A. Yegin et al., ERYTHROCYTE SELENIUM GLUTATHIONE-PEROXIDASE ACTIVITY IS LOWER IN PATIENTS WITH CORONARY ATHEROSCLEROSIS, Japanese Heart Journal, 38(6), 1997, pp. 793-798
To obtain further insight into the role of erythrocyte antioxidant sys
tems in the development of atherosclerosis, intraerythrocyte enzyme ac
tivities and selenium levels in erythrocytes were determined in 37 pat
ients with angiographically proved coronary artery stenosis and 15 sub
jects with normal coronary angiograms as controls. In a preliminary st
udy, tile enzymatic activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G
6PD), glutathione reductase (GR) and selenium-dependent glutathione pe
roxidase (Se-GPx) were measured in both venous and arterial blood samp
les obtained from patients before angiography. The data of the prelimi
nary study, which showed that only the Se-GPx decreased in the patient
s, led us to concentrate on the Se-GPx and Se levels to determine the
changes in these variables. Our results showed that there was a decrea
se in both the activity of Se-GPx and Se levels in erythrocytes parall
el to the increase in the severity of coronary artery disease. It was
concluded that these parameters might be used as determinants in the a
ssessment of the severity of the disease.