Oxidative Stress and Homocysteine in Coronary Artery Disease

Oxidative stress is present in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and hyperhomocysteinemia, an independent risk factor for these diseases, may play a role by inducing production of oxygen free radicals. To evaluate the possible role of homocysteine (Hcy) in inducing oxidative stress in coronary artery disease (CAD), plasma Hcy was measured in 68 consecutive cardiovascular patients, and plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), both free and total (free + bound), was measured in 40 patients with CAD (18 with chronic stable angina and 22 with unstable angina). As controls, we tested 70 healthy volunteers. Hcy was measured by an immunoenzymatic method and MDA, an index of lipid peroxidation, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Plasma Hcy concentrations were significantly higher in cardiovascular patients than in controls (10.2 vs 8.9 micromol/L; P