Glutathione status in the blood and tissues of patients with virus-originated hepatocellular carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Glutathione status can be regarded as the redox status for many diseases. This study was performed to investigate the glutathione status in virus-originated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).


METHODS
The blood and tissue samples were obtained from 24 patients. Blood samples were also obtained from 137 controls for comparison.


RESULTS
The GSH level and the ratios of GSH/GSSG and GSH/total glutathione of the blood samples from the patients were significantly lower than those of the controls, while the GSSG values were significantly higher. Meanwhile, levels of GSH and total glutathione, as well as the ratios of GSH/GSSH and GSH/total glutathione, were significantly decreased, whereas GSSG levels were significantly higher, in the HCC tissues than those of the adjacent cancer-free tissues.


CONCLUSIONS
Glutathione status in the HCC suggested that the antioxidant system is severely impaired, supporting a consistent role of the free radical cytotoxicity in the pathophysiology of the disease.
Lee
King-Teh
KT
Division of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Tsai
Shih-Meng
SM
Wang
Shen-Nien
SN
Lin
Shu-Kai
SK
Wu
Szu-Hwa
SH
Chuang
Shih-Chung
SC
Wu
Szu-Hsien
SH
Ma
Hsu
H
Tsai
Li-Yu
LY
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D006518:Hepatitis Viruses; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D005978:Glutathione; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide