SERUM LEVELS OF REACTIVE OXYGEN METABOLITES AS INDICATORS OF OXIDATIVE STRESS IN ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS

Abstract

We measured serum Diacron-reactive oxygen metabolites (D-ROM: metabolites of hydroperoxide) levels to assess the quantity of oxidative stress in climbers. We performed two independent studies. (A) Blood was collected from 14 healthy subjects before and after climbing Mt. Kita and serum D-ROM levels were measured. Results show that serum levels of D-ROM in healthy climbers after climbing were significantly higher than those before climbing. (B) Subsequently, serum levels of D-ROM in patients suffering from AMS were measured. Subjects were 21 patients who climbed Mt. Kita and consulted our mountain clinic. Serum levels of D-ROM in AMS patients were higher than those in healthy controls in Tokyo. Serum levels of D-ROM in AMS patients tended to correlate with their AMS scores. There is hypoxic and hypobaric air in the highlands which makes the endothelium produce reactive oxygen species and several inflammatory mediators known to be related to the pathogenesis of AMS. Our study suggested that a few samples from mountain climbers to monitor serum levels of D-ROM as indications of oxidative stress might serve as an assessment of the prospect and level of severity of AMS.