Oxidative stress and inflammation biomarkers in the blood of patients with Huntington's disease.

OBJECTIVES

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder for which there is no effective treatment. Oxidative stress and inflammation are known to be involved in HD, but the precise relationship between the two remains unclear. The aim of this study was to analyze oxidative stress and inflammation biomarkers in blood of patients with HD with a view to identifying potential links between them.

METHODS

Blood samples were collected from 13 patients with HD and from 10 age- and sex-matched controls, and the following were measured: C-reactive proteins, myeloperoxidase (MPO)/white blood cell (WBC) ratio, interleukin-6 (IL-6), thioredoxin reductase-1 (TrRd-1), thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1), total nitrites (NOx), nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and nitrotyrosine.

RESULTS

Results showed that HD is associated to a reduction of TrRd-1 and Trx-1 levels in plasma and erythrocytes, and with an increase in the MPO/WBC ratio. A positive correlation was observed between global oxidative stress (GOS) and MPO/WBC. No changes were found in NOS and Nox levels with respect to controls.

CONCLUSION

Oxidative damage may be linked to the inflammatory response in HD, via a peripheral immune response.