Significance
of the Glutathione-STransferase
Activity and the Total
Thiols Status in Chronic Alcoholics
31-33
Correspondence
Ms. Mamta Singh, Sr. Lecturer, Biochemistry
PDM Dental College and Research Institute
Bahadurgarh-124507, Jajjhar, Haryana.
Phone: 09991100739
E-mail: mamta.gv@gamil.com; itsmamtabiochem@gmail.com
Objectives: The present study was conducted to assess the activity of glutathione -S-transferase (GST) and its relationship with total thiols (T-SH) in patients with alcohol liver disease (ALD).
Methods: Twenty male chronic alcoholics who had a history of alcohol abuse for more than five years were included in the present study and twenty healthy male volunteers who matched in age and socio-economic status, served as the controls. The plasma GST activity and the T-SH concentration were assayed.
Results: The activity of plasma GST was significantly higher in the chronic alcoholics as compared to that in the healthy controls. There was a significant decrease in the T-SH concentration and an increase in the aminotransferase (AST and ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities. Moreover, there was a significant negative correlation of the GST activity with the T-SH concentration (r = 0.45; p< 0.001).
Conclusions: The findings of the present study indicated that GST was a sensitive marker in the diagnosis of ALD. A significantly low concentration of T-SH was observed in the alcoholics as compared to that in the controls. Both these parameters (plasma GST activity and total thiols) showed a significantly negative correlation, indicating that there was an increase in the activity of GST with a decrease in the concentration of T-SH.