Evaluation of oxidative stress markers in Rwanda during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

COVID-19 is mainly described as endothelial dysfunction, and due to the bidirectional link between oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction, we initiated a program directed to the evaluation of the oxidative status of the population of Rwanda by measuring spectrophotometrically their plasma Reactive Oxygen Metabolites (d-ROMs) and Plasma Antioxidant Potential (PAT). The reference population was chosen to reflect the absence of actual or past SARS-CoV-2 infections as well as other clinically established infective status and reference intervals for d-ROM and PAT were identified. The average d-ROM was 378.6 UCARR with a standard deviation of 105.2, a value significantly higher than that reported for Caucasian or East Asian population (260–300 UCARR). The average PAT value was 2853.6, with a standard deviation of 635.7 UCOR, at the upper limit according to the averaged values for healthy Caucasian populations. The results of this study, the first so far reported on a sub-Saharan population, can effectively be used as a baseline value for clinical management of inflammatory conditions, for the stratification of at-risk individuals and to inform recommendations for effective use of public health resources.

Effect of antioxidant-rich kindergarten meals on oxidative stress biomarkers in healthy 5–6-year-old children: a randomized controlled trial

“…Our study was limited to a single blood sample, so we cannot provide an assessment of the changes in serum OSBs between days 1 and 15 of the intervention. However, the original data on d-ROM, PAT, and OSI levels in healthy 5–6-year-old Caucasian children may help fill the existing gap in lack of a universally accepted interval of normality [ 36 ]. d-ROMs in our participants ranged in value that was similar to d-ROMs in healthy 2–6-year-old Japanese children [ 9 ] but higher than d-ROMs in healthy 4-year-old Macedonian children [ 37 ].…”