Objectives: Glutathione status can be regarded as the redox status for many diseases. This study was performed to investigate the glutathione status in virus-originated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Design and methods: The blood and tissue samples were obtained from 24 patients. Blood samples were also obtained from 137 controls for comparison.
Results: The GSH level and the ratios of GSH/GSSG and GSH/total glutathione of the blood samples from the patients were significantly lower than those of the controls, while the GSSG values were significantly higher. Meanwhile, levels of GSH and total glutathione, as well as the ratios of GSH/GSSH and GSH/total glutathione, were significantly decreased, whereas GSSG levels were significantly higher, in the HCC tissues than those of the adjacent cancer-free tissues.
Conclusions: Glutathione status in the HCC suggested that the antioxidant system is severely impaired, supporting a consistent role of the free radical cytotoxicity in the pathophysiology of the disease.