Serum bilirubin as a predictor of oxidative stress-mediated diseases
Bilirubin, the principle bile pigment, is the end product of heme catabolism. For many years, bilirubin was thought to have no physiological function other than that of a waste product of heme catabolism – useless at best and toxic at worst. Although hyperbilirubinemia in neonates has been shown to be neurotoxic, studies performed during the past decade have found that bilirubin has a number of new and interesting biochemical and biological properties. In addition, there is now a strong body of evidence suggesting that bilirubin may have a beneficial role in preventing oxidative changes in a number of diseases including atherosclerosis and cancer, as well as a number of inflammatory, autoimmune and degenerative diseases.