Measurement of Immunoglobulin G Oxidation by Western-Blot Analysis

Oxygen radicals are chemical species that have an unpaired electron in their outer orbits. The unpaired electron gives the radical instability and it reacts easily with inorganic or organic chemicals. The three most important species are superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl ions. The body keeps the system in balance by antioxidants, like vitamin E, ceruloplasmin, and transferrin, which act as scavengers for the oxygen radicals. Enzymes, like superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase, reduce oxygen radicals to oxygen and water.