Platelets oxidative stress in Indian patients with ischemic heart disease

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the development of atherosclerosis and vascular tissue injury. Both platelet activation and lipid peroxidation are known to play major role in ischemic heart disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of platelets oxidative stress in Indian patients with ischemic heart disease.We measured platelets aggregation, malonyldialdehyde (MDA), plasma-ionized Ca2+, and antioxidant enzymes, i.e., glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in healthy volunteers and patients with myocardial infarction, unstable and stable angina 40 subjects each.Platelets aggregation, MDA, and plasma-ionized Ca(2+) have increased significantly across the patients groups compared with controls, this increase was accompanied by an overall decrease in the antioxidant enzymes activity; except for the slight increases in the glutathione peroxidase levels among the myocardial infarction patients.The current results suggest that platelet lipid peroxidation as marked by increased MDA level is augmented in ischemic heart diseases. The increased oxidative stress seen in these patients was accompanied by platelet activation and impaired antioxidant enzymes activity.