The relation of serum thiol levels and thiol/disulphide homeostasis with the severity of coronary artery disease

Abstract

A b s t r a c tBackground: The balance of oxidant and antioxidant status plays a key role in the coronary artery diseases (CAD). Thiol is one of the most important antioxidant barriers in humans, and thiol/disulphide homeostasis is a novel oxidative stress marker. Aim:We aimed to investigate the relation of serum thiol levels and thiol/disulphide homeostasis with the presence and severity of CAD. Methods:A total of 161 patients who underwent coronary angiography owing to stable angina pectoris were consecutively enrolled. They were divided into three groups. Group I -47 age-and gender-matched subjects with normal coronary angiography (control); group II -71 newly diagnosed CAD patients with noncritical stenosis; and group III -43 newly diagnosed CAD patients with critical stenosis. Serum native thiol, total thiol, and disulphide levels were measured, and disulphide/thiol ratios were calculated. Gensini scores were calculated in CAD patients.Results: While the highest thiol levels were found in group I, the lowest one was observed in group III (p < 0.001). Total and native thiol levels were significantly lower in group II than in group I (p < 0.001 for each), but they increased considerably in group II compared with group III (p = 0.031 and p = 0.028, respectively). Disulphide levels decreased in group II and III compared with group I (p < 0.001 for each). No statistically significant changes were observed in disulphide/thiol ratios (p > 0.05). Gensini scores were negatively correlated with total and native thiols, and positively with age and dyslipidaemia.Stepwise linear regression analyses showed that native thiol was an independent predictor in the final model for Gensini score. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that thiol values of 310.7 or below could predict CAD with 89% sensitivity and 85% specificity (AUC = 0.918; 95% CI 0.870-0.965). Conclusions:While the disulphide/thiol ratio did not change significantly, decreased native thiol levels were associated with the presence and severity of CAD. This result indicates that the reduction of thiols may be an important factor in the development of CAD.

Changes in thiol/disulfide homeostasis in juvenile idiopathic arthritis

“…In the present study, although the thiol/disulfide ratio was slightly higher in the JIA patients than in the controls, the difference was not significant. The present small sample size may be why the present findings differ from those reported earlier by Altıparmak et al …”

“…reported that in patients with acute appendicitis dynamic thiol/disulfide homeostasis shifted towards disulfide formation due to thiol oxidation. The importance of thiol/disulfide homeostasis in many diseases, including chronic renal disease, severe coronary disease, migraine, obstructive sleep apnea, and pulmonary thromboembolism, has been reported . In the present study, although the thiol/disulfide ratio was slightly higher in the JIA patients than in the controls, the difference was not significant.…”

“…Sulfhydryl compounds of thiols form disulfide bonds with oxidant molecules, rendering them less toxic. These bonds may be reduced back to thiols, and thiol/disulfide homeostasis is maintained …”

Dynamic thiol/disulphide homeostasis and pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease

“…As a result of this dynamic thiol‐disulphide homeostasis, antioxidant protection, detoxification, signal transduction, apoptosis, regulation of enzymatic activity and transcription factors and cellular signaling mechanisms can be maintained. In recent years, the role of dynamic thiol‐disulphide has been underlined in the pathogenesis of many disorders including; cardiovascular disease, rheumatic disease, infectious disease such as acute tonsillopharyngitis, and community‐acquired pneumonia . In this study, we found that native and total thiol levels were significantly decreased and thus dynamic thiol/disulphide homeostasis shifts to the oxidized side in patients with KD.…”

“…These disulphide bonds may be reduced back to native thiols, and, thus, thiol/disulphide homeostasis is sustained. It has therefore been concluded that the thiol/disulphide ratio is a novel oxidative stress marker, the level of which may alter in several pathogenetic mechanisms of adult and childhood disease . The pathogenesis of KD is still not well defined, but there is a confirmed association of oxidative stress with KD .…”