Glutathione, vitamin e and oxidative stress in coronary artery disease: Relevance of age and gender

Background Observational studies suggest that low levels of antioxidants are associated with high risk for coronary artery disease (CAD). We investigated whether the biomarkers of oxidative balance undergo the same modifications in all CAD patient groups, regardless of gender and age. Materials and methods One hundred sixty-eight CAD patients and 107 healthy controls were assayed for plasma levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), α- and γ-tocopherol (α- and γ-T) as endogenous antioxidants. A damage score (DS), representative of oxidative stress status, was calculated. ancova models were used to test the association between antioxidants, DS and CAD and its modulation by age and gender. Results The DS was higher in CAD than in controls. GSH levels, were lower in CAD patients (mean ± SEM: 57·61 ± 1·87 μmol 10 g ^-1 haemoglobin vs. 68·55 ± 2·23 in controls, P <0·0006) in males and in older subjects. Levels of other antioxidants exhibited a complex pattern. Overall, no difference was found in α- and γ-T contents between CAD and controls, but lower α-T values were observed in CAD females. A significant interaction between CAD status and gender was observed (P = 0·003). Conclusions Our study shows that the involvement of antioxidants in CAD is related to patients' characteristics. These findings may be relevant in planning antioxidant therapies.