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Superoxide dismutase activity in serum of patients with acute cerebral ischemic injury. Correlation with clinical course and infarct size.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is one of the major free radical scavenging systems that might play a role in both degenerative and acute diseases of the central nervous system.


METHODS
We measured SOD activity in the serum of 41 patients with acute ischemic stroke with a chemiluminometric assay based on the generation of oxygen free radicals by xanthine and xanthine oxidase.


RESULTS
SOD activity was significantly lower in patients with ischemic stroke than in age-matched control patients with nonvascular, neurological illnesses (n = 24; P < .034, Wilcoxon rank test). The activity was inversely correlated with the size of infarction on CT (P = .01, Spearman correlation) and the severity of neurological deficits (P < .001, Spearman correlation). The decreased SOD activity recovered within 5 days after stroke to values found in serum of control patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that the SOD activity in serum is reduced in stroke patients, and replacement of antioxidative activity could be beneficial in the acute treatment of cerebral ischemia.