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Plasma total glutathione in humans and its association with demographic and health-related factors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 April 2007

Elaine W. Flagg ,
Ralph J. Coates ,
Dean P. Jones ,
J. William Eley ,
Elaine W. Gunter ,
Bethany Jackson  and
Raymond S. Greenberg
Elaine W. Flagg
Affiliation:
Division of Epidemiology, Emory University School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Ralph J. Coates
Affiliation:
Division of Epidemiology, Emory University School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Dean P. Jones
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
J. William Eley
Affiliation:
Division of Epidemiology, Emory University School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA Winship Cancer Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Elaine W. Gunter
Affiliation:
Nutritional Biochemistry Branch, Division of Environmental Health Laboratory Sciences, Center for Environmental Health and Injury Control, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Bethany Jackson
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition and Family Studies, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan, USA
Raymond S. Greenberg
Affiliation:
Division of Epidemiology, Emory University School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Abstract

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The tripeptide glutathione is proposed to be protective against a number of chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease and cancer. However, there have been few studies of plasma glutathione levels in humans and in those studies the numbers of participants have been very small. In an exploratory analysis the determinants of plasma total glutathione (GSHt) were investigated in a group of 100 volunteers aged 18–61 years in Atlanta, Georgia, USA during June and July 1989. Data on demographic and health-related factors were collected by interview and plasma GSHt was measured using a recently modified laboratory method. The mean concentration of plasma GSHt for all 100 participants was 761 μg/l, with a standard deviation of 451 μg/l, a range of 86–2889 μg/1 and a median of 649 μg/l. Men had significantly higher levels of plasma GSHt than women (924 v. 692 μg/l; P = 0·006). Seventh-day Adventists participating in the present study had higher plasma GSHt levels than other subgroups defined by race and/or religion. Among Seventh-day Adventists consumption of a vegetarian diet was associated with increased plasma GSHt concentration (P = 0·002). Plasma GSHt levels also appeared to vary by race, but relationships with race could not be clearly disassociated from relationships with religion. Among white participants plasma GSHt concentration decreased with age in women but increased with age in men (P = 0·05). Few other factors were associated with plasma GSHt concentration, although use of oral contraceptives (P = 0·10) was somewhat associated with decreased plasma GSHt levels. These findings suggest that plasma GSHt levels may vary with several demographic and health-related attributes and support the need for further research on this potentially important disease-preventive compound.

Keywords

Plasma glutathioneDisease preventionHumans
Type
Demographic and Health-related Factors, and Plasma Glutathione
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 70 , Issue 3 , November 1993 , pp. 797 - 808
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1993

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