage in chronic infectious diseases.
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