Glutathione peroxidase activity in various types of blood cells in multiple sclerosis

Previous studies demonstrated a significantly lower mean activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in erythrocytes of patients with multiple sclerosis than in control groups of normal subjects or patients with various neurological disorders. The present investigation has demonstrated that, in contradistinction to erythrocytes, a normal activity of GSH-Px is found in lymphocytes, granulocytes and platelets of multiple sclerosis patients. These results were obtained both with hydrogen peroxide, which serves as a specific substrate for selenium dependent GSH-Px, and t-butyl hydroperoxide which reacts both with selenium dependent and independent GSH-Px.