[Concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in serum following myocardial infarct].

The serum concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), which can be used in the characterization of O2-radical metabolism, was analyzed in patients with myocardial infarction in the acute phase, 10-14 days, 1 month, and 6 months after infarction, and compared with the TBARS concentration of a healthy group and a group with atherosclerosis. After myocardial infarction we found increased TBARS concentration at all moments of investigation in comparison with the healthy and atherosclerosis groups. Maximum concentration was found 10-14 days after infarction, afterwards the TBARS concentration decreased, without however attaining the values which we found in the comparison groups. The increased TBARS concentration 6 months after myocardial infarction demonstrates a manifestation of disturbances in the O2-radical metabolism. Such disturbances may be regarded as a high-risk factor to the cardiovascular system.