Lycopene Supplementation Decreases Oxidative Stress in Hemodialysis Patients Receiving Intravenous Iron Therapy: an Open-Label, Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of lycopene on the antioxidant status and the level of homocysteine (HCY) in dialysis patients receiving intravenous iron therapy. A total of 60 hemodialysis patients receiving intravenous iron therapy were randomly assigned to the treatment group and the control group. Patients in the treatment group (n = 30) received oral lycopene and intravenous iron, while patients in the control group (n = 30) only received intravenous iron therapy. At the initiation of the study, oxidant indexes and HCY concentration were tested. After 8 weeks, all of the laboratory variables were repeatedly evaluated. At the initiation of the study, no significant differences were found in the level of oxidant stress and the level of HCY between two groups. After 8 weeks, the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) decreased, while the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and homocystinuria (HCY) increased in both the groups. Besides, the levels of SOD and GSH-px were higher and the level of MDA was lower in the treatment group than in the control group ( P < 0.05, respectively). The level of HCY in the treatment group was relatively low, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. In conclusion, we found that 8-week lycopene supplementation attenuated oxidative stress in hemodialysis patients receiving intravenous iron therapy.