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Causes of elevated malonic dialdehyde in the blood
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025

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The concentration of malondialdehyde in the blood serum is normally below 1 μmol/l.
One of the adverse effects of lipid peroxidation is the formation of malonic dialdehyde as a result of free radical-induced breakdown of polyunsaturated fatty acids. This aldehyde forms Schiff bases with protein amino groups, acting as a "cross-linking" agent. The cross-linking results in insoluble lipid-protein complexes called wear pigments or lipofuscins.
The concentration of malondialdehyde in the blood serum reflects the activity of lipid peroxidation processes in the patient's body and serves as a marker of the degree of endogenous intoxication. As a rule, a high content of malondialdehyde corresponds to a severe degree of endogenous intoxication.
An increase in malondialdehyde in the blood serum is detected in myocardial infarction, acute respiratory and liver failure, acute pancreatitis, cholecystitis, acute intestinal obstruction, sepsis, traumatic brain injury and other diseases.
The reasons for the increase of malonic dialdehyde in the blood are rooted in the basic oxidative process. In the human body, various creative, metabolic work is constantly taking place. In addition, the body regularly tries to neutralize harmful decay formations with the help of certain systems. The notorious free radicals, which are usually blamed for many troubles and diseases, are in fact also standardly present in the human body, but if they become much more numerous and the process of their formation is activated, as a result, toxic, reactive MDA - malonic dialdehyde - is “born”. This substance is formed due to the fact that free radicals begin to aggressively destroy healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids. MDA “glues” protein amino groups and provokes the formation of lipid-protein complexes that are not capable of dissolving (lipofuscins). The immune system cannot ignore these physiologically harmful formations, and this is how the inflammatory process begins.
The reasons for the increase of malonic dialdehyde in the blood are also related to the fact that dialdehyde binds to a specific immune protein (H), such a union prevents macrophages, which are responsible for neutralizing harmful substances, from actively functioning. Antioxidant protection is unable to work normally, as a result the body receives a powerful oxidative shock - stress. Such stress, in turn, damages the state of proteins, as well as fats (lipids) and nucleic acids (compounds responsible for the preservation and transmission of genetic, hereditary information).
Oxidative stress should be assessed comprehensively, studying the concentration parameters of not only malonic dialdehyde, but also glutathione, beta-carotene, 8-OH deoxyguanosine, coenzyme Q10 and other substances. Glutathione, as an amino acid compound (glycine, cysteine, glutamine) is very quickly destroyed as a result of oxidation, the reasons for the increase in malonic dialdehyde in the blood are directly related to this decay. The fact is that glutathione is characterized by "gluing" toxins, free radicals due to sulfur-containing components, it successfully neutralizes and removes them. If glutathione is inactive, MDP in the blood begins to increase.
It should be noted that the reasons for the increase in malondialdehyde in the blood are certainly explained by oxidative stress. However, in small doses, the oxidative attack is even useful, since it conditionally "trains" the body to resist really serious stress. The adaptation hypothesis is currently being developed by scientists and briefly describes its assumption as follows: a gradual, reasonable adaptation process depends on dosed oxidative stress. Oxidative irritations should be accompanied by moderate nutrition with calorie restriction. Thus, when oxygen in the active form naturally increases in the body due to maturation and then aging, the reasons for the increase in malondialdehyde in the blood are simply absent, since all systems and organs have already learned to cope with LPO (lipid peroxidation).
It is generally accepted that the causes of increased malonic dialdehyde in the blood are rooted in cellular metabolism. In fact, peroxidation is the result of excessively active metabolic activity of cells. This happens as follows: cells receive oxygen from the lungs, use the received element to ferment fats, proteins and glucose. A certain amount of energy is released, which is used by the cells for their own purposes. In addition to the received “recharge”, the cells independently produce spare energy. Thus, an excess of high-energy molecules – free radicals – is obtained. These molecules are stored as a reserve inside the cell, merging with any substance that may be nearby.
The reasons for the increase in malonic dialdehyde in the blood are essentially the result of oxidative stress, and MDA (malonic dialdehyde) also increases as a result of intoxication caused by external poisoning or internal diseases - chronic or acute.
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