[Changes in the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and in the content of reduced glutathione in red blood corpuscles in the case of tumorous diseases in the maxillofacial region (author's transl)].

The activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and the glutathione content of red blood corpuscles were determined in twenty-five patients with tumors (of which nineteen were malignant and six, nonmalignant) as well as in a control group of twelve normal subjects. The activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was markedly higher in all of the tumor patients than it was in the controls. Also, the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was found to increase with the time of existence of an untreated tumor.--Increased glutathione contents were determined especially in the early stages of tumor development. In patients with a relatively long record of malignant and nonmalignant tumorous diseases as well as in normal subjects there was observed no or only an inconsiderable increase in the content of glutathione.--This method of examination is assuming considerable importance for the differential diagnosis of tumors located in the maxillofacial region.