title: Erythrocytic glutathione in cystic fibrosis. A possible marker of pulmonary dysfunction.
abstract: To evaluate the role of red blood cell (RBC) antioxidants as clinical markers of oxidative exposure, we measured RBC glutathione (GSH) concentrations in 32 adult patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), and 8 healthy age-matched control subjects. We chose patients with CF because this disease is characterized by severe bronchial inflammation and marked oxidant-antioxidant imbalance. Although the GSH concentration of the two study groups was not significantly different, the RBC GSH concentration of patients with CF had a greater variability (p = 0.01) and was also inversely and significantly correlated to tests of pulmonary function (p < 0.05). These data indicate a large and significant interindividual variability of erythrocytic antioxidants in patients with CF, with a compensatory, but probably inadequate, increase in patients with more severe respiratory deterioration. Red blood cell GSH concentration may thus provide a biologic marker for disease severity and a rationale for antioxidant manipulation in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19129.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mangione
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Fiel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D005978:Glutathione / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics; D014797:Vital Capacity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005978:Glutathione