Methods for monitoring oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation and oxidation resistance of lipoproteins

After a brief discussion of lipid peroxidation mechanism and the action of antioxidants and their potential to exhibit prooxidant effects, we give an overview on the clinical relevance of oxidative stress parameters. Many dis eases are associated with oxidative stress e.g. by radical damage, among th em atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, rheumatoid at hritis, and neurodegenerative diseases, and in many cases the investigation of parameters of oxidative stress has brought substantial insights into th eir pathogenesis. We then briefly review methods for the continuous monitor ing of lipid peroxidation processes in vitro, which has helped in elucidati ng their mechanism and in some more detail cover such methods which have be en proposed more recently to assess oxidative status and antioxidant activi ty in biological samples. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserve d.