Glutathione peroxidase and severity of ischaemic heart disease in a cohort of Sri Lankan patients

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To study the association between glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels in relation to severity and extent of cardiac ischemia and age in a cohort of Sri Lankans. METHODS: Seventy nine patients with ischaemic heart disease (IHD) awaiting coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were recruited to the study. GPx was measured before CABG. The severity and extent of myocardial ischemia were measured by the vessel, stenosis and extent scores by perusing the coronary angiograms. RESULTS: The mean GPx concentration of the study sample was 120.44 units GPx/mg Hb which is below the normal value of 275 units GPx/mg Hb. The mean vessel, stenosis and extent scores of the study sample were 2.04 (out of a possible 3) 9.86 (out of a maximum of 32) and 46.42% respectively. The GPx levels showed a significant inverse correlation with the vessel, stenosis and extent scores (p < 0.01), No significant correlation was observed between the GPx levels and age in the study population. CONCLUSIONS: GPx may be a predictor of severity and extent of ischaemia in ischemic heart disease patients. GPx levels did not change with the age.