1978 Volume 15 Issue 4 Pages 347-354
Since Harman proposed the free radical theory of aging, this theory receives an attention widespread and numerous reports on lipoperoxide (Px), the product of free radical, appears. In order to study the clinical significance of these changes, we measured Px, lipid fraction and vitamin E (VE) in human serum with reference to age in 398 patients admitted to the Department of Medicine, Wakayama Medical College Hospital and Fuchu Hospital in Osaka and 76 healthy working subjects examined on a mass healthy survey.
Methods of Px measure are modified TBA spectrometry by Naito (Px spectro) and modified TBA fluorometry by Yagi (Px fluoro). By spectrometry, serum Px in hospital patients was 13.0±2.45nmole/ml, significantly higher than 11.32±1.92nmole/ml in healthy subjects.
Prior to the age of 70, serum Px value tended to increase with age, while it tended to fall after this age. Such tendency was most clearly seen in Px fluoro in healthy working subjects.
Cases with abnormally high values of Px spectro (above m+2SD) included those of gastric cancer, myocardial infarction and heart failure, especially those under serious conditions. Concerning the relationship between lipid fraction and Px value, a positive correlation was found between Px spectro on one hand, and β-lipo, β-lipoprotein fraction and NEFA on the other in 398 hospital patients. A positive correlation was also found between Px fluoro and β-lipo in 76 healthy working subjects.
No correlation was found between serum VE and Px, suggesting the presence of antioxidants other than VE in blood. Serum Px spectro was 10 times as high as Px fluoro and no correlation was found between two, suggesting that spectrometry also measures some non Px material such as sialic acid in serum.
