Oxidative metabolism of neutrophils in patients with community-acquired pneumonia

At the present time, available views show our limited knowledge of the peculiarities of the functional status of neutrophils and their metabolism in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The studying of changes of metabolic status of neutrophils can broaden our views about pneumonia pathogenesis and define datum points of therapeutic effect.

Purpose of our research: to define oxidative stress activity and the level of oxidative modification of proteins of neutrophils in CAP patients.

Materials and methods: neutrophils obtained from 23 patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Control group consisting of 19 healthy volunteers. The reactive carbonyl derivatives of proteins and advanced oxidation protein products were defined so as to assess the oxidative damage of proteins. The malondialdehyde and nitrite ions were assessed as being indicators of the oxidative stress. The neutrophils of CAP patients with moderate severity were characterized by a tendency of evidencing decreasing content of advanced oxidation protein products, along with the statistically important enhanced levels of carbonyl derivatives and nitrite ions, while their malondialdehyde status practically leveled off with the control and had only an insignificant trend towards growth. We have demonstrated the accumulation of carbonyl derivatives and nitrite ions in the peripheral neutrophils of CAP patients. These results give evidence of an oxidative misbalance in the cells which contributes to the aggravation of the disease.