Pre-operative redox state affects 1-month survival in patients with advanced heart failure undergoing left ventricular assist device implantation

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation has proven effective as a bridge to transplantation in end-stage heart failure patients (ESHFPs), although survival during device support is critical. Oxidative stress has been implicated in the development of heart failure, but the influence of redox state on in-hospital post-LVAD outcome has not been clarified. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this report we describe the oxidant/anti-oxidant profiles of 15 ESHFPs before LVAD placement, 5 of whom did not survive to 1 month, and in 30 subjects without cardiac disease, representing the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary findings suggest that adequate activity of the GPx-1-based anti-oxidant system before device placement is associated with patient survival up to 1 month, despite comparable baseline oxidative stress in patients who both survived and died (within 2 weeks post-LVAD)