The Influence of Ozonated Autohemotherapy on Oxidative Stress in Hemodialyzed Patients with Atherosclerotic Ischemia of Lower Limbs

Abstract

Ozonated autohemotherapy is used as a complementary medical approach in the treatment of vascular disorders. One of the greatest problems concerning an application of ozone in medicine is its induction of oxidative stress. The standards of ozonotherapy were elaborated recently making this treatment useful and probably non toxic. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of ozonated autohemotherapy on the oxidative stress extent in hemodialyzed patients, known to be particularly exposed to generation and deleterious effects of free radicals. Twelve continuously hemodialyzed subjects with atherosclerotic ischemia of the lower limbs were examined in a prospective, controlled, single blind study. Autohemotherapy with blood exposure to oxygen served as a control. The protein and lipid peroxidation products, the reduced glutathione level in red blood cells and free hemoglobin plasma concentration were measured. The study showed that ozonated autohemotherapy with ozone concentration 50 μg/ml per gram of blood induced a significant decrease in glutathione level after 9 sessions of this procedure. Therapy did not cause either the enhancement of protein and lipid peroxidation, or erythrocytes damage. It seems likely that the antioxidant defense system, part of which is glutathione, neutralizes oxidative properties of ozone in this concentration and protects against oxidative cell damage.

Major Ozonated Autohemotherapy in Chronic Limb Ischemia with Ulcerations

“…Early studies in patients with peripheral occlusive atherosclerotic disease (POAD) showed that ozone therapy improved symptoms of intermittent claudication (Clavo et al, 2003;Rokitansky, 1982;Romero Valdes et al, 1993;Rovira Duplaa and Galindo Planas, 1991;Tylicki et al, 2003;Verrazzo et al, 1995). The development of chronic ulcers is caused by impaired blood flow, possibly accompanied by microangiopathy, and finally by a traumatic injury.…”

No effects of ozonated autohemotherapy on inflammation response in hemodialyzed patients

“…One may hypothesize that it might be a consequence of the relatively low dose of ozone, which has previously been shown not to cause oxidative injuries in HD patients. 11 The possibility cannot be excluded that ozone-induced inflammation is attenuated with multiday exposure. 18 The results of this study seem to further confirm the safety of O3-AHT treatment in patients chronically treated with HD.…”

“…The procedure of O3-AHT has been described elsewhere in detail. 4,10,11 During O3-AHT sessions, 250 ml of the patients' blood was exposed ex vivo to an oxygenÁ/ozone mixture with an ozone concentration of 50 mg/ml. Three blood samples were collected from all subjects at the following time-points: before the first session of AHT (first collection), after the ninth session of AHT (second collection */ control) and after the ninth session of O3-AHT (third collection).…”

“…Their detailed characteristic have been presented elsewhere. 10,11 All of them suffered from symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (stage II Á/III according to Fontain), which was the main reason for the implementation of O3-AHT. The HD prescription, namely dialyzer type, HD session length, rate of dialysis solution and blood flow, as well as any pharmacological treatment, were unchanged during the study and 2 months prior to the study commencement.…”

The orthodox therapy of cardiovascular diseases integrated by ozone-therapy is able to normalize the redox system

“…Preclinical [13] and clinical [14][15][16] studies performed with ozone-therapy have been performed in many countries and in Germany more than one million sessions are successfully held every year without any side effects.…”