Oxidative Stress Score as an Indicator of Pathophysiological Mechanisms Underlying Cardiovascular Disease in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Chronic kidney disease is closely associated with an increased risk of cardiovas-cular disease. Although kidney transplantation represents the treatment of choice for patients with end-stage chronic kidney disease, it is also linked to significant cardio-vascular risk. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between cardiovascular pathology and oxidative status in kidney transplant recipients, while also assessing the influence of disease etiology and humoral immune response on oxidative imbalance. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted in thirty-six individuals with advanced chronic kidney disease and forty kidney transplant recipients. The enzymatic activities of xan-thine oxidase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase, levels of lipid perox-idation products, oxidized glutathione, and reduced glutathione, were measured by spectrophotometry in plasma and mononuclear and polymorphonuclear leukocytes isolated using Ficoll density gradients. Individual oxidative status was evaluated using an OXYSCORE. Kidney transplantation was associated with a higher incidence of car-diovascular disease and increased levels of both pro-oxidant and antioxidant bi-omarkers. Elevated OXYSCORE values were observed particularly in patients with nephroangiosclerosis, diabetic kidney disease, polycystic kidney disease, and cardio-vascular comorbidities. Additionally, the presence of anti-graft antibodies correlated with higher oxidative scores. These findings suggest that redox status may serve as a potential biomarker for cardiovascular risk in kidney transplant recipients.