Decreased glutathione-S-transferase activity: diagnostic and protective role in vivax malaria

The study was undertaken to establish data on the comparative status of antioxidant enzyme GST activity, levels of lipid peroxidation and catalase activity during pathology of Plasmodium vivax malaria in Indian population. We investigated whether serum and plasma glutathione-S-transferase activity in vivax patients are unique to the disease or act as one of the important antioxidant marker for diagnostic potential and candidate for chemoprevention.

We measured activity of antioxidant enzyme GST, levels of lipid peroxidation and catalase activity during vivax infection.

Mean activity of antioxidant enzyme GST in patients serum and plasma were less (6.43 and 5.65 IU/L respectively) than healthy subjects (11.65 and 10.09 IU/L respectively). Lipid peroxidation level and catalase activity of patients (1.77 micromol/L and 29.64 U/mL) with vivax malaria were higher than those of healthy subjects (1.03 micromol/L and 10.87 U/mL). GST activity in serum and plasma was inversely correlated with age in case of vivax patient and were found significant (R2=0.1907 and 0.1605 and p<0.0007 and p<0.01).

In view of the present findings we suggest that GST, lipid peroxidation and catalase evaluation may be considered to be reliable biochemical markers and possess promising rational for diagnostic and therapeutic potential in vivax malaria. Decreasing GST activity and elevated activity of lipid peroxidation and catalase may play important roles in host defence mechanisms against vivax infection by up-regulating oxidative defence mechanisms.