Performance and Clinical Application of a New, Fast Method for the Detection of Hydroperoxides in Serum

Background: Evidence has increased suggesting that a condition of oxidative stress, due to imbalance of oxidative/antioxidant systems, can produce alterations in important biological functions as a consequence of free radicals reactivity towards proteins, lipids, and DNA. Hence the possibility of accurately measuring the oxidative state in a biological system in a simple manner could be of fundamental importance for clinical diagnostics.

Methods: A new, spectrophotometric assay ("d-ROMs test", Diacron s.r.l., Grosseto, Italy), which allows the measurement of reactive oxygen metabolites derivatives, such as hydroperoxides, has been evaluated.

Results: The "d-ROMs test" showed good precision, accuracy and linearity. Mean serum d-ROMs above the normal range (344.5 +/- 68.3 U.CARR., mean +/- SD) were detected in a group of heavy drinkers, and well correlated with both g-GT (r=0.44, p<0.04) and MCV (r=0.73, p<0.000), usually considered as biochemical markers of alcohol abuse.

Conclusions: The new test for the measurement of endogenous hydroperoxides proved to be simple, reliable, and cheap. Furthermore, it can be easily applied on automated analyzers. Then it could be used as an early index of oxidative damage, which precedes and partly contributes to degenerative process that affects cell membranes and other lipid containing structures.