[Changes in antioxidative enzyme activity in patients with chronic heart failure]

Primary (dienic conjugates) and secondary (malonic dialdehyde) products of plasma lipid peroxidation were measured and the activity of antioxidative enzymes (glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase) in erythrocytes was determined in 96 patients with chronic heart failure due to ischemic heart disease and rheumatic heart disease. Heart failure was found to show elevated plasma lipid peroxidation product levels, mostly in Stages I and IIA. Whereas in Stage IIB, the product levels became lower and in Stage III, they reached the control values. Similarly, the activity of superoxide dismutase varied with the stages of heart failure. That of glutathione peroxidase increased with circulatory decompensation development, reaching the maximal level in Stage IIB, then decreased down to the values observed in the control groups of patients without heart failure. The changes detected were not related to the causes of heart failure.