ERYTHROCYTE GLUTATHIONE LEVELS AND RELEATED ENZYME ACTIVITIES IN PATIENTS WITH BENIGN AND MALIGNANT BREAST DISEASE

In recent years much attention has been focused on the role of glutathione (GSH) and related enzymes glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) glutathione reductase (GSSG-RD) and glutathione S-transferase (GSH-ST) in the inhibition of carcinogenesis induced by free radicals and genotoxic electrophiles. These parameters were determined in red blood cells of patients with fibrocystic disease (n=25) breast cancer (n=25) and healthy controls (n=19). Results obtained were as follows respectively: 3.91±0.50, 2.27±1.99, 4.15±2.03 mmol/gHb for GSH; 175.79±27.29, 190.48±27.15, 165.44±22.11 U/gHb for GSH-Px; 0.77±0.42, 1.33±0.59, 0.63±0.27 U/gHb for GSSG-RD; 0.58±0.53, 1.31 ±0.46, 0.58±0.48 U/gHB for GSH-ST (Values: Mean±SD). Significantly decreased erythrocyte GSH levels and increased glutathione related enzyme activities in breast cancer group can be explained by antioxidant enzymatic defense responses to prolonged oxidative stress in these patients.