Oxygen-derived free radicals.

Due to the chemical nature of oxygen, its tendency to accept a single electron to create the superoxide radical, and the fact that every aerobic cell must deal with this difficult situation, the production of oxygen-derived free radicals is an almost universal accompaniment to cellular pathology. In sepsis or immunologic disease, the activated phagocyte becomes a major producer of active oxygen species, contributing to oxidative injury to host tissues. The resulting oxidative stress is seriously exacerbated by the availability of iron, liberated from the body's store of ferritin. The antioxidant vitamins and the body's antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase) can help to restore and maintain proper oxidant/antioxidant balance.