Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Signals in the Blood
May 20th, 2009Emory University and the Woodruff Health Sciences Center announced, “A team of scientists..[have] identified a direct link between oxidative stress and inflammatory signals in the blood.” In this study the team looked at the presence and effect of cysteine, an amino acid found in the body that is also a biomarker for oxidative stress. Higher levels of oxidative stress outside the cell are related to more oxidized cysteine.
The scientists found that inflammatory messages are sent by white blood cells when there is a high level of oxidized cysteine in the blood. Both oxidative stress and inflammation have been “linked to multiple age-related and chronic diseases,” notes Jones, a co-author. They go on to note the findings could help to lead to methods to prevent disease or reduce the impact of inflammation in critically ill patients.
Reference:
Iyer, S., et al. 2009. Cysteine Redox Potential Determines Pro-Inflammatory IL-1ß Levels. PLoS ONE 4(3): e5017.