Comparison of three oxidative stress biomarkers in a sample of healthy adults

Oxidative stress is a potentially important aetiological factor for many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease and cancer, yet studies often find inconsistent results. The associations between three of the most widely used biomarkers of oxidative stress, i.e. F(2)-isoprostanes for lipid peroxidation and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) and the comet assay with FPG for oxidative DNA damage, were compared in a sample of 135 healthy African-American and white adults. Modest associations were observed between F(2)-isoprostanes and the comet assay (r = 0.22, p = 0.01), but there were no significant correlations between 8-oxo-dG and the comet assay (r = -0.09) or F(2)-IsoP (r = -0.04). These results are informative for researchers seeking to compare results pertaining to oxidative stress across studies and/or assessment methods in healthy disease-free populations. The development and use of oxidative stress biomarkers is a promising field; however, additional validation studies are necessary to establish accuracy and comparability across oxidative stress biomarkers.