Oxidative stress and lymphocytes in Alzheimer disease

Oxidative stress has been involved in the pahtogenesis of different neurodegenerative diseases. Recently high levels of 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine [I)-OHdC), a sensitive marker of DNA damage, were found in both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA of the brain in Alzheimer disease (AD). In this study we measured 8-OHdG in lymphocyte DNA obtained from AD patients and from age- matched controls. The high levels of 8-OHdG found in the lymphocytes of AD patients support the hypothesis that a general imbalance is present in this disease between oxidants and antioxidants.