Blood, 1960, Vol. 16, No. 5, pp. 1572-1578.
© 1960 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
Studies on Agranulocytosis. III.
The Reduced Glutathione (GSH) Content of Leukocytes
of Normals and Patients Recovered from Agranulocytosis
ANTHONY V. PISCIOTTA 1 and
MARY DALY 1
1 Blood Research Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Marquette University
School of Medicine and Milwaukee County Hospital, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1. A method for the direct determination of GSH in leukocytes is described.
Treatment with alkali (0.5 M. NaOH) effects complete solution of the
white cells and after deproteinization (5 per cent HPO3), the GSH is determined by the sensitive "alloxan 305" procedure. Control studies showed
that under the conditions of the test, GSH is not affected by the alkali and
no splitting of soluble minus SH from protein occurs.
2. Using this method, the amount of reduced glutathione content of normal leukocytes was found to be 5.2 ± 1 mg, per 1010 WBC.
3. No differences from normal levels were detected for the leukocytic
GSH of patients with mental disease and those susceptible to agranulocytosis. Incubation of whole blood with the drug which caused agranulocytosis had no effect upon the GSH content of leukocytes.
Submitted on March 24, 1960
Accepted on July 13, 1960
