title: Association of high plasma antioxidant capacity with new lesion formation in carotid atherosclerosis: a prospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In atherosclerosis, both reductions and elevations in plasma levels of antioxidants have been reported. This study investigated total antioxidant capacity of plasma from subjects with atherosclerotic disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 48 men with or without carotid atherosclerosis. At baseline (1990) carotid arteries were evaluated by duplex sonography and plasma samples were obtained for testing antioxidant capacity by two different test systems. One assay system used neutrophils from healthy volunteers as a source of oxygen free radicals activating the non-fluorescent dichlorofluorescin diacetate in the presence of antioxidant containing plasma from study subjects. In the other test system, total plasma antioxidants were detected colorimetrically by using 2,2'-azino-di-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline sulphonate), metmyoglobin and superoxide in the presence of plasma. Carotid arteries were re-evaluated for the development of new plaques 5 years later (1995).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increased baseline total antioxidant capacity of plasma was significantly associated with the development of new atherosclerotic lesions during a period of 5 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endogenous antioxidant capacity of plasma is increased in patients with active atherosclerotic disease. As scavenging of oxygen free radicals is thought to protect from atherogenesis, elevated antioxidative capacity may represent an adaptive mechanism.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Reinisch
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kiechl
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mayr
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schratzberger
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dunzendorfer
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kähler
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Buratti
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Willeit
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Wiedermann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein