Protein carbonyl: A sensitive marker reflecting oxidative stress in prevalent hemodialysis patients

Protein carbonyls (PCOs) are well-established biomarkers of oxidative stress, closely linked to disease progression and therapeutic responses across various pathological conditions.

To assess serum PCO titres as an indicator of oxidative damage in prevalent hemodialysis (HD) patients and to explore their association with nutritional status.

This controlled cross-sectional study included 60 patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), aged 18-65 years, undergoing maintenance HD three times per week for at least six months. All participants were treated through the same high-flux dialyzer equipped with a polysulfone membrane. A control group of 30 healthy individuals was also enrolled. Serum PCO titres were measured in all participants.

The ESRD group exhibited significantly higher values of systolic blood pressure, serum creatinine, serum phosphate, C-reactive protein, and PCO than the control group. In contrast, hemoglobin titres and serum albumin titres were significantly diminished in ESRD patients. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of serum PCO demonstrated excellent discriminatory capacity, with a cut-off value of 115 pmol/mg yielding 93.3% sensitivity and 100% specificity. A significant positive correlation was found between C-reactive protein titres and both age and parathyroid hormone concentrations in the ESRD group. Additionally, nutritional status was significantly worse in ESRD patients than in controls.

Serum PCO titres were markedly elevated in ESRD patients undergoing HD, reflecting enhanced oxidative stress. Given its high diagnostic accuracy, PCO can act as a sensitive and reliable marker for oxidative stress in ESRD.