Evaluation of serum oxidant/antioxidant balance in patients with acute stroke

Objectives: To investigate the alterations in the oxidant-antioxidant balance in patients with acute ischaemic stroke, and to locate any correlation between oxidant/antioxidant parameters and the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale. Methods: The case-control study was conducted at the Neurology Department of Dicle University Medical Faculty, Diyarbakir, Turkey, from June 2010 to June 2011. Blood samples were obtained from 53 patients with ischaemic stroke and 40 healthy controls without any history of ischaemic stroke or systemic disease. Venous blood was obtained within 24 hour after stroke onset. Serum malondialdehyde , total anti-oxidant capacity, paraoxanase and superoxide dismutase were measured. SPSS 11.5 used for statistical analysis. Results: There was no difference between the cases and the controls regarding age [64.5±15.8 and 66.3±13.9 respectively], gender [27 (51%) / 26 (49%), and 19 (48%) / 21 (52%) respectively], obesity [15 (28.3%) and 13 (37.5%), respectively], and hypertension [30 (56.6%) and 23 (57.5%), respectively]. The cases had higher concentrations of malondialdehyde (147.3±59.3 vs. 112.4±28.5 nmol/gr protein, p 0.001), and superoxide dismutase (4.40±0.79 vs. 3.35±0.51, p 0.001) compared to the controls. However, the cases had lower concentrations of paraoxanase (23.2±23.7 vs 64.7±52.6, p 0.001), total anti-oxidant capacity (0.77±0.38 vs. 0.95±0.30, p 0.015), and nitric oxide (10.8±7.1 vs. 17.5±2.4 μmol/gr protein, p 0.001), compared to the controls. In the stroke group, a significant negative correlation was found between the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale and total anti-oxidant capacity activity (p 0.021, r= -0.32). Conclusion: The results support the hypothesis that sufficient anti-oxidant capacity has a beneficial effect on the clinical severity of acute ischaemic stroke.