Society of Diabetic Nephropathy Prevention Annals of Research in Antioxidants 2476-5511 1 1 2016 01 30 Relationship between free radicals and risk of kidney diseases; the role of antioxidants and their reaction mechanisms e02 e02 EN Seyed Seifollah Beladi-Mousavi Khadije Hajibabaei Mohammad-Reza Tamadon Mahmoud Rafieian-Kopaei REVIEW 2015 12 17 2016 01 15 Free radicals are regularly formed in the human body and are often associated with tissue injury. They are harmful to the body and damage all components of cells, including proteins, DNA, and cell membranes. Antioxidants protect the body from damage caused by free radicals. The lack of balance in production of free radicals and the ability of the body to negate their dangerous effects through neutralization by antioxidants produce oxidative stress (OS). OS has an important role in the pathophysiology of several kidney diseases. There are many experimental evidences suggesting key role of OS and inflammation on renal failure. There are many reports which suggest that the use of antioxidants help in the disease prevention. Therefore, it is very important to understand the reaction mechanism of antioxidant with the free radicals. This review explains the relationship between free radicals and risk of kidney diseases, the role of antioxidants in the diseases prevention and reaction mechanisms of the antioxidants.