Oxidative stress in metabolic syndrome & its association with DNA-strand break

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Oxidative stress (OS) is associated with numerous components of metabolic syndrome (MetS). This study was aimed to investigate if hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) as the reactive oxygen species was capable of depicting OS in MetS, and If MetS patients showed DNA damage in the form of DNA strand breaks (DSB). METHODS: A total of 160 participants (90 males, 70 females) ≥20 yr of age were categorized into four groups based on the number of MetS risk parameters (n=40 in each group). Sugar and lipid profile, H(2)O(2) concentration in blood and DNA-strand breaks were measured. RESULTS: DSB was significantly more in those with MetS (n=40) than those without (n=120) whereas H(2)O(2) levels were the same in both the study groups. The number of DSB differed significantly between the control and 3 risk factor groups. DSB was also higher in groups with 2 and 1 risk factors compared to 0 risk but the difference was not significant. H(2)O(2) level was higher in groups with 3, 2 and 1 risk factors compared to 0 risk group but the difference was not significant. The H(2)O(2) level correlated positively with triglyceride values but not with other MetS risk parameters. There was no significant correlation between DSB and MetS risk parameters. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed a cumulative and synergistic effect of the risk factors of MetS on DSB. Individuals with three risk parameters had a greater effect on DNA damage than in those with two or one risk parameter. Although plasma H(2)O(2) level increased with an increase in the fat depots, use of H(2)O(2) to depict OS in MetS should be coupled with an adjunct and estimation of DSB in peripheral blood lymphocytes may be used as indicator of OS in MetS patients.