Autori: Sfrent-Cornateanu R., Mihai C., Stoian I, Virgolici B, Lixandru D., Bara C., Moldoveanu E.

Editorial: Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, 46(6), p.836-841, 2008.

Rezumat:

Background: Oxidative stress is associated with scleroderma
(systemic sclerosis) and is supposed to favor
disease progression by complex effects on the vascular
endothelium and on fibroblasts.
Methods: Plasma oxidative process marker, thiobarbituric
acid-reactive substances, and several markers
of antioxidant defense capacity (plasma total antioxidant
activity, serum albumin, uric acid and glutathione,
superoxide dismutase and catalase) were
evaluated by spectrophotometric methods using
blood samples collected from 23 scleroderma
patients and 21 healthy controls.
Results: In scleroderma patients, thiobarbituric acidreactive
substances levels (mmol/L plasma) were significantly
elevated (29.3″5.8) compared with healthy
controls (16.6″3.1, p-0.001). Total antioxidant activity
(mmol Trolox/L) was significantly lower in scleroderma
patients than in controls (1.29″0.13 vs.
1.55″0.23, p-0.001), as well as the antioxidant gap
(mmol Trolox/L) (0.57″0.18 vs. 0.92″0.22, p-0.001).
Superoxide dismutase activity (IU/g hemoglobin) was
markedly decreased in patients as compared with
controls (395″184 vs. 659″211, p-0.001).
Conclusions: Lower plasma total antioxidant activity
and plasma antioxidant gap in scleroderma patients
show that plasma antioxidant defense is deficient in
scleroderma patients. As previous studies on this
issue are controversial, the decreased erythrocyte
superoxide dismutase activity found in the patients in
this study needs further investigation.

Cuvinte cheie: antioxidant defense; oxidative stress; scleroderma; superoxide dismutase (SOD); systemic sclerosis