Background and purpose: Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is one of the major free radical scavenging systems that might play a role in both degenerative and acute diseases of the central nervous system.
Methods: We measured SOD activity in the serum of 41 patients with acute ischemic stroke with a chemiluminometric assay based on the generation of oxygen free radicals by xanthine and xanthine oxidase.
Results: SOD activity was significantly lower in patients with ischemic stroke than in age-matched control patients with nonvascular, neurological illnesses (n = 24; P < .034, Wilcoxon rank test). The activity was inversely correlated with the size of infarction on CT (P = .01, Spearman correlation) and the severity of neurological deficits (P < .001, Spearman correlation). The decreased SOD activity recovered within 5 days after stroke to values found in serum of control patients.
Conclusions: Our data suggest that the SOD activity in serum is reduced in stroke patients, and replacement of antioxidative activity could be beneficial in the acute treatment of cerebral ischemia.