Status of antioxidant systems in human carcinoma of uterine cervix.

Lipid peroxides, glutathione content and the activities of antioxidant enzymes were estimated in patients who had carcinoma of the uterine cervix, and the values were compared with those of normal. The results showed a remarkable reduction in glutathione content and in the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase in neoplastic tissue in stages II, III and IV (P < 0.001) whereas the activities of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase were significantly lower in stage III and IV patients than that of normal controls. The tissue level of lipid peroxides and the activity of glutathione-S-transferase were found to be significantly higher than that of normals from stage II onwards. These observations suggested the impaired antioxidant status in carcinoma of the uterine cervix.