Urate oxidation during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and thrombolysis in patients with coronary artery disease

Serum allantoin levels of patients on PTCA therapy (mean±SD, 27.4 ± 15.2 μmol/l) and thrombolytic therapy (24.6 ± 8.6 μmol/l) were significantly higher than those of the patients without therapy (15.8 ± 6.2 μmol/l, p < 0.05 with PTCA and p < 0.006 with thrombolysis) and healthy controls (12.6 ± 6.3 μmol/l, p < 0.002 with PTCA and p < 0.0001 with thrombolysis). Although serum urate levels in PTCA (380.1 ± 72.6 μmol/l) and thrombolysis (359.5 ± 60.0 μmol/l) were higher than those in the non-therapy patients (336.6 ± 53.8 μmol/l) and controls (318.3 ± 81.0 μmol/l), there were no significant differences among groups (p > 0.05). The results of the study are consistent with others which have demonstrated, higher urate levels are associated with coronary occlusive diseases. Our data support the hypothesis that generation of ROS occurs during myocardial reperfusion. Increased allantoin levels may be used as an index of increased oxidative stress during reperfusion.