Antioxidant red cell protective enzymes in lymphoma patients

Erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase being two important antioxidant protective enzymes that play a decisive role in the integrity and life span of red cells, their activities were estimated in ten untreated lymphoma patients and in ten healthy controls of matching age and sex. Malonyl dialdehyde product of peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids and possible red cell membrane damage - was also estimated in the erythrocytes of both groups. In lymphoma patients, the two antioxidant enzyme were significantly lower, while malonyl dialdehyde was significantly higher than in the control group. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed