Lipid peroxidation in stroke patients.

BACKGROUND

Paraoxonase is high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-associated esterase/lactonase implicated to play a role in the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties exerted by HDL. Increasing evidence support a role of free radicals and oxidative stress in neuronal damage induced by ischemia-reperfusion. The aim of this study was to further investigate the relationship between lipoprotein oxidative damage and stroke.

METHODS

We compared the paraoxonase activity and levels of lipid hydroperoxides in plasma isolated from healthy subjects (n=50) and from stroke patients (n=49). Moreover, the correlations between biochemical markers and the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), which is widely used to study neurological severity, were evaluated.

RESULTS

Our results demonstrated, for the first time, that the activity of paraoxonase in plasma of stroke subjects was significantly lower than controls (p<0.001) and the levels of lipid hydroperoxides were significantly higher in plasma from patients (p<0.001). Moreover, using linear regression analysis, significant correlations between the activity of paraoxonase, lipid peroxidation and the severity of neurological deficit at admission were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

These results provide further evidence that oxidative stress and impairment of the antioxidant system may play a role in stroke. Antioxidant activity of plasma may be an important factor providing protection from neurological damage caused by stroke-associated oxidative stress.