Abstract:

Objective To observe the effects of reduced glutathione on plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in elderly patients with acute cerebral infarction. Methods Sixty patients with acute cerebral infarction were divided into treatment group and control group, with 30 patients in each group. Patients in control group received routine therapy including anti-platelet, invigorating blood circulation and eliminating stasis, improving brain cell function and control basic diseases. Patients in treatment group received reduced glutathione (1.8 g/d) in addition to routine therapy. The course of treatment in both groups was 14 d. Plasma concentrations of CRP before and after treatment in both groups were measured by ELISA. Results The plasma concentrations of CRP in treatment group and control group after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment [(19.9±2.0) mg/L vs (47.0±5.7) mg/L，P<0.01；（28.5±4.1）mg/L vs (43.3±5.2) mg/L，P＜0.05]. The decrease of plasma concentrations of CRP in treatment group was more significant than that in control group [（29.5±5.7）mg/L vs （14.1±3.0）mg/L，P<0.01]. Conclusion Reduced glutathione, which has the antiinflammation and anti-oxidation effects, can significantly decrease the plasma concentrations of CRP in elderly patients with acute cerebral infarction.

Key words: cerebral infarction, C-reactive protein, reduced glutathione, inflammation, oxygen radical