AUTHOR=Morris Devin , Ly Judy , Chi Po-Ting , Daliva John , Nguyen Truongson , Soofer Charleen , Chen Yung C. , Lagman Minette , Venketaraman Vishwanath TITLE=Glutathione synthesis is compromised in erythrocytes from individuals with HIV JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology VOLUME=5 YEAR=2014 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2014.00073 DOI=10.3389/fphar.2014.00073 ISSN=1663-9812 ABSTRACT=

We demonstrated that the levels of enzymes responsible for the synthesis of glutathione (GSH) such as glutathione synthase (GSS), glutamate-cysteine ligase-catalytic subunit (GCLC), and glutathione reductase (GSR) were significantly reduced in the red blood cells (RBCs) isolated from individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and this reduction correlated with decreased levels of intracellular GSH. GSH content in RBCs can be used as a marker for increased overall oxidative stress and immune dysfunctions caused by HIV infection. Our data supports our hypothesis that compromised levels of GSH in HIV infected individuals’ is due to decreased levels of GSH-synthetic enzymes. The role of GSH in combating oxidative stress and improving the functions of immune cells in HIV patients’ indicates the benefit of an antioxidant supplement which can reduce the cellular damage and promote the functions of immune cells.