Oxidative status and reduced glutathione levels in premature coronary artery disease and coronary artery disease

Identifying patients at risk of developing premature coronary artery disease (PCAD) which occurs at age below 45 years old and constitutes approximately 7-10% of coronary artery disease (CAD) worldwide remains a problem. Oxidative stress has been proposed as a crucial step in the early development of PCAD. This study was conducted to determine the oxidative status of PCAD in comparison to CAD patients. PCAD (<45 years old) and CAD (>60 years old) patients were recruited with age-matched controls (n = 30, each group). DNA damage score, plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl content were measured for oxidative damage markers. Antioxidants such as erythrocyte glutathione (GSH), oxidised glutathione (GSSG), and glutathione peroxidase activity (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were also determined. DNA damage score and protein carbonyl content were significantly higher in both PCAD and CAD when compared to age-matched controls while MDA level was increased only in PCAD (p