Increased levels of erythrocyte glutathione in acute myocardial infarction: an antioxidant defence

Glutathione [GSH] has a central role in the defence against oxidative damage. This study was carried out to investigate any change in erythrocyte GSH levels in a population of patients with acute myocardial infarction [AMI] and compare them with levels in normal healthy subjects. Method: GSH levels were determined in erythrocytes of one hundred and seventy six patients with AMI [age: 30-70 years; 131 males and 45 females] admitted to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Karachi. These levels were compared with eryrocyte GSH levels obtained from 95 normal healthy subjects [controls]. Mean ' SD erythrocyte GSH levels in AMI patients and controls were found to be 2.34 ' 0.62 micro mol/ml of packed cells and 2.08' 0.62 micro mol/ml of packed cells, respectively. The two values when compared with one way ANOVA were found to be significantly different [p=0.001]. Age had little effect on erythrocyte GSH levels in both AMI patients and normal healthy subjects. Increased production of reactive oxygen species is a feature of cardiovascular disease, such as AMI and cells can respond to mild oxidative stress by upregulating antioxidant defence in terms of increased production of GSH