Oxidative Stress can drive many conditions

The Advanced Oxidative Stress Test from Precision Point Diagnostics measures how much oxidative stress there is in the body and how effectively antioxidant enzymes remove it.  The markers included in the test include Glutathione, Reduced Glutathione, 8-OHdG, and F2-Isoprostane. 

Mitochondria suffer from increased oxidative stress.  Systems impacted the most from oxidative stress include the brain, heart, and reproductive organs.  Most neurologic, cardiovascular, and reproductive issues benefit greatly from reducing oxidative load.  Most chronic conditions and conditions of aging are also driven by oxidative stress.  Immune dysregulation is impacted by oxidative stress. This means that treating levels of oxidative stress is helpful when treating the results of infections such as long Covid, Lyme disease, and mold syndromes. For the same reasons, treating oxidative stress can be an important cancer treatment adjunct. 

Measuring levels of oxidative stress through Glutathione, Reduced Glutathione, 8-OHdG, and F2-Isoprostane gives a picture of how oxidative stress is contributing to poor mitochondrial function and chronic disease in the patient. 

One potential treatment option for patients suffering from higher levels of oxidative stress is giving IV glutathione. 

“Glutathione plays a critical role in mitigating oxidative stress by neutralizing reactive oxygen species and maintaining cellular redox balance. Its administration, particularly via intravenous routes, has shown promise in enhancing antioxidant defenses and improving clinical outcomes in conditions characterized by elevated oxidative stress”

(Santacroce, et al, Front. Med., 21 March 2023, Sec. Gastroenterology)

High levels of 8-OHdg, F2-isoprostane, with low glutathione and reduced glutathione indicate cell damage and free radical overload. This is a strong indication for IV therapies. Aside from administering glutathione itself, other possible IV treatments include Myer’s Cocktail – for nutrients needed to reduce glutathione and  Alpha  Lipoid Acid  –  which improves  GSH transport into cells and reduces it.

Total glutathione includes both reduced and oxidized glutathione levels. Glutathione is constantly undergoing oxidation and reduction and therefore exists in two forms, reduced and oxidized. The reduced form of glutathione is the radical scavenger (or antioxidant). Oxidized glutathione is the “used-up” form of glutathione. Oxidized glutathione has contributed its antioxidant potential and then must be recycled to the reduced form of glutathione to be useful once again. Total glutathione levels can indicate the body’s total reserves of glutathione for removing harmful free radicals and toxins. Total glutathione may be low due to genetic variation in enzymes involved in glutathione production, nutritional insufficiency, or exposure to reactive chemicals or medications.

F2-isoprostane (F2-isoprostoglandin, 8-iso-prostoglandin F2α) is the oxidized degradation product of arachidonic acid, a fatty acid with significant inflammatory potential. F2-isoprostane is an oxidized lipid, pro-inflammatory, and a vasoconstrictor. Urinary F2-isoprostane is the gold standard marker of lipid peroxidation in biological specimens and has been described as a, “reliable approach to assess oxidative stress.” 

F2-isoprostane can cause vasoconstriction in the kidneys, lungs, liver, bronchi, blood and lymph vessels, uterus and gastrointestinal tract. F2-isoprostanes are associated with increased perception of pain and are elevated in acutely hyperglycemic diabetics. They are also high in smokers and in autism. Shape F2-isoprostane has been suggested as an indicator of cardiovascular disease. F2-isoprostanes were higher in patients with coronary artery disease and the levels correlated with the number of lesions as well as the incidence of hypertension. F2-isoprostanes are highly concentrated in atherosclerotic plaques. Plasma F2-isoprostane correlated positively with systolic and diastolic blood pressure, supporting the role of oxidative stress in hypertension.

IV Treatments for F2-Isoprostane might include:

• Glutathione IVs – to reduce fats that are oxidized, including oxidation that increases plaque formation, damages the CNS, and decreases cell wall and mitochondrial membrane fluidity.  It is associated with poor focus and myelin sheath development.

• Amino Acids IVs – For carnitine to support carnitine shuttle and taurine decreasing plaque formation, supporting glutathione, and improving the status of inflammatory fats. 

• Chelation – as chelation improves endothelial function reducing plaque formation that can be caused by F2-Isoprostane. 

8-OHdG (8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine) is an oxidized base that has been identified and removed from the DNA, and excreted in the urine. It is the most studied marker of oxidative damage to DNA. DNA damage is a normal part of life, but chronic elevation can be a concern because it signals increased oxidative damage. While 8-OHdG is not a diagnostic marker of cancer, it has been widely used as a marker of oxidative stress, and degenerative diseases, and is considered a risk factor for certain cancers. 8-OHdG is of special biological interest because it induces a transversion of DNA bases guanine to thymine, which is a mutation frequently found in cancers. 

Oxidative stress as evidenced by high 8-OHdG has been found in depression, fatigue, diabetes, extreme exercise, neurodegenerative disease, toxicity, and other conditions. High urinary 8-OHdG was found in patients with major depression and chronic fatigue syndrome. There was a correlation between 8-OHdG levels and scores for sadness and flu-like malaise. Extreme sports, medications, and environmental toxins, such as arsenic and mercury, can increase 8-OHdG. Antibiotic therapy has been shown to increase markers of oxidative damage and decrease ATP production. In-house clinical observations show that chemotherapy increases 8-OHdG as a normal consequence of treatment. DNA damage has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. IV treatments for elevated 8-OHdG might include the same options as for F2-isoprostane, particularly if multiple markers are elevated.

Assessing markers of oxidative stress is important not only for identifying the state of oxidative stress and cellular damage in a patient but also for deciding on appropriate interventions or support for that patient uniquely. Getting an accurate measurement of various markers of oxidative stress is vital to understanding the state of the ROS system and how these markers interact with one another, which in turn is necessary for crafting a personalized plan for the individual patient. For references and further information, please see our Physician’s Guide to the Advanced Oxidative Stress Test.