BIOLOGICAL VARIATION AND THE EFFECT OF PASTING AND HALOTHANE ANESTHESIA ON PLASMA GLUTATHIONE-S-TRANSFERASE CONCENTRATIONS

Using a specific RIA, we have investigated in patients and volunteers whether fasting, diminished hepatic clearance, hemoconcentration, or w ithin-day biological variation might be responsible for the transient increases in plasma glutathione S-transferase (GST) concentration obse rved after anesthesia. GST concentration was measured in 44 healthy vo lunteers after an overnight fast and at 3, 6, and 24 h after the fasti ng sample. The concentration was significantly lower at 3 and 6 h afte r than in the fasting sample (P = 0.0019 and P = 0.015, respectively). The change in GST concentration caused by fasting was examined in 30 subjects by comparing pre-and postfasting values. Fasting had no signi ficant effect on GST concentration overall (P = 0.4721), but two indiv iduals showed a marked increase in GSI concentration after fasting ove rnight. In a separate study of 10 patients, plasma amylase activity an d plasma concentrations of GST and albumin were measured immediately b efore and 3 h after induction of halothane anesthesia. Although GST co ncentration was increased at 3 h in each of the 10 patients, plasma am ylase activity and plasma albumin concentration were significantly dec reased in all patients (P = 0.002). Apparently, increases in GST conce ntration after anesthesia do not result from incidental factors.