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Elevated plasma levels of reduced homocysteine in common variable immunodeficiency — a marker of enhanced oxidative stress
Author(s) -
AUKRUST P.,
BERGE R. K.,
MÜLLER F.,
UELAND P. M.,
SVARDAL A. M.,
FRØLAND S. S.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
european journal of clinical investigation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.164
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1365-2362
pISSN - 0014-2972
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2362.1997.18807328.x
Subject(s) - oxidative stress , homocysteine , malondialdehyde , medicine , lipid peroxidation , hyperhomocysteinemia , endocrinology , vitamin e , antioxidant , ascorbic acid , immunology , chemistry , biochemistry , food science
Based on previous studies from our group, we hypothesized that enhanced oxidative stress in association with a persistent immune activation may be important in both the immunopathogenesis and certain clinical manifestations in a subgroup of patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVI). To explore this hypothesis further, we examined plasma levels of lipid peroxidation, antioxidant vitamins and redox status of various thiol species in 20 CVI patients and 16 healthy control subjects. We found significantly higher malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in plasma from CVI patients than in healthy control subjects. Furthermore, in a subgroup of CVI patients characterized by persistent immune activation in vivo (CVI Hyper ), we found significantly decreased levels of vitamin E and β‐carotene. In the CVI patients, there was a significant inverse correlation between MDA levels and levels of vitamin E and β‐carotene. Finally, we found a marked elevation in plasma levels of reduced homocysteine in the CVI group, but no corresponding rise in plasma levels of total homocysteine. In the CVI group, the high plasma levels of reduced homocysteine were significantly correlated with enhanced lipid peroxidation and low levels of vitamin E. The results of the present study further support a role for enhanced oxidative stress in the immunopathogenesis of CVI. Furthermore, our finding of markedly elevated plasma levels of reduced homocysteine in CVI patients without simultaneous elevation of other homocysteine species suggests that this disturbance in homocysteine metabolism may be related to enhanced oxidative stress.