This study deals with the monitoring of the plasmatic level of malondialdehyde, as the main indicator of oxidative damage to biomembranes. Malondialdehyde is determined by HPLC after derivatization employing 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine.
A clinical study involving 20 female patients suffering from ovarian and endometrical carcinomas has demonstrated elevated levels of malondialdehyde (10.1 +- 1.1 µM), compared with the control group (7.5 +- 2.7 µM). It has been further verified that surgical removal of the tumor leads to an additional increase in the plasmatic malondialdehyde content.
This unfavourable situation can be effectively eliminated by administration of a single dose of vitamin E prior to surgery.