Background: The relationship between plasma SOD activity and remaining renal function in patients with renal insufficiency has been not elucidated. We attempted to investigate the degree of serum SOD activity among patients with various renal conditions.
Methods: Using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy, plasma SOD activities were evaluated in 28 patients who underwent HD before and after procedure and in 15 controls. The patients were classified according to the condition of renal function; group A (n = 15) included patients whose plasma creatinine clearance levels were less than 10 ml/min, and group B (n = 13) included those whose plasma creatinine clearance levels were 10 ml/min or more but less than 20 ml/min.
Results: The plasma SOD activities of group A were significantly higher than those of group B (p < 0.005) and controls (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that in group A, the SOD activities in plasma before HD were significantly higher than those after HD (p < 0.001). However, in group B, there were no significant differences in the level of plasma SOD activities before and after HD.
Conclusion: Production of superoxide anion is considered almost the similar in both groups, which suggests the SOD activity would depend on the degree of the remaining renal function of each patient.
Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel