THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OXIDATIVE STRESS AND THE ONSET OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

Oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) particles plays a key role in the etiology of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD). Oxidative stress enhances the likelihood of LDL oxidation and atherosclerotic plaque development. Paraoxonase (PON1) is an enzyme associated with HDL that metabolizes organophosphates and has antioxidant activity. In order to investigate the relationship between oxidative stress and the onset of coronary artery disease (CAD), total ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP)-as an index of antioxidant capacity of plasma- and the activity of PON 1 were measured in 80 patients over 65 and 80 patients less than 55 years old as late and early-onset CAD groups respectively. Plasma lipids were also determined. Patients with early-onset CAD had significantly lower serum levels of HDL-C (p