Oxidative stress in renal transplant patients who develop cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease limits life expectancy of successful renal transplant patients. Reactive oxygen species have been implicated in the development of atherosclerosis, and high levels could be due to increased production or a decrease in antioxidant reserve. Cardiovascular disease in renal transplant recipients could be due to elevated levels of malondialdehyde (an index of levels of reactive oxygen species) and homocysteine and reduced levels of glutathione. Renal transplant recipients with and without cardiovascular disease were studied along with healthy controls. Serum malondialdehyde, plasma homocysteine, and red blood cell glutathione were measured. The results suggest that levels of serum malondialdehyde and plasma homocysteine were higher in patients with or without cardiovascular disease compared with controls; however, the values were similar in both groups of transplant patients. Glutathione levels in red blood cells were similar in all 3 groups. Renal transplant recipients without cardiovascular disease have high levels of oxidative stress and may develop cardiovascular disease with time.