P3‐208: Total antioxidant status in newly diagnosed Alzheimer's patients: Population based study

Oxidative imbalance appears to both directly and indirectly play a major role in cellular processes implicated in neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's disease pathology. Free radical production results in oxidative damage to a range of biomolecules which are implicated in AD development. In this study we investigated a facet of oxidative stress in a group of AD patients from a population-based sample. 52 AD subjects recruited from the population-based study as well as 27 age and gender matched control patients were examined. The examined group was stratified according to the neurodegenerative process length (i.e., time from diagnosis). Serum total antioxidant status (TAS) was determined as a quantitative assessment of in vivo oxidative status Serum total antioxidant status was calculated for samples from each study group. TAS levels were significantly decreased in AD subjects as compared to control (0.6 vs 1.39 mmol/L, P <0.001). The most pronounced differences in TAS levels were apparent in the AD group with the shortest history of the disease (the time from diagnosis). TAS was significantly lower in newly diagnosed AD patients when compared to controls. These results strengthen the hypothesis that oxidative dyshomeostasis is an early and disease-specific phenomenon in AD development. Targeting oxidative stress and increasing antioxidant capacity of affected individuals, especially at the earliest possible time after symptoms appear, may be most beneficial.