Serum total peroxides are increased in patients with stage IV compared to stage IIb peripheral arterial disease: Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty may generate epitopes for autoantibodies against oxidized low density lipoprotein

Reactive oxygen species are involved, among others, in peripheral arterial disease (PAD). During percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) vascular walls become damaged, which finally leads to ischemia/reperfusion injury. In PAD patients with Fontaine stage IIb (11 males and 6 females) and with Fontaine stage IV (7 males and 3 females) undergoing revascularisation, we correlated oxidative stress biomarkers, i.e. serum total peroxides and autoantibodies against oxidized LDL (oLAb), with the stage of PAD. Subjects with stage IV disease had significantly higher peroxide levels at baseline compared to stage IIb (510 ± 360 AU vs. 150 ± 220 AU, p < 0.05). Revascularisation was associated with a significant decrease in the oLAb titer (314 ± 240 vs. 251 ± 190 mU/mL, p < 0.05). Total peroxides may indicate the severity of PAD and the time course of oLAb titers could be used as a biomarker for revascularisation.