title: Impaired blood superoxide dismutase in the traumatic paraplegic patients.
abstract: Blood superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and blood copper, zinc-superoxide dismutase (Cu.Zn-SOD) content were measured by luminol chemiluminescence assay and by single radial immunodiffusion assay, respectively, in 50 patients with paraplegia due to traumatic injury to the spinal cord by the Tangshan Earthquake on July 28, 1976, compared with 20 age-matched healthy subjects. We found that blood SOD activity and blood Cu.Zn-SOD content in the paraplegic patients were significantly lower than those in healthy subjects (p < 0.01). In healthy subjects, blood Cu.Zn-SOD fully expressed the enzymatic activity, whereas only 77% of blood Cu.Zn-SOD in the paraplegic patients expressed the enzymatic activity, indicating that in the patients, part of blood Cu.Zn-SOD protein is in a state without function. Also the serum lipid peroxide level in the paraplegic patients was higher than that in healthy subjects (p < 0.05). These findings suggest decreased endogenous blood protection against oxygen derived free radicals in these paraplegic patients.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Laboratory, Beijing Charity Hospital, China.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: X Y
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: X S
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005609:Free Radicals; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000201:enzymology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000201:enzymology*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D005609:Free Radicals; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase