Glutathione and glutathione reductase in anaemia of malignancy

ABSTRACT

To verify the role of glutathione in the incidence of anaemia in malignancy, 56 subjects were admitted in this study and classified into 5 groups 20 healthy subjects [group I], 10 patients with cancer urinary bladder [group II], 10 patients with cancer breast [group III], 10 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia [A.L.L.] [group IV] and 6 patients with other different malignancies [group V]. All subjects were subjected to the following investigations complete blood count [C.B.C.], reticulocyte count, determination of reduced and oxidized glutathione [G.S.H] and GSSG] in red cells and plasma, G.S.H. stability test, quantitative determination of glutathione reductase enzyme [G.R.] in red cells and plasma and quantitative determination of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase [G-6PD]. Alteration in enzyme activity in plasma G.R. in A.L.L. cases and in various malignancies with or without chemotherapy was obtained. Plasma G.S.S. stability were elevated significantly in cases under chemotherapy. Another significant alteration was found in red cell G6PD in cases of A.L.L. and cancer cases receiving chemotherapy. We conclude from this study that the alterations found in malignancy may affect the state of anaemia. Oxidized glutathione [GSSG] could be used as a guide for prognosis in malignant cases as it was changed only after chemotherapy, together with glutathione stability [GSH stab.]