Vascular endothelial function and systemic markers of oxidative modification, antioxidants and inflammation in adults without clinical disease

We determined if brachial artery flow‐mediated dilation (FMD), a measure of vascular endothelial function, is related to systemic markers of oxidative modification (stress), antioxidant bioavailability and inflammation in adults without clinical disease (n = 399, 18 – 79 yr, 252 men). Markers of oxidative stress: urinary 15‐isoprostane F 2t (r = −0.15, P = 0.05, n = 120, ELISA) and plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (r = −0.21, P = 0.02, n = 110) were weakly related to FMD, whereas serum oxidized low‐density lipoprotein was unrelated to FMD (r = −0.07, P = 0.11, n = 340). Antioxidant markers: whole blood glutathione peroxidase activity (r = 0.02, P = 0.42, n = 181), plasma glutathione reductase activity (r = −0.16, P = 0.09, n = 72), serum total antioxidant status (r = −0.02, P = 0.37, n = 332) and whole blood superoxide dismutase activity (r = 0.12, P = 0.12, n = 99) were not related to FMD. Log‐transformed serum interleukin‐6 (r = −0.08, P = 0.16, n = 156), serum high sensitivity C‐reactive protein (r = −0.03, P = 0.31, n = 298) and plasma TNF‐α (r = 0.02, P = 0.41, n = 127) were unrelated to FMD. Most of these markers were unrelated to brachial artery dilation to sublingual nitroglycerin. Common markers of systemic oxidative modification, antioxidant status and inflammation are unrelated or weakly related to vascular endothelial function among healthy men and women varying in age. AG013038, AG006537 , RR025780