ABSTRACT

Objective:

Symptoms related to pulmonary embolism (PE) can be nonspecific and difficult to discriminate from many other clinical situations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the changes in oxidative stress in patients with acute PE to find t the pathophysiology of the mechanism and to assess the value of oxidative stress in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.

Material and Methods:

A total of 27 consecutive patients confirmed as PE by computerised tomography (CT) results were retrospectively included in the study. Thirty healthy volunteers were included as the control group. The serum antioxidative status was evaluated by measuring total antioxidant status (TAS) levels in patients with PE and in healthy individuals. The serum oxidative status was evaluated by measuring total oxidant status (TOS). Then the oxidative stress index (OSI) was also calculated.

Results:

The male/female ratio of patients was 15/12. Mean age was 59.00±21.01 years. TOS and OSI levels increased in the patient group compared to the control group (respectively, 14.12±9.82 μmol H₂O₂ equivalent/L vs. 7.83±2.21 μmol H₂O₂ equivalent/L, p=0.001; 0.66±0.49 arbitrary unit vs. 0.37±0.09 arbitrary unit, p=0.002). But no difference was found in TAS levels of the two groups (p>0.05).

Conclusion:

Oxidative stress parameters play an important role in the pathophysiology of PE and it should be considered as a diagnostic marker together with other diagnostic tools.