Background/aims: There is little or no controversy about the increased oxidative stress of hemodialysis (HD) patients. Several reports show that the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), one of the major endogenous antioxidant enzymes, in plasma is elevated among HD patients. It is still unclear, however, whether this elevation is due to the promotion of SOD production or a decrease in renal excretion of SOD. This study was designed to investigate the cause of the SOD activation in HD patients, and we examined the expression of SOD mRNA levels in leukocytes of patients with chronic renal failure.
Methods: The total plasma SOD activity was determined by the nitroblue tetrazolium method, plasma SOD contents by ELISA, and SOD mRNA levels in leukocytes by RT-PCR.
Results: Our results demonstrated that contents and mRNA levels of Cu/Zn SOD in HD patients are 4.4 times and 2.0 times, respectively, as large as those in healthy controls. Furthermore, in contrast to nondialyzed chronic renal failure patients, we observed higher concentrations of Cu/Zn SOD in plasma and a more enhanced mRNA expression of Cu/Zn SOD in leukocytes of HD patients.
Conclusion: Increased Cu/Zn SOD mRNA reflects enhanced antioxidant capacity of leukocytes and can be a promising oxidative stress marker in HD patients.