BACKGROUND: Reduced glutathione (GSH) is a major antioxidant in the lung. In cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, extracellular GSH levels of lower airways, obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), were reported to be lower than non-CF individuals. METHODS: Upper airway secretions of stable adult CF patients (29 spontaneous and 13 induced sputum) and non-CF individuals (14 healthy and 12 asthmatics; all induced sputum) were analyzed for total glutathione (i.e. the sum of reduced, GSH, and oxidized, GSSG, forms), GSH and GSSG levels by enzymatic kinetic assay. RESULTS: In CF, both spontaneous and induced sputum samples were comparable in total glutathione levels which were surprisingly high (median concentration of 9.2 (range 1.4-65.2) and 11.6 (1.1-69.8) microM, respectively). In non-CF individuals, total glutathione levels were significantly lower (healthy 2.8 (1.0-12.3), asthmatics (5.3 (1.3-19.2) microM; p<0.001, both vs. CF). In CF, more than 90% of total glutathione was represented by GSH, whereas in non-CF controls, GSH made up less than 50% of total glutathione (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to BAL, CF sputum contains high levels of GSH. Sputum induction is a potentially useful procedure to monitor antioxidant levels in upper airways of CF patients.
BACKGROUND: Reduced glutathione (GSH) is a major antioxidant in the lung. In cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, extracellular GSH levels of lower airways, obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), were reported to be lower than non-CF individuals. METHODS: Upper airway secretions of stable adult CF patients (29 spontaneous and 13 induced sputum) and non-CF individuals (14 healthy and 12 asthmatics; all induced sputum) were analyzed for total glutathione (i.e. the sum of reduced, GSH, and oxidized, GSSG, forms), GSH and GSSG levels by enzymatic kinetic assay. RESULTS: In CF, both spontaneous and induced sputum samples were comparable in total glutathione levels which were surprisingly high (median concentration of 9.2 (range 1.4-65.2) and 11.6 (1.1-69.8) microM, respectively). In non-CF individuals, total glutathione levels were significantly lower (healthy 2.8 (1.0-12.3), asthmatics (5.3 (1.3-19.2) microM; p<0.001, both vs. CF). In CF, more than 90% of total glutathione was represented by GSH, whereas in non-CF controls, GSH made up less than 50% of total glutathione (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to BAL, CF sputum contains high levels of GSH. Sputum induction is a potentially useful procedure to monitor antioxidant levels in upper airways of CF patients.
Authors: Charles R Esther; Lidija Turkovic; Tim Rosenow; Marianne S Muhlebach; Richard C Boucher; Sarath Ranganathan; Stephen M Stick Journal: Eur Respir J Date: 2016-11-11 Impact factor: 16.671
Authors: Chirag Kariya; Heather Leitner; Elysia Min; Christiaan van Heeckeren; Anna van Heeckeren; Brian J Day Journal: Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol Date: 2007-03-16 Impact factor: 5.464
Authors: Emily M Bradford; Maureen A Sartor; Lara R Gawenis; Lane L Clarke; Gary E Shull Journal: Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol Date: 2009-01-22 Impact factor: 4.052
Authors: N Dauletbaev; P Fischer; B Aulbach; J Gross; W Kusche; U Thyroff-Friesinger; T O F Wagner; J Bargon Journal: Eur J Med Res Date: 2009-08-12 Impact factor: 2.175