INCREASED OXIDATIVE STRESS IN DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHIC HEART-FAILURE

In the present study, we assessed oxidative stress in patients with di lated cardiomyopathy of ischemic or idiopathic etiology. For this reas on we measured whole blood reduced glutathione, erythrocyte superoxide dismutase, susceptibility of erythrocyte membranes and erythrocytes t o peroxidation, and SH content of erythrocyte membranes in 12 patients (8 men and 4 women, ages 31 to 66 years) with idiopathic dilated card iomyopathy, in 11 patients (8 men and 3 women, ages 32 to 65 years) wi th ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, and in 21 healthy volunteers (12 m en and 9 women, ages 25 to 67 years). There was no statistically signi ficant difference between the two patient groups for the indicators st udied (P >0.05). Blood glutathione, erythrocyte superoxide dismutase, and membrane SH content of both groups of patients was decreased compa red with controls (P <0.05), whereas erythrocyte and membrane suscepti bility to peroxidation were increased (P <0.05). We conclude that pati ents with idiopathic or ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy exhibit abnorm alities of a range of markers of increased oxidative stress. These abn ormalities may contribute to contractile dysfunction, increased incide nce of fatal arrhythmias, and sudden death.