A. Andersson et al., Hyperhomocysteinemia and changed plasma thiol redox status in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, CLIN CH L M, 39(3), 2001, pp. 229-233
Reduced and total homocysteine, cysteine, glutathione and cysteinylglycine
in plasma were investigated in 19 patients with chronic obstructive pulmona
ry disease and in 29 healthy subjects. The purpose was to examine the influ
ence of pro-oxidant activity caused by the lung disease on the metabolism o
f homocysteine and other plasma thiols. We observed a decreased concentrati
on of reduced glutathione and a decreased ratio of reduced/total glutathion
e in the patients compared to the healthy individuals, which supports the h
ypothesis of an association between free radicals and pathogenesis in some
lung diseases. We also observed an increased total plasma homocysteine. The
influence of a possible extracellular pro-oxidant activity on the concentr
ation of total plasma homocysteine is discussed.