TY - JOUR T1 - Plasma concentrations of dietary and nondietary antioxidants are low in severe asthma JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J SP - 257 LP - 264 DO - 10.1183/09031936.05.00006705 VL - 26 IS - 2 AU - N. L. A. Misso AU - J. Brooks-Wildhaber AU - S. Ray AU - H. Vally AU - P. J. Thompson Y1 - 2005/08/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/26/2/257.abstract N2 - Low antioxidant levels and oxidative stress due to airway inflammation may be important determinants of asthma severity. The objective of the present study was to determine whether lower antioxidant intake and plasma antioxidant concentrations are associated with more severe asthma. Dietary antioxidant intakes and asthma severity were assessed using questionnaires, and plasma concentrations of ascorbic acid, vitamin E, carotenoids, bilirubin, albumin, uric acid and total antioxidant status were measured in 53 mild-to-moderate and 28 severe asthmatic patients and in 43 nonasthmatic subjects. Vitamin C and carotene intakes were lower in males than females and were particularly low in males with severe asthma. Plasma ascorbic acid was lower in severe (31.9±3.6 µM) compared with mild-to-moderate asthmatic (52.3±2.6) or control subjects (52.7±2.9). Low plasma ascorbic acid (odds ratio (OR) 0.93; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.9–0.97), bilirubin (OR 0.69; 95% CI 0.51–0.93) and increased plasma cholesterol (OR 1.98; 95% CI 1.05–3.73) were independently associated with severe asthma. Albumin was positively and cholesterol negatively correlated with lung function. Low plasma concentrations of specific antioxidants are associated with more severe asthma. Increased antioxidant intake may help reduce the burden of severe asthma, particularly in males. ER -