Serum derivative of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) in pediatric hemato-oncological patients with neutropenic fever

The Oxidative Stress Markers of Horses-the Comparison with Other Animals and the Influence of Exercise and Disease

Diacron-reactive oxygen metabolite (d-ROM) and biological antioxidant potential (BAP) levels in the serum of horses were measured (ponies, n = 15; thoroughbred, n = 31; other full-sized horses, n = 7). The mean d-ROM levels in horses were significantly higher (p < 0.001) than those in dairy cattle (n = 25) and dogs (n = 31). However, d-ROM levels in horses were lower than the standard levels reported in humans. When d-ROM and BAP levels were plotted graphically, the points for horses with a disease (ringbone in 1 Japanese sports horse, cellulitis in 1 thoroughbred, melanoma in 1 Lipizzaner) fell outside the group of points for other (non-diseased) horses. A similar separation was seen (using data from other authors) for a horse with Rhodococcus equi, a horse following castration surgery, and a mare following delivery. These results, comparing horses, other animals, and humans, are interesting from the standpoint of comparative medicine, and they contribute to the sparse literature available on d-ROM and BAP levels in animals. Because the level of d-ROM and BAP levels were changed depending on the situation of health, those indexes are promising as indices of health in horses.

Oral branched-chain amino acid granules improve structure and function of human serum albumin in cirrhotic patients

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The aim of this study was to evaluate structural and functional alterations of human serum albumin (HSA), with a special focus on the oxidized and reduced forms, in patients with chronic liver disease. We also investigated whether oral branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation could induce structural changes and improve the functions of HSA.

METHODS

The proportion of reduced and oxidized HSA was determined in 16 healthy controls and in 20 chronic hepatitis and 100 cirrhotic patients with stable conditions. To evaluate the functional properties of HSA, this study focused on the antioxidant and binding functions. The radical scavenging activity and binding ability of purified HSA were measured in 68 participants. After BCAA administration for 6 months, 29 patients were evaluated for HSA structural changes, with 19 out of the 29 patients also analyzed for HSA functional changes.

RESULTS

There was a significant decrease in the amounts of reduced HSA in conjunction with liver disease progression. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that the levels of reduced HSA had high accuracy in determining disease progression. Functional alterations were strongly correlated to the levels of reduced HSA. BCAA supplementation led to substantial increases in the amount of reduced HSA. The altered HSA was able to scavenge significantly more radicals and restore the binding ability.

CONCLUSION

This study describes structural alterations and functional disturbances of HSA in patients with chronic liver disease, and indicates that the levels of reduced HSA might reflect disease progression and the functional properties of HSA. Moreover, oral BCAA supplementation increases the amount of reduced HSA, thereby leading to the restoration of HSA function in cirrhotic patients.

Oxidative stress and antioxidant parameters in neutropenic patients secondary to chemotherapy

OBJECTIVE

Neutropenia is a serious adverse event that necessitates dosage reduction in patients receiving chemotherapy. In this study, we evaluated the oxidative stress and antioxidant parameters in neutropenic patients after chemotherapy both during the neutropenic period and after successful treatment of neutropenia with filgrastim.

METHODS

We studied paraoxonase (PON1), arylesterase (ARE), malondialdehyde (MDA), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in addition to routine biochemical and hematologic parameters. SPSS 12.0 was used for statistical evaluation of data (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA).

RESULTS

In our study, PON1, HDL, and LDH levels during the period of active neutropenia were statistically significantly higher than these levels were after resolution of neutropenia (P<0.05); MDA and ALP levels were statistically significantly lower during the period of active neutropenia (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, free oxygen radicals (FOR) were increased and antioxidant parameters were decreased with resolution of neutropenia. This is probably due to FOR produced by the increased number of neutrophils rather than tumor burden.

Characteristics of reactive oxygen metabolites in serum of early teenagers in Japan

OBJECTIVES

The relationship between the incidence of cardiovascular disease and the state of oxidative stress in blood has been studied to some extent. Several lines of evidence underscore the importance of primary prevention of cardiovascular disease beginning in childhood. However, little is known about the current state of oxidative stress in childhood. This study was carried out to determine the current state of the level of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) in serum of early teenagers.

METHODS

This study enrolled 595 healthy junior high school students from the town of Nanbu located in northern Japan. Oxidative stress was evaluated by measuring the serum level of ROM, and antioxidant capacity was evaluated by measuring the serum level of biological antioxidant potential (BAP).

RESULTS

Although the ROM level in female students [308.6 ± 63.1 Carratelli units (U.CARR)] was slightly higher than that in males (299.9 ± 55.2 U.CARR), the difference was not statistically significant. The BAP level in males was significantly higher than that in females. The levels of ROM and BAP detected in males in the first grade were higher than those in the other grades. In females, only first-graders' BAP was higher than that in other grades.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study found that the ROM level in males was negatively correlated with grade. These results suggest the presence of factor(s) that increase oxidative stress in Japanese puberty.

Serum albumin level accurately reflects antioxidant potentials in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome

BACKGROUND

Recent observation revealed that serum albumin plays an important role in the host defense mechanism as it is one of the important antioxidants. This study was conducted to investigate whether hypoalbuminemia contributes to a decreased biological antioxidant potentials (BAP) in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS).

METHODS

Fifty three heparinised blood samples were obtained from 8 patients with INS (median 13.5 years). Eighteen samples from 6 patients with Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP median 7 years) were served as control. Intravenous human albumin preparation was also applied for comparison. Measurement of BAP in blood and human albumin preparation was determined by a newly developed devise called FRAS4(®). Comparison among groups and relationships between BAP and albumin concentrations or c-reactive protein (CRP) were studied by Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman rank correlation test, respectively.

RESULTS

Serum levels of BAP was significantly lower in patients with nephrotic relapse than those in patients with nephrotic remission or HSP. BAP correlated well with serum albumin levels. Positive relationship was also found between concentration of albumin in human preparation and BAP. Weakly positive CRP sera disclosed both hypoalbuminemia and low BAP.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that decreased antioxidant potentials caused by hypoalbuminemia in INS may contribute to an aberrant immunity.