BACKGROUND: The total oxidative status (TOS)/total anti-oxidative status (TAS) ratio can provide information on an individual’s absolute oxidative stress index (OSI).
Oxidative stress is believed to be a major driver of damage in MS; it occurs as part of the inflammatory cascade.
METHODS: 35 ambulatory MSers with relapsing-remitting MS (35.8 ± 8.7 years) and 32 age- and activity-matched healthy control subjects (35.1 ± 3.7 years) that participated in the study. Serum TAS and TOS levels were determined using new automated methods.
RESULTS: MSers had higher concentrations of MDA (151.5 ± 51.1 vs. 111.3 ± 27.4 nmol/g protein, respectively; p < 0.001), TOS (148.1 ± 162.5 vs. 48.3 ± 46.4 mmol hydrogen peroxide Equiv./g protein, respectively; p = 0.002), OSI (21124 ± 32543 vs. 5294 ± 5562, respectively; p = 0.008), and SOD (4.5 ± 0.7 vs. 3.4 ± 0.6 U/L, respectively; p < 0.001) compared with healthy controls. On the other hand, MS patients had lower concentrations of nitric oxide (12.3 ± 6.9 vs. 17.4 ± 2.5 μmol/g protein, respectively; p < 0.001) and TAS (0.82 ± 0.27 vs. 0.26 ± 0.15, respectively; p = 0.011) compared with healthy controls.
The balance of influences in oxidative stress
CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that the oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of MS.
“Clearly there are inbalances of oxidant species may be important. However, as the study only looked at blood the relevance of the findings to what happens in the brain and spinal cord is not clear. What is important is that BG12 an emerging DMT targets anti-oxidant pathways.”
Josaphine26 said… oxidative stress signaling maintains the production of excess free radicals even after treatment has returned the blood sugar levels to normal. Unless countered by dietary antioxidants, the persistent release of free radicals maintains the unhealthy state of oxidative stress.