Malondialdehyde in dried blood spots: a biomarker of systemic lipid peroxidation linked to cardiopulmonary symptoms and risk factors

BACKGROUND: There are few oxidative biomarkers that can be used in resource-limited settings (e.g., rural Africa) where blood collection facilities are lacking. This study aims to evaluate the potential of malondialdehyde (MDA) in dried blood spots (DBS) as a useful biomarker to monitor cardiopulmonary health. METHODS: We first conducted a cross-validation comparison of matched capillary DBS, plasma, and whole venous blood collected from nine healthy volunteers for the measurement of total MDA (free + conjugated) and C-reactive protein (CRP), a well-established biomarker of systemic inflammation. Then a field study was conducted in a rural Senegal with a population of 441 women routinely exposed to severe household air pollution, examining associations of MDA and CRP levels in 882 DBS with self-reported cardiopulmonary symptoms. RESULTS: In the cross-validation study, CRP levels were strongly correlated across DBS, plasma, and whole blood. MDA levels were correlated between DBS and whole blood and were 1–2 orders of magnitude lower in plasma, suggesting that DBS MDA may reflect total oxidation levels in intracellular and extracellular compartments. In the field study, we observed significantly higher MDA levels in women with secondhand smoke exposure. An interquartile range increase in MDA concentration was associated with 27.0% (95% CI: 3.1–56.5%) and 21.1% (95% CI: −3.5% to 52.0%) increases in the incidence of chest tightness and breath difficulty, respectively. In contrast, CRP levels were not associated with worse outcomes or risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the use of DBS as a convenient alternative to venous blood when MDA is measured as a biomarker for cardiopulmonary health risk.