SELENIUM CONCENTRATION AND GLUTATHIONE-PEROXIDASE ACTIVITY IN BLOOD OF CHILDREN WITH CANCER

In this work we studied 205 children with cancer, aged 6 months to 7 y ears, who had been diagnosed as suffering from various types of neopla sm. In blood of these children we determined the selenium concentratio n and glutathione peroxidase activity by fluorometric and spectrophome tric methods, respectively. The control group consisted of 128 healthy children. In all groups of children with cancer we observed a signifi cantly lower selenium concentration and lowered glutathione peroxidase activity. We found statistical differences in selenium concentration between first or second and third, and between first and fourth or fif th stages of the disease, only in 3-7 year-old patients. Glutathione p eroxidase activity was statistically depressed in the same age group b etween the first or second and third stages of the disease. Generally, there were no differences in the concentration of the microelement or in the glutathione peroxidase activity between children before and du ring treatment with cytostatics.