Comparison of plasma antioxidant levels in middle-aged and old male with idiopatic osteoporosis: preliminary data

A. Mancini, S. Raimondo, C. Di Segni, M. Persano, E. Di Geronimo, A. Silvestrini, A. Pontecorvi, E. Meucci, F.C. Tamburrelli

Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Endocrinology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy. emeucci@rm.unicatt.it

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• Metabolism

OBJECTIVES: With the purpose of evaluating the role of oxidative stress (OS) in male idiopatic osteoporosis, we have evaluated plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in patients classified according to age (< 65 or ≥ 65 yrs), with normal hormone values and in age-matched healthy control subjects.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: TAC was evaluated with a colorimetric method, using the system metamyoglobin-H2O2 and the chromogen ABTS; the latency time (LAG, sec) in the appearance of ABTS radical species is proportional to antioxidant content of the system.

RESULTS: We found slightly increased LAG values in middle-aged patients, compared with age-matched controls, probably expression of a compensatory mechanism to OS; on the contrary aged patients showed significantly lower LAG values in comparison with age-matched controls, suggesting a defective compensatory mechanism and, therefore, a risk for oxidative damage.

CONCLUSIONS: OS could be a possible mechanism underlying male osteoporosis, both in middle-aged and aged patients, but compensatory mechanisms seem to be defective in the last group.

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