Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities in healthy male subjects in Republic of Macedonia.

Objectives: The study was aimed to establish the reference values for erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and catalase (CAT) in healthy male subjects, as well as to detect their relation to age, cigarette smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, antiinflammatory drugs and supplements use and the possible correlation between individual parameters.

Background: Superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase are the three main enzymes that control the biological effects of the reactive oxygen species (free radicals).

Methods: The authors have examined 111 healthy male blood donors aged 18-59 years. All studied enzymes were assayed in erythrocytes by manual techniques. The results were statistically evaluated by means of the ANOVA programme.

Results: The group of healthy individuals had a large dispersion of interindividual activities of antioxidant enzymes. Age, cigarette smoking, antiinflammatory drugs and dietary supplements use had no significant effect on the antioxidant enzymes activity. The activity of the enzymes showed normal Gaussian distribution. We established mean reference values for SOD, GPX and CAT activity. SOD negatively correlated with CAT (r=-0.199).

Conclusions: We established the reference values for erythrocyte SOD, GPX and CAT activity in male subjects. The large dispersion of activities of the investigated enzymes in healthy individuals does not allow to make a standard use of these parameters in clinical practise without establishing "own reference values" for each laboratory. (Tab. 2, Fig. 4, Ref. 31)