Lipid peroxidation products and antioxidants in human disease.

Lipid peroxidation (LPO) is a free radical-related process that in biologic systems may occur under enzymatic control, e.g., for the generation of lipid-derived inflammatory mediators, or nonenzymatically. This latter form is associated mostly with cellular damage as a result of oxidative stress, which also involves cellular antioxidants in this process. This article focuses on the relevance of two LPO products, malondialdehyde (MDA) and 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE), to the pathophysiology of human disease. The former has been studied in human serum samples of hepatitis C virus-infected adults and human immunodeficiency virus-infected children. In these two cases it is shown that the specific assay of serum MDA is useful for the clinical management of these patients. The presence of MDA in subretinal fluid of patients with retinal detachment suggests the involvement of oxidative stress in this process. Moreover, we were able to report the dependence of this involvement on the degree of myopia in these patients. The assay of MDA contents in the peripheral nerves of rats fed a chronic alcohol-containing diet or diabetic mice also confirms the pathophysiologic role of oxidative stress in these experimental models. In these two cases, associated with an increase in tissue LPO products content, we detected a decrease of glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) activity in peripheral nerve, among other modifications. We have demonstrated that in vitro HNE is able to inhibit GSHPx activity in an apparent competitive manner, and that glutathione may partially protect and/or prevent this inactivation. The accumulation of LPO products in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease has also been described, and it is on the basis of this observation that we have tried to elucidate the role of oxidative stress and cellular antioxidants in beta-amyloid-induced apoptotic cell death of rat embryo neurons. Finally, we discuss the possible role of the observed vascular effects of HNE on human arteries.

Serum malondialdehyde in HIV-seropositive children negatively correlates with CD4+ lymphocytes count.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with oxidative stress as it has been demonstrated in adult-seropositive individuals. We show in this study that serum malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration of HIV-infected children was significantly higher than in control children. A negative correlation (r = -0.515) was found in HIV-infected children between their CD4+ lymphocyte count, and MDA concentration but not with serum antioxidant status. The increase of MDA concentration in HIV-seropositive children confirms the involvement of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of this infection also in childhood. Because of the importance of oxidative stress and antioxidants for HIV viral replication, the adequacy of an adjuvant therapy with antioxidants should be considered; an adequate candidate for it could be N-acetylcysteine.

Serum malondialdehyde in HIV seropositive children.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with oxidative stress as it has been demonstrated in adult seropositive individuals. We show in this study that serum malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration of HIV infected children was significantly higher than in control children. Moreover, a statistically significant decreased serum antioxidant status was detected in HIV infected children when compared with controls. No correlation was found in HIV infected children between their clinical or immunological categories, CD4+ lymphocyte count or CD4+/CD8+ ratio, and MDA concentration or serum antioxidant status. Newborn from HIV seropositive mothers had also a higher MDA concentration in cord blood serum than their corresponding controls from HIV seronegative mothers, whereas no difference could be established in the serum antioxidant status between both groups. No apparent correlation could be established between birth weight, gestational age or APGAR test values, and MDA in any of these groups. The results presented, (i.e., the increase of MDA concentration in HIV seropositive infants and children, and the decrease in serum total antioxidants in HIV seropositive children) confirm the involvement of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of this infection also in childhood. Because of the importance of oxidative stress and antioxidants for HIV viral replication, the adequacy of an adjuvant therapy with antioxidants should be considered; an adequate candidate for it could be N-acetyl-cysteine.