Title:Evidence of Redox Unbalance in Post-Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients
Volume: 9
Issue: 2
Author(s): Irene Ciancarelli, Caterina Di Massimo, Daniela De Amicis, Antonio Carolei and Maria Giuliana Tozzi Ciancarelli
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Antioxidant defences, endothelial activation, ischemic stroke, nitric oxide, oxidative markers, vascular events, redox balance, Superoxide Dismutase, metabolites, serum urate concentration, signalling, endogenous antioxidant, xanthine oxidase, cerebral ischemia, redox unbalance, Local Ethic Committee
Abstract: Measurements of the redox balance after the ischemic stroke occurrence might be useful to monitor the
outcome of patients who suffered an ischemic stroke in terms of stroke recurrence and other vascular events. For this
purpose, fifteen patients (mean age 71.40±2.50 years) with a first-ever ischemic stroke were included in the study within
30 days of stroke onset. Stroke severity was evaluated according to the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale
(NIHSS). Redox balance was assessed by measuring plasma amount of total peroxidative by-products, nitrite/nitrate
metabolites (NOx), as expression of nitric oxide (NO) plasma bioavailability, total plasma antioxidant capacity (TEAC),
Cu/Zn Superoxide Dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD) activity, serum urate concentration and autoantibodies against ox-LDL
(OLAB) serum level. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and low density
lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) were also measured. Fifteen apparently healthy controls (mean age 70.28±2.03 years)
were investigated to compare redox markers. Stroke patients had higher plasma values of total peroxidative by-products,
NOx stable metabolites and of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-C than controls (P<0.05). No differences in OLAB
levels, Cu/Zn-SOD activity, serum urate concentration, and plasma HDL-C amount were found in stroke patients when
compared to controls. Total plasma antioxidant capacity was lower in stroke patients than in controls. NOx values
correlated positively with the NIHSS score in stroke patients (r=0.668; P=0.0065). The observed presence of redox
unbalance in stroke patients could represent an early indicator of diffuse endothelial activation during which patients may
be at increased risk of stroke recurrence and other vascular events.
