[Membrane lipid peroxidation in coronary insufficiency].

Malondialdehyde (MDA) as lipid peroxidation marker was studied in 27 patients with acute coronary insufficiency. Significantly elevated plasma levels as compared with controls were found in patients with myocardial necrosis and with preinfarction syndrome. No correlation was found between MDA and creatine phosphokinase, and a significant MDA decrease was observed at day 12: plasma MDA reached normal levels in the myocardial necrosis group. The MDA decrease was also significant in the preinfarction group, but the MDA level remained high in 4 patients with unstable angina. MDA is not a prognostic index. No correlation was found between MDA and plasma lipid levels or patients' ages. These data confirm that myocardial ischemia is associated with abnormal production of oxygen-derived free radicals which react with the membrane unsaturated fatty acids, resulting in toxic endoperoxides. This is thought to be one of the physio-pathological pathways which aggravate ischemic myocardial tissue damage.