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Increased susceptibility to oxidation of low-density lipoproteins isolated from patients with systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE
To examine the resistance to oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) from patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and primary Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) compared with healthy controls.


METHODS
Plasma LDL were isolated from patients with diffuse cutaneous and limited cutaneous SSc (dcSSc and lcSSc, respectively), patients with primary RP, and healthy control subjects. The lipoproteins were assessed for their resistance to oxidation in the presence of cupric ions, using spectrophotometric assays.


RESULTS
LDL from patients with dcSSc and lcSSc were more susceptible to oxidation than were those from healthy control subjects or patients with RP.


CONCLUSION
Our findings suggest that free radicals may play a role in the pathology of SSc.