Smith CV, Hansen TN, Hanson IC, Shearer WT; International Conference on AIDS.

Int Conf AIDS. 1990 Jun 20-23; 6: 368 (abstract no. 2058).

Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

OBJECTIVE: To determine the systemic glutathione (GSH) and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) status in HIV-infected children. GSH is the major intracellular thiol and is critical in cellular defenses against reactive oxygen species and many other potentially toxic species. Much of the body's GSH is synthesized in the liver and exported to plasma. GSH may be taken up intact by some cell types, but breakdown of GSH during uptake with resynthesis intracellularly or utilization of cysteine for protein synthesis are more common. The recent report [Lancet 12.2.89:1294] that plasma GSH is lower in HIV-infected adult males than in controls and our observations of lower plasma GSH in noninfected infants indicated that the GSH status of HIV-infected children should be examined. METHODS: Plasma and whole blood GSH and GSSG were measured in 5 vertically HIV-infected (P2A) children ages 0.5 to 4.5 yr; 2 subjects had CD4/CD8 less than 1.0. RESULTS: We found plasma GSH concentrations to be (x+/-SD) 1.6+/-0.3 muM, which is lower than we observe in venous plasma of newborn infants (34-42 weeks gestational age) (3.5+/-1.4 muM) or in healthy adults (7.2+/-0.2muM). GSSG, which is formed in the peroxidase-mediated reduction of hydroperoxides and is elevated during oxidant stresses, is not elevated in the HIV-infected children (0.2+/-0.1muM). Whole blood GSH and GSSG, which largely reflect erythrocyte contents, show a similar pattern of low GSH and relatively normal GSSG in these subjects, 289+/-139 and 0.3+/-0.1 muM, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Systemic deficiency of GSH may put these HIV-infected children at increased risk to toxicity from certain drugs, such as acetaminophen. In addition, GSH is critical for optimal T-cell immune response [Immunobiology 172:151; J Biol Chem 264:13519]. If our initial observations are supported by further studies, the possible therapeutic benefits of judicious supplementation of GSH will need to be examined.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• AIDS Vaccines
• Acetaminophen
• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
• Adult
• Child
• Cysteine
• Erythrocytes
• Glutathione
• Glutathione Disulfide
• Glutathione Peroxidase
• HIV Infections
• HIV Seropositivity
• Humans
• Infant
• Infant, Newborn
• Male
• Oxidation-Reduction
• Plasma
• Reactive Oxygen Species
• Sulfhydryl Compounds
• blood

Other ID:

• 40205890

UI: 102197065

From Meeting Abstracts