An oxidative stress score as a combined measure of the pro-oxidant and anti-oxidant counterparts in patients with coronary artery disease.
Oxidative stress plays a key role in the pathogenesis and development of atherosclerosis.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the relationship between a novel oxidative stress index (reflecting both oxidative and anti-oxidant counterparts) with traditional cardiovascular risk factors and C-reactive protein (CRP) in coronary artery disease (CAD).


METHODS
100 angiographically proven CAD and 70 control subjects (mean age: 65+/-10 years, 110 males), underwent a global cardiovascular risk assessment and serum CRP and oxidative stress estimation. The Oxidative-INDEX was calculated after automated evaluation of serum hydroperoxides and total anti-oxidant capacity (D-ROM and OXY-adsorbent Test, Diacron, Italy) subtracting the OXY standardized variable from the ROM standardized variable.


RESULTS
The Oxidative-INDEX was higher in CAD with respect to control subjects (p < 0.001). A stepwise elevation in the Oxidative-INDEX levels was found depending on the number of affected vessels (p < 0.001). Oxidative stress was elevated according to the presence of diabetes (p < 0.001), smoking habit (p < 0.01), and hypercholesterolemia (p < 0.05). Oxidative-INDEX significantly correlated with aging (p < or = 0.05) and CRP (p < 0.001). The Oxidative-INDEX increased with the number of cardiovascular risk factors (p < 0.001). After adjustment for traditional CV risk factors, the multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated the Oxidative-INDEX concentration as an independent factor for CAD (odds ratio=1.4, confidence intervals=1.1-1.9, p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Oxidative stress represents a shared molecular pathway in atherosclerotic-related conditions, and its estimation by the automated Oxidative-INDEX could represent a valuable tool and a promising target in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of CAD in the clinical setting.
Vassalle
Cristina
C
G. Monasterio Foundation and Institute of Clinical Physiology, CNR, Pisa, Italy. cristina.vassalle@ifc.cnr.it
Pratali
Lorenza
L
Boni
Claudio
C
Mercuri
Antonella
A
Ndreu
Rudina
R
D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors
D000975:Antioxidants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species