Oxidative Stress and Kidney Function: A Brief Update

In this review we summarized some information regarding the link between kidney and oxidative stress. Accruing evidences indicated the kidney as a fundamental organ in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. ROS are highly reactive and cause in single cells: protein alteration, DNA damage, cellular senescence and apoptosis; while the effect of ROS in biological tissues leads to a harmful oxidation effect on all their biochemical components: lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. Oxidative stress plays a role in the pathophysiology of renal impairment and is a mediator of CKD progression; furthermore, during substitutive therapy with haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis and in case of transplantation, organism continues to be exposed to oxidation causing the development of major systemic comorbidities in particular cardiovascular diseases.