An oxidative stress biomarker in acute kidney injury: intra-erythrocyte glutathione

Aims: The aim of the study is to determine intra-erythrocyte glutathione, which is thought to be a more specific and sensitive biomarker apart from the biomarkers traditionally used in the diagnosis of AKI, which causes high mortality and morbidity, and is also an oxidative stress marker. Methods: The study was conducted with 51 volunteers who developed AKI and were diagnosed in the emergency department, and 51 volunteers who applied to the emergency department green triage coded area and did not have AKI. Both groups consisted of individuals between the ages of 18-65, who had a history of diabetes mellitus, who were pregnant, and those who applied to the hospital due to trauma were not included in the study. Demographic characteristics, complete blood count tests at admission, biochemical tests and intra-erythrocyte glutathione and its derivatives were compared in the patient and control groups. Results: Gender distribution was equal between the groups in the study (p=1,000). Serum urea and serum levels were found to be higher in the patient group compared to the control group. Total glutathione and glutathione disulfide amounts were found to be higher in the patient group, and the native glutathione amount was lower than the control group (p<0.001). Conclusion: With the results obtained in our study, intra-erythrocyte glutathione and its derivatives in acute kidney injury can be used for diagnostic purposes, since more standardized results can be obtained in AKI than conventional markers. The available data should be supported by more comprehensive studies and considering the limitations of our study.