8OHdG

8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, often abbreviated as 8-OHdG, is a type of oxidative DNA damage. It is a biomarker used to assess the level of oxidative stress in an organism. Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the body's ability to detoxify these reactive intermediates or repair the resulting damage. ROS are unstable molecules that can damage cellular components, including DNA.

8-OHdG is formed when the guanine base of DNA is oxidized by ROS. Guanine is one of the four nucleobases in DNA. The oxidation process can lead to mutations if the damaged DNA is replicated before being repaired. Therefore, measuring levels of 8-OHdG is considered a reliable indicator of cumulative oxidative damage to DNA.

Elevated levels of 8-OHdG have been associated with a variety of conditions and diseases. These include certain types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and aging. The presence of 8-OHdG can be detected in various biological samples, such as urine, blood, and tissue. Urine is a common sample for 8-OHdG analysis due to its ease of collection and the presence of excreted DNA repair products.

Research into 8-OHdG continues to explore its role in disease pathogenesis and its potential as a marker for early detection, risk assessment, and monitoring the effectiveness of antioxidant therapies.