Antioxidant defences and oxidative stress markers in erythrocytes and plasma from normally nourished elderly Alzheimer patients.
OBJECTIVE
to investigate blood markers of oxidative stress, and enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants in normally nourished elderly people with Alzheimer's disease.


METHODS
case-control study.


METHODS
twenty patients with Alzheimer's disease and 23 elderly control subjects, living at home, free from disease and not undergoing any treatment known to have a strong influence on blood oxidative stress markers or antioxidant defence systems.


METHODS
we performed a nutritional evaluation, including anthropometric and biological measures and a 3-day dietary record. We determined concentrations of antioxidant vitamins (alpha-tocopherol, retinol) and malondialdehyde in plasma and erythrocytes. We also measured erythrocyte enzymatic activities of glutathione peroxidase and copper-zinc superoxide dismutase.


RESULTS
the two groups were similar in age, body mass index, dietary record and serum albumin concentration. After adjustment for age, sex and cardiovascular co-morbidity, mean plasma concentration of alpha-tocopherol was lower in those with Alzheimer disease than in control subjects (15+/-3.5 mg/l compared with 18.2+/-3.5; P=0.002), as was the mean plasma concentration of retinol (0.54+/-0.2 mg/l vs 0.7+/-0.2; P=0.014). The mean concentration of free plasma malondialdehyde was higher in those with Alzheimer's disease (0.70+/-0.2 mmol/l vs 0.5+/-0.1; P=0.036). In Alzheimer disease patients, free plasma malondialdehyde concentrations were inversely correlated with levels of alpha-tocopherol (P=0.002) and retinol (P=0.025). Erythrocyte levels of vitamins and enzymatic activities were similar in the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
lower plasma concentrations of alpha-tocopherol and retinol in normally nourished elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease than in controls could suggest that these antioxidant vitamins had been consumed as a result of excessive production of free radicals.
Bourdel-Marchasson
I
I
Centre de Gériatrie Henri Choussat, Hôpital Xavier Arnozan, 33604 Pessac cedex, France. isabelle.bourdel-marchasson@chu-bordeaux.fr
Delmas-Beauvieux
M C
MC
Peuchant
E
E
Richard-Harston
S
S
Decamps
A
A
Reignier
B
B
Emeriau
J P
JP
Rainfray
M
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis*; D015415:Biomarkers; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004435:Eating; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood
D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D014801:Vitamin A; D014810:Vitamin E; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase