Lipid peroxides,vitamin E levels and glutathione peroxidase activity in serum of respiratory disease patients

The concentration of serum lipid peroxides, tocopherol and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity was measured in 75 patients (43 males and 32 females) of different respiratory diseases aged 15–40 years. The results were compared with the values obtained from 100 healthy persons of comparabie age. The patients of respiratory diseases showed elevated levels of lipid peroxides with concomitant reduction of tocopherol and glutathione peroxidase activity. When these patients were categorised into different groups depending on the type of the disease like pulmonary tuberculosis (PT), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary tuberculosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (PT and COPD) and suppurative lung disease (SLD). There was no significant difference between the groups. A significant inverse relation was found between lipid peroxides versus tocopherol and glutathione peroxidase activity in patients of respiratory diseases. The results suggest the involvement of lipid peroxidation process in pulmonary damage.