Determination of erythrocyte superoxide dismutase, catalase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, reduced glutathione and malonyldialdehyde in uremia.

Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD: EC 1.15.1.1), catalase (EC 1.15.1.6), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD: EC 1.1.1.49), reduced glutathione (GSH) and malonyldialdehyde (MDA) were studied in 27 patients with chronic and 11 patients with acute renal failure. A comparison with 15 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects showed that patients with both acute and chronic renal failure had significantly low G-6-PD (p less than 0.05) values whereas SOD, catalase and MDA showed significantly elevated levels (p less than 0.05). After adequate dialysis or renal transplantation the SOD, G-6-PD, catalase and MDA values returned to normal. The findings suggest that the erythrocyte SOD, catalase, and G-6-PD can undergo an adaptive alteration which however appears reversible.