[Assessment of glutathione peroxidase activity (GPX) in the diagnosis of diffuse pulmonary parenchymal changes]

DNA damage caused by free radicals is one of the mechanisms which are responsible for the occurrence of lung tumors, especially in case of cigarette smokers.Their tumors are radiologically often disseminated changes.

To define the correlation between GPX activity in erythrocyte hemolysate and pulmonary parenchymal extract and the etiology of diffuse pulmonary parenchymal changes.

The study group comprised 40 subjects classified to VTS due to diffuse pulmonary parenchymal changes. The control group included 40 clinically healthy subjects. In the examined group GPX activity in erythrocyte hemolysate and pulmonary parenchymal extract was marked. The material was 5.4 ml of vein blood taken one-time from all subjects and a sample of pulmonary parenchyma obtained during VTS or toracotomy in patients with pulmonary parenchymal changes.

Lower values of GPX activity in erythrocyte hemolysate and pulmonary parenchymal extract which are statistically significant were observed compared with the control group.

Higher GPX activity in erythrocyte hemolysate and healthy pulmonary parenchymal extract compared with pulmonary parenchymal changes can show the influence of GPX on the development of disease process. Higher GPX activity in erythrocte hemolysate and pulmonary parenchymal extract in the "sarcoidosis group" compared with the "lung carcinoma group" can be an additional marker in differential dignostics. The determination of GPX activity in erythrocyte hemolysate can be used as a supplementary laboratory test which will facilitate diagnosis of pulmonary parenchymal changes.