Evaluating the effect of the antiPCSK9 vaccine on systemic inflammation and oxidative stress in an experimental mouse model

BACKGROUND

To investigate whether the antiPCSK9 vaccine can affect the CRP and oxidative stress (OS) during acute systemic inflammation.

METHODS

Male albino mice were randomly divided into three groups: non-treated mice (the sham group), treated with a nonspecific stimulator of the immune response - Freund's complete adjuvant (CFA; the CFA group), and vaccinated mice treated with CFA (the vaccine group). The vaccine group was subcutaneously immunized with the antiPCSK9 formulation, 4 × in bi-weekly intervals. To induce inflammation, all mice were subjected to the CFA challenge after the vaccination plan. The hsCRP level and OS status were evaluated by a mouse CRP ELISA kit and the pro-oxidant antioxidant balance (PAB) assay, respectively.

RESULTS

The vaccine induced a high-titter IgG antiPCSK9 antibody, which was accompanied with a significant PCSK9 reduction (-24.7% and -28.5% compared with the sham and CFA group, respectively), and the inhibition of PCSK9/LDLR interaction (-27.8% and -29.4%, respectively). hsCRP was significantly increased in the vaccine and CFA groups by 225% and 274% respectively, when compared with the sham group; however, it was non-significantly decreased (-18%; p = 0.520) in the vaccine group in comparison with the CFA group. The PAB values indicated that OS was significantly increased in the CFA group (by 72.7%) and the vaccine group (by 76%) when compared to the sham group; however, there was no significant difference in the PAB values between the vaccine and CFA groups.

CONCLUSION

The antiPCSK9 vaccine failed to significantly reduce the serum hs-CRP and OS induced in the CFA-challenged albino mice.

The associations of oxidative stress and inflammatory markers with obesity in Iranian population: MASHAD cohort study

BACKGROUND

Low-grade inflammation and stress oxidative condition play a role in the pathogenesis of obesity, and the serum levels of these markers, such as pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and uric acid may indicate obesity progression. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between obesity with PAB, hs-CRP, and uric acid in the Iranian population.

METHODS

This study was derived from the Mashhad Stroke and Heart Atherosclerotic Disorder (MASHAD) study. A total of 7985 subjects aged 35 to 65 years were divided into three groups according to body mass index (BMI) as: normal, overweight and obese groups. Anthropometric indices and biochemical parameters such as PAB, superoxide dismutase type 1 (SOD1), hs-CRP, and uric acid were measured in all the participants. We evaluated the association of obesity with inflammatory factors by using multivariate regression analysis. Also, those participants with hypertension, an endocrine disorder, history of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus were excluded from the study.

RESULTS

There was a positive significant correlation between BMI and serum PAB, hs-CRP and uric acid (p < 0.001). While no statistically significant relation was observed between BMI and SOD1 (p = 0.85). Multivariate regression analysis showed that the risk of overweight and obesity increased 1.02 and 1.03-fold according to increase 10 units of PAB raise in comparison to reference group (normal weight) [(odds ratio (OR): 1.02, 95% CI (1.01-1.03)] and [OR: 1.03, 95% CI (1.01-1.04)], respectively). In addition, hs-CRP serum concentration was significantly associated with a high risk of obesity [(OR: 1.02; 95% CI (1.01-1.03)]. While the high levels of serum uric acid were associated with increased odds of overweight and obesity risk [OR: 1.4; CI (1.39-1.58) and OR: 1.76; CI (1.63-1.89), respectively].

CONCLUSIONS

Generally, we showed a significant association between BMI and serum PAB, hs-CRP values and uric acid levels, suggesting the role of these factors as risk stratification factors for obesity.

Effects of Trehalose Administration in Patients with Mucopolysaccharidosis Type III

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Mucopolysaccharidosis type III (MPS III) is a rare autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease (LSD) caused by a deficiency of lysosomal enzymes required for the catabolism of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), mainly in the central nervous system. Trehalose has been proposed as a potential therapeutic agent to attenuate neuropathology in MPS III. We conducted a single- arm, open-label study to evaluate the efficacy of trehalose treatment in patients with MPS IIIA and MPS IIIB.

METHODS

Five patients with MPS III were enrolled. Trehalose was administrated intravenously (15 g/week) for 12 weeks. Health-related quality of life and cognitive function, serum biomarkers, liver, spleen, and lung imaging were assessed to evaluate trehalose efficacy at baseline and trial end (week 12).

RESULTS

TNO-AZL Preschool children Quality of Life (TAPQOL) scores increased in all patients, and the mean scores for quality of life were increased after the intervention. Serum GAG levels were reduced in all treated patients (however, the differences were not statistically significant). Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were reduced in all patients post-treatment (p=0.0039). The mean levels of aspartate transaminase (AST) were also decreased after 12 weeks of treatment with Trehalose. Decreased serum pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance and increased GPX activity were observed at the end of the study. Decreases in mean splenic length were observed, whereas the liver volume did not change.

CONCLUSION

Improvements in health-related quality of life and serum biomarkers (GAGs, liver aminotransferase levels, antioxidant status), as well as liver and spleen size, were found following 3 months of trehalose administration in patients with MPS IIIA and MPS IIIB.

Preclinical toxicity assessment of a peptide-based antiPCSK9 vaccine in healthy mice

BACKGROUND

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibition is a novel cholesterol-lowering treatment for decreasing the risk of atherosclerosis. We have previously shown that active immunization using the antiPCSK9 vaccine could decrease hypercholesterolemia and impede the development of atherosclerotic lesions in the experimental model of atherosclerosis. Here, we evaluated the toxicity of the vaccine in healthy mice.

METHODS

Forty male and female albino mice were divided into 4 experimental groups, including vaccine female (10 mice) and male (10 mice) groups receiving the antiPCSK9 vaccine as well as the corresponding control female (10 mice) and male (10 mice) groups receiving the phosphate buffer. Vaccination was planned based on 4 subcutaneous injections of the vaccine formulation (10 µg/mouse) in bi-weekly intervals. The toxicity study was performed by the subacute protocol, 28 days after the last vaccine injection. To this end, the plasma levels of lipid indexes, urea, creatinine, AST, ALT, ALP, and fasting plasma glucose (FPG), as well as the CBC test were measured. To evaluate histopathological alterations, various tissues including the heart, liver, kidney, spleen, and brain were studied using hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) staining by an expert pathologist. The severity of damage to the tissue was considered based on the standard classification; grade 1 as light damage, grade 2 as moderate damage, grade 3 as near intense damage, and grade 4 as intense damage.

RESULTS

The results showed non-significant changes of total cholesterol, LDL-C, triglyceride, HDL-C, FBS, creatinine, urea, AST, ALP, ALT, and PAB in the vaccinated mice when compared with control mice. The CBS test indicated that there were no significant changes in the levels of WBC, RBC, HGB, HCT, MCH, MCHC, PLT, LYM, NEUT, MCV, RDW-S, PDW, and MPV in the vaccinated mice when compared with control mice. Evaluating histopathological alterations in various tissues indicated no significant adverse effects in vaccinated mice when compared to control mice.

CONCLUSION

The findings of the present study indicate that antiPCSK9 is safe and exerts no adverse effects on the function of different organs and blood levels of cellular and biochemical biomarkers in healthy mice.

Anti-arthritic and Antioxidant Effects of Trehalose in an Experimental Model of Arthritis

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the present study was to study the potential anti-arthritic and antioxidant effects of trehalose in an experimental model of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritis.

METHODS

Arthritis was induced via subcutaneous injection of CFA (0.1) into the right footpad of each rat. Trehalose (10 mg/kg per day) and indomethacin (5 mg/kg) as a reference drug were intraperitoneally injected into CFA-induced arthritic rats from days 0 to 21. Changes in paw volume, pain responses, arthritic score, and oxidative/antioxidative parameters were determined.

RESULTS

Trehalose administration could significantly decrease arthritis scores (p <0.01) and paw edema (p <0.001), and significantly increase the nociceptive threshold (p <0.05) in CFA-induced arthritic rats. Trehalose also significantly reduced the pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance values when compared to CFA treatment alone. In addition, no significant difference was found between the trehalose group and indomethacin as a positive control group.

CONCLUSION

The current study suggests that trehalose has a protective effect against arthritis, which may be mediated by antioxidative effects of this disaccharide.

Importance of oxidative stress in the evaluation of acute pulmonary embolism severity

Background

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common and potentially life-threatening disorder. Our study was aimed to investigate whether oxidative stress markers can be used as clinical markers in the evaluation of acute PE (APE) severity.

Methods

47 patients with objectively documented diagnosis of APE were recorded. Of these patients, 14 had low-risk PE, 16 had moderate-risk PE, and 17 had high-risk PE. 21 healthy subjects were also enrolled in this study. Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), prooxidants-antioxidants balance (PAB), advanced protein oxidation products (AOPPs), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were measured as oxidative stress parameters to evaluate the role of oxidative stress.

Results

In the low-risk and moderate-risk APE groups, AOPPs and PAB levels were significantly higher and FRAP levels were significantly lower than those in the control group. AOPPs and IMA levels in the patients with high-risk PE were significantly higher than those in both the low-risk and moderate-risk APE patients. There was a significant correlation between levels of AOPPs and the levels of both IMA (r: 0.462, p < 0.001) and PAB (r:0.378, p < 0.005). Serum FRAP levels were negatively correlated with PAB (r:− 0.683, p < 0.001) and AOPPs levels (r:− 0,384, p < 0.001). There was also a significant positive correlation between the serum IMA and PAB levels.

Conclusions

We clearly demonstrated that reactive oxygen species formation is significantly enhanced in APE. IMA and AOPPs may be used as clinical markers in the evaluation of APE severity in clinical practice. However, further studies with larger patient populations and longer follow-up periods are required to confirm the mechanisms underlying these findings.

Association between Oxidative Burden and Restenosis: A Case-Control Study

Background

In-stent restenosis (ISR) is an important clinical complication that occurs following stent implantation. The application of drug-eluting stents (DES) and even consumption of drugs such as antiplatelet agents and statins are not completely effective in reducing ISR risk. Since the number of these patients continues to rise, it is pivotal to detect patients who are at a higher risk of ISR. In addition, identification of biochemical markers of ISR could give the right perspective on choosing the proper strategy to treat these patients. Several pathophysiological pathways including oxidative stress (OS) are implicated in the progression of ISR. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the association between oxidative/anti-oxidative markers and ISR.

Methods

This was a case-control study which comprised 21 ISR, 26 NISR (non-ISR), and 20 healthy subjects. The serum levels of OS markers including malondialdehyde (MDA), thiol groups (GSH), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and the activity of serum antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were assessed by colorimetric methods. The overall oxidative burden was assessed using a pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) assay.

Results

MDA levels were considerably higher in the ISR group when compared to healthy subjects (P = 0.004). PAB also indicated significantly higher values in both ISR (P < 0.001) and NISR (P < 0.001) groups related to healthy subjects. No significant differences were observed between the studied groups regarding thiol levels, antioxidant enzyme activities, and TAC. Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that elevated serum levels of MDA (OR: 1.028, 95% CI: 1.008-1.048; P = 0.006) and PAB (OR: 1.076, 95% CI: 1.017-1.139; P = 0.011) were significantly associated with higher ISR risk; however, increased values of TAC (OR: 0.990, 95% CI: 0.982-0.999; P = 0.030) were significantly associated with decreased ISR risk, while after adjustment for confounders, only SOD activity (OR: 0.0, 95% CI: 0.0-0.0; P < 0.001) and PAB value (OR: 1.866, 95% CI: 1.856-1.900; P < 0.001) showed association with ISR risk.

Conclusion

According to the present findings, some oxidative and antioxidative markers like PAB and SOD activity showed the potential in the prediction of ISR risk.

Impact of Intravenous Trehalose Administration in Patients with Niemann-Pick Disease Types A and B

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Niemann-Pick disease (NPD) types A (NPA) and B (NPB) are caused by deficiency of the acid sphingomyelinase enzyme, which is encoded by the SMPD1 gene, resulting in progressive pathogenic accumulation of lipids in tissues. Trehalose has been suggested as an autophagy inducer with therapeutic neuroprotective effects. We performed a single-arm, open-label pilot study to assess the potential efficacy of trehalose treatment in patients with NPA and NPB patients.

METHODS

Five patients with NPD type A and B were enrolled in an open-label, single-arm clinical trial. Trehalose was administrated intravenously (IV) (15 g/week) for three months. The efficacy of trehalose in the management of clinical symptoms was evaluated in patients by assessing the quality of life, serum biomarkers, and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the lungs at the baseline and end of the interventional trial (day 0 and week 12).

RESULTS

The mean of TNO-AZL Preschool children Quality of Life (TAPQOL) scores increased in all patients after intervention at W12 compared to the baseline W0, although the difference was not statistically significant. The serum levels of lyso-SM-509 and lyso-SM were decreased in three and four patients out of five, respectively, compared with baseline. Elevated ALT and AST levels were decreased in all patients after 12 weeks of treatment; however, changes were not statistically significant. Pro-oxidant antioxidant balance (PAB) was also decreased and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity was increased in serum of patients at the end of the study. Imaging studies of spleen and lung HRCT showed improvement of symptoms in two patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Positive trends in health-related quality of life (HRQoL), serum biomarkers, and organomegaly were observed after 3 months of treatment with trehalose in patients with NPA and NPB. Although not statistically significant, due to the small number of patients enrolled, these results are encouraging and should be further explored.

Evaluation of Oxidative Stress Status in Familial Hypercholesterolemia

BACKGROUND

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder characterizied by elevated levels of circulating low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) which is an important source of substrates to be oxidized by different oxidative agents. Subsequently, the oxidized LDLs (oxLDLs) induce further oxidative reactions in FH patients, which contributes to the development of atherosclerosis and advanced cardiovascular events in these patients. This study aimed to investigate the association of oxidant/antioxidant markers with FH.

METHODS

This case-control study comprised 18 HoFH, 18 HeFH, and 20 healthy subjects. Oxidant/antioxidant markers including MDA, MPO, thiol, nitric oxide (NO), myeloperoxidase (MPO), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), SOD, and CAT were assessed by colorimetric methods. Prooxidant-antioxidant balance was also measured by pro-oxidant antioxidant balance (PAB) assay.

RESULTS

The levels of MDA (p < 0.001), MPO activity (p < 0.001), thiol (p < 0.001), NO (p < 0.01), and PAB (p < 0.001) were notably higher in HoFH group in comparison with healthy subjects. HeFH group also showed significantly higher levels of thiol (p < 0.001) and PAB (p < 0.001) when compared to healthy subjects. Elevated levels of MDA (p < 0.001) and PAB (p < 0.001) were also observed in HoFH relative to HeFH. No significant differences were found between the studied groups in the case of antioxidant enzyme activities. The results of binary logistic regression showed that PAB (OR: 0.979; p = 0.033), and MDA (OR: 0.996; p = 0.018) levels were inversely associated with HoFH, although, after adjustment for age and LDL-C levels, these associations were diminished.

CONCLUSION

Several oxidant/antioxidant differences were found between FH patients and healthy individuals as well as between HoFH and HeFH patients. These differences might be strongly dependent on plasma LDL-C levels.

Use of antioxidant nanoparticles to reduce oxidative stress in blood storage

Oxidative damage by free radicals has a negative effect on blood quality during storage. Antioxidant nanoparticles can prevent oxidative stress. We use SOD-CAT-Alb-PEG-PLGA- nanoparticles to reduce the effects of oxidative stress in blood storage. Electrospray was employed to prepare nanoparticles. Nanoparticles entered the test bags and were kept for 35 days from the time of donation under standard conditions. On target days, experiments were performed on the samples taken. The examination included blood smear, red blood cells count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, K, Fe, glutathione peroxidase, glutathion reductase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, prooxidant-antioxidant balance, malondialdehyde, and flow cytometric assay for phosphatidylserine. The repeated measures analysis was performed on samples every week. Morphological changes were less in the test group compared to the control. The quantitative hemolysis profile test showed significant changes in the test and control groups (p < 0.05) in consecutive weeks except for K and Fe. Oxidative stress parameters too showed a significant change during the target days of the examination (p < 0.05). Also, the phosphatidylserine expression was increased in control groups more than test in consecutive weeks (p < 0.05). It seems that the use of antioxidant nanoparticles improves the quality of stored red blood cells and can prevent posttransfusion complications and blood loss by reducing oxidative stress.

Age and sex-specific reference intervals for prooxidant-antioxidant balance, anti-heat-shock protein 27 (anti-hsp27), and routine laboratory tests in the middle-aged adult population

INTRODUCTION

We aimed to define specific reference intervals (RIs) for 11 biomarkers including inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers, liver, and renal function tests in a healthy Iranian adult population for the first time.

METHODS

CLSI Ep28-A3 guidelines were then used to calculate accurate age- and sex- as well as body mass index (BMI)-specific RIs.

RESULTS

RIs for studied biomarkers showed no significant age and sex-specific differences, except for uric acid, which had higher concentrations in men when compared to women. Additionally, after partitioning the participants based on the BMI with a cutoff point of 25 kg/m² , only the levels of hs-CRP were positively associated with higher BMI (RI for BMI>25: 0.51-7.85 mg/L and for BMI<25: 0.40-4.46 mg/L). RI for PAB and anti-hsp-27 were reported 4.69-155.36 HK and 0.01-0.70 OD in men and women aged 35-65 years old.

CONCLUSION

Partitioning by sex and BMI was only required for uric acid and hs-CRP, respectively, while other biomarkers required no partitioning. These results can be expected to valuably contribute to improve laboratory test result interpretation in adults for improved monitoring of various diseases in the Iranian population.

Evaluation of ABO blood group in subjects with CVD risk factors in a population sample from northeastern Iran

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The ABO blood group system is a genetic polymorphism which can affect the clearance of von Willebrand factor. We aimed to assess the levels of newer biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk; pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and anti-heat-shock protein27 (anti-Hsp27) antibody titers in subjects with various blood groups (A, B, AB and O) and with or without traditional CVD risk factors.

METHODS

The cross-sectional study comprised 6910 subjects. Antigen-antibody agglutination was evaluated by the slide test method for identification of ABO blood groups.

RESULTS

Among three markers, only Serum anti-Hsp27 titers significantly differed between the four blood groups and showed the highest and lowest values in AB and O blood groups (0.26 ± 0.22 and 0.23 ± 0.18 OD, respectively; P < 0.05). Serum anti-Hsp27 was higher in individuals with an AB blood group with metabolic syndrome (MetS), dyslipidemia, hypertension (HTN) and obesity and it was lower in subjects with O blood group; though, two other biomarkers, serum PAB and hs-CRP, were not significantly different between the ABO blood groups. However, they were not different among blood groups in participants with or without diabetes mellitus (DM) (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Individuals with an AB blood group and high levels of anti-Hsp27 antibody titers may be predisposed to CVDs that can be mediated through the traditional CVD risk factors among middle-aged subjects from northeastern Iran. The fact that differences in anti Hsp27 are only found in the subgroup with other risk factors suggest that the difference between ABO blood groups is a consequence rather than a cause.

Comprehensive laboratory reference intervals for routine biochemical markers and pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) in male adults

Background

Reference values of biochemical markers are influenced by various parameters including age, sex, region, and lifestyle. Hence, we aimed to determine age‐ and BMI‐specific reference intervals (RIs) for important clinical biomarkers in a healthy adult male population from northeastern Iran. This is also the first study to investigate reference values for pro‐oxidant‐antioxidant balance (PAB).

Methods

Seven hundred and twenty (720) healthy men, aged 20‐60 years, were recruited from Sarakhs in the northeast region of Iran. Reference values for lipid profiles (total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL‐C and LDL‐C), fasting blood glucose, inflammatory factors (hs‐CRP and PAB), minerals (zinc and copper), uric acid, and blood pressure were measured and statistically analyzed to establish accurate age‐ and BMI‐specific RIs in alignment with CLSI Ep28‐A3 guidelines.

Results

RIs for lipid profiles, inflammatory factors, minerals, and uric acid required no age partitioning with the exception of fasting blood glucose and blood pressure, which demonstrated significantly higher values in subjects aged 50 years and older. Among these biomarkers, only uric acid, blood pressure, and triglycerides demonstrated statistically significant increases in reference value concentrations with increasing BMI.

Conclusion

In this study, age‐ and BMI‐specific RIs for several biochemical markers were determined in healthy adult Iranian men. Partitioning by age and BMI was only required for a few analytes with most demonstrating no statistically significant changes with these covariates. These data can be useful to monitor various diseases in male adults with varying BMI in this region and others.

Menstrual problems in adolescence: relationship to serum vitamins A and E, and systemic inflammation

BACKGROUND

Vitamin status and inflammatory mechanisms may be related to menstrual cycle abnormalities. We investigated the associations between serum fat soluble vitamin (vitamins A and E) concentrations and biomarkers of inflammation and antioxidant status with menstrual characteristics, primary dysmenorrhea (PD) and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in healthy adolescents.

METHODS

A total of 897 adolescent girls either suffering from PMS (n = 134), PD (n = 322), PMS and PD (n = 293) or healthy adolescents (n = 148) were recruited. Serum vitamin A and E, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), antibody titers to Hsp27 (anti-Hsp27), serum prooxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB), WBC, mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet distribution width (PDW) and RBC distribution width (RDW) were measured. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and RDW-to-platelet ratio (RPR) were calculated.

RESULTS

Girls with long bleeding periods had lower concentrations of serum vitamin E compared to those who reported a normal period duration. There were significantly differences between the groups reporting oligomenorrhea, regular menses and polymenorrhea with respect to NLR, RPR, MPV and PDW. Logistic regression demonstrated that the presence of both PMS and PD was positively related to higher serum hs-CRP, PAB and NLR, while serum vitamin A level was inversely related to the presence of PMS.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that serum vitamin A, hs-CRP, PAB and NLR are significantly associated with the presence of PMS and PD. Inflammatory processes may contribute to the etiology, symptoms and severity of menstrual disorders. Prospective studies are needed to elucidate the possibility of targeting oxidative stress and inflammatory process for the amelioration of menstrual symptoms.

Barberry administration and pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance in patients with metabolic syndrome

BACKGROUND

Metabolic syndrome is the constellation of several cardiometabolic risk factors, and is associated with a heightened risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). The pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) is a measure of factors that promote and control oxidative stress. PAB may also be associated with the risk factors of CHD.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the impact of supplementation with barberry, a fruit rich in antioxidants, on PAB in patients with metabolic syndrome.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 106 patients diagnosed with metabolic syndrome were randomized in two groups: case and control. The case group received three capsules of barberry and the control group received three capsules of placebo for 6 weeks. Serum PAB was measured in all patients before and after the intervention.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference between the groups regarding their baseline PAB values (P = 0.32). A significant decrease in PAB was observed in the barberry group (P = 0.022), whilst there was no significant change in the control group (P = 0.18). The magnitude of change in PAB during the study was significantly greater in the case group compared to the control group (P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Barberry supplementation reduces oxidative burden in patients with metabolic syndrome.

Prooxidant-antioxidant balance in perinatal asphyxia

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prooxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) in neonatal asphyxia and compare it with values for PAB in healthy neonates.

METHODS

In a prospective observational study, serum PAB of umbilical cord blood of 30 neonates with asphyxia [pH < 7.2, low Apgar score, signs of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)] as the case group and 35 healthy neonates (without an abnormal clinical event at birth and after the first week) as the control group were compared.

RESULTS

Among the 35 neonates in the control group, the average level of serum PAB was 20.00 HK units, which was significantly lower than for the 30 neonates within the case group (40.46 HK units; p = 0.019). The blood pH in the case group was significantly lower than for control group (P < 0.001). In controls, HCO3 (-) and pCO2 were 18.6 mmol/L and 38.5 mmHg respectively, whilst in the case group these values were 15.5 mmol/L and 45.7 mmHg respectively (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Determination of PAB may be useful in the early diagnosis of perinatal asphyxia and is consistent with HCO3 (-), pCO2 and Apgar score.

The association of oxidative stress markers with conventional risk factors in the metabolic syndrome

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a common and complex disorder that consists of various abnormalities, including dyslipidemia, obesity, hypertension and hyperglycemia. We investigated the relationships between the levels of advanced protein oxidation products (AOPPs), the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and the pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) in MetS patients.

METHODS

A total of 55 patients (37 women, 18 men) with MetS and 20 healthy controls (14 women, 6 men) with a body mass index (BMI) less than 25 kg/m(2) were enrolled in the study. Colorimetric methods were used to determine the levels of AOPPs, the TAC, and the PAB.

RESULTS

AOPP, TAC, and PAB values were significantly higher in patients with MetS than in control subjects (p<0.001, p=0.050, and p<0.001, respectively). A positive correlation was observed between the AOPP levels and the glucose, triglyceride, insulin and HOMA-IR levels. PAB values also exhibited significant positive correlations with diastolic blood pressure and fibrinogen levels. Logistic regression analysis revealed that higher serum PAB values were positively and independently associated with the MetS (odds ratio: 1.110; 95% confidence interval: 1.006-1.224; P<0.37).

CONCLUSIONS

Increased AOPP levels and higher PAB values are likely to be a result of oxidative stress, a condition in which an imbalance occurs between the production and inactivation of reactive oxygen species. In addition, it appears that serum PAB values may accurately reflect the levels of oxidative stress in MetS patients.

Association between C-reactive protein, pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance and traditional cardiovascular risk factors in an Iranian population

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory states are known to cause an imbalance in the redox status. We aimed to study the possible associations between pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) and serum high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentrations and traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in an unselected Iranian population and in groups of individuals with specific disease.

METHODS

The study was conducted among an unselected population of 758 male subjects. Biochemical markers, including hs-CRP and PAB values, were measured.

RESULTS

Serum hs-CRP concentrations were positively associated with serum PAB values (r = 0.260, P ≤ 0.001). Univariate analysis showed that PAB values were statistically higher in individuals who were obese or smokers compared with non-obese and non-smokers individuals (P < 0.01). While serum hs-CRP concentrations were significantly higher in older subjects, subjects with obesity, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, central obesity, hypertriglyceridaemia, higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations, positive history of CVD and lower physical activity than subjects without these risk factors (P < 0.05). Comparing hs-CRP and PAB values in different CVD risk score subgroups showed a significant incremental rise in both parameters as CVD risk score increased (P < 0.05). Using multiple linear regression analysis we found a strong association between PAB values and hs-CRP concentrations.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that among Iranian subjects, the inflammatory marker, hs-CRP, was strongly and positively associated with a marker of oxidative stress and also with several traditional risk factors of CVD. Moreover, the impact of traditional cardiovascular risk factors on hs-CRP concentrations and PAB values differed.

Anti-Heat Shock Protein 27 Titers and Oxidative Stress Levels are Elevated in Patients With Valvular Heart Disease

We studied the immune responses to heat shock protein (Hsp)-27 and pro-oxidant–antioxidant balance (PAB) values in patients with valvular heart disease, but free of angiographically evident coronary artery disease (CAD). Patients who were candidates for valvuloplasty surgery and 30 healthy matched controls were recruited. The anti-Hsp-27 antibody titers were 0.35 ± 0.04 absorbency units (AU) in the valvuloplasty group, being significantly higher than for the controls (0.11 ± 0.02 AU; P < .05). The PAB values were significantly higher in cases (134.67 ± 13.69 Hamidi-Koliakos(HK) unit) when compared with controls (49.78 ± 6.75 HK unit; P < .05). In cases, the ejection fraction was inversely correlated with anti-Hsp-27 antibody ( P < .05) but was not significantly related to PAB values ( P > .05). Based on the echocardiographic findings, the patients had no evident heart failure, but the high levels of anti-Hsp-27 and PAB values in patients with valvular heart disease may indicate that these variables can be used as markers of heart failure. However, a longitudinal study is required to confirm this hypothesis.

Prooxidant-antioxidant balance in pregnancy: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of selenium supplementation

OBJECTIVE

We assessed the impact of selenium, a trace element with antioxidant properties on a simple measure of oxidative stress in pregnant women.

STUDY DESIGN

A novel assay of prooxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) was applied in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of selenium supplementation in pregnancy. We measured the prooxidant burden and the antioxidant capacity simultaneously in one assay, thereby calculating a redox index. A total of 166 primigravid pregnant women in the first trimester of pregnancy, were randomized to receive 100 microg of selenium (n=83) or placebo (n=83) per day until delivery. PAB values and serum selenium concentrations were measured at baseline and at the end of study.

RESULTS

Pretreatment demographic data and biochemical indices including serum selenium concentrations did not differ significantly between the groups. The drop-out rates for the groups were 22/83 and 19/83 for the selenium and placebo groups, respectively. Supplementation with selenium was associated with a significant increase in mean serum selenium concentration (P<0.001) but without significant change in mean PAB value. In contrast, mean serum selenium concentration remained unchanged and mean PAB values increased significantly (P<0.05 in the control group).

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that selenium supplementation may reduce oxidative stress associated with pregnancy.