A CASE CONTROL STUDY OF OXIDATIVE STRESS AND INFLAMMATION IN TUNISIAN PATIENTS WITH ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the major cause of morbid-mortality in most countries. The involvement of inflammation and oxidative stress (OS) in the development of atherosclerosis, ischemic cardiopathy triggering phenomen, has been investigated. The high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs_CRP) was measured in serum by immunoenzymatic method. Serum total homocysteine (Hcy) concentration was measured by fluorescence polarization immunoessay. Plasma levels of substances reacting with thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) were carried out by fluorimetric method (Yagi). Erythrocyte activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and plasma total antioxidant status (TAS) were determined by a colorimetric method at 505nm and 600nm, respectively. Erythrocyte activity of catalase (CAT) was measured by colorimetric assay (Goth). Our study showed significant elevation of hs_CRP, TBARS and Hcy levels in patients compared to controls. While we noted significant decrease in TAS levels, SOD and CAT activities in patients compared to the control group. We also noted positive correlations between: hs_CRP-Hcy, hs_CRP-TBARS, Hcy-TBARS, SOD-TAS, CAT-TAS and negative correlations between: hs_CRP-SOD, hs_CRP-CAT, hs_CRP-TAS, TBARS-SOD, TBARS-CAT, TBARS-TAS, Hcy-SOD, Hcy-CAT and Hcy-TAS. This unsuitability, elevated pro-oxidant rate parameters (Hcy and TBARS) and decrease of antioxidant parameters (SOD, CAT and TAS), is a consequence of inflammation, one of the mechanisms which cause atherogenesis. So our study supports the hypothesis involvement of inflammation and OS in the genesis and progression of atherosclerosis.