A comparison of blood catalase in Hodgkin's and neoplastic disease with that of normal individuals

Superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase in the red cells of patients with malignant lymphoma

Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities have been measured in patients with untreated malignant lymphomas. Marked deficiencies of superoxide dismutase (P less than 0.001) and glutathione peroxidase (P less than 0.001) were found, whereas catalase levels were normal. There was no apparent difference in enzyme activities between the different histological types of lymphoma.

Deficiency of erythrocyte superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in patients with malignant lymphoma and acute myeloid leukemia

The activity of erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase was determined in 38 patients with lung cancers (n = 15), malignant lymphoma (n = 11) and acute myeloid leukemia (n = 12). The patients with malignant lymphoma and acute myeloid leukemia showed a significant decrease in both enzyme activities (P less than 0.01) while the patients with lung cancer (9 squamous cell carcinomas and 6 small cell carcinomas) showed normal values of SOD and catalase activities. Furthermore, the patients with malignant lymphoma and acute myeloid leukemia, in remission, but not treated with anticancer drugs, also showed a significant decrease in SOD and catalase activity. These observations therefore indicate that a deficiency of erythrocyte SOD and catalase activities is caused by cancer and varies with the type of the cancer.