Evidence of oxidative stress in chronic heart failure in humans

Chronic heart failure (CHF) due to coronary artery disease (CAD)has been shown to be associated with increased plasma thiobarbituricreactive substances (TBARS) and reduced plasma thiol (PSH) concentrations,suggesting oxidative stress (OS). The aims of the present studieswere (a) to determine whether OS is due to CAD or CHF per seand (b) to determine if a wider range of more specific markersof OS are abnormal in CHF. In the first study, two groups of patients (n = 15 each) werecompared. Group 1 (11 male, mean age 56 years) had CHF due toCAD and group 2 (12 male, mean age 53 years) had non-CAD CHF.Median plasma TBARS in controls was 7.6 nmol . ml^–1 ,10.0 nmol . m^–1 in group 1 and 9.3 nmol. ml^–1 ingroup 2 (P < 0.01 both groups vs control). Median PSH was505 384 and 364 nmol. ml^–1 (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01vs control) respectively. Fifty-three patients with CHF were recruited in the second study.Malondialdehyde and PSH were 10.3 and 409 nmol. ml^–1 respectively,compared to control values of 7.9 and 560 nmol. ml^.1 (both P< 0.001). The median values for the following additionalmeasures of OS in controls and patients were: erythrocyte superoxidedismustase 131 vs 114 U . l^–1 (P = 0.005); caeruloplasminoxidase 97 vs 197 U. l^–1 (P < 0.01); erythrocyte glutathione1.56 nmol . ml^–1 vs 1.77 nmol . ml^–1 (P < 0.02);plasma conjugated dienes 0.28 vs 0.33 optical density units(P = ns). Chronic heart failure, regardless of aetiology, is associatedwith abnormalities of a range of markers of OS.