Red cell lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in iron deficiency.

Whether iron deficient RBC in humans have a reduced, or an increased, susceptibility to lipid peroxidation was studied in the iron deficiency states of primary proliferative polycythaemia and iron deficiency anaemia and related to changes in the activities of iron-dependent and non-iron dependent antioxidant enzymes. Susceptibility of RBCs to lipid peroxidation was increased when expressed per g Hb. However, this was a result of the low RBC Hb giving an increased membrane lipid: Hb ratio in the incubations. Results were normal when expressed either per cell, or per ml, RBC. Glutathione reductase was normal. Increased RBC superoxide dismutase activity in iron deficiency may be explained by the younger RBC population and reductions in glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities by the microcytic hypochromic changes and the lack of availability of iron, respectively. There is no evidence of an increased susceptibility of RBC to lipid peroxidation in iron deficiency.