The joint change of separate component oxidative stress with the degree of mental disorders is shown and the high activity of superoxide dismutase in patients with Alzheimer's disease has been discovered.
We investigated the state of oxidative stress in aging people suffering from vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease. We have examined the oxidative modification of plasma's proteins, the activity of enzyme antioxidative defense (superoxide dismutase and catalase) and the state of components of blood glutathione system. Aged patients with neurodegenerative diseases show decrease of metal-catalysed oxidative modification proteins, increase of superoxide dismutase and disrupt of balance enzymatic antioxidant and glutathione system in blood in comparison with aging people who have no psychoorganic disorders. The high activity of superoxide dismutase in patients with Alzheimer's disease has been discovered. We have shown the joint change of separate component oxidative stress with the degree of mental disorders. Oxidative stress is believed to play a role in the pathogenesis of different neurodegenerative diseases in aged patients.