Intracellular and Extracellular Redox Status and Free Radical Generation in Primary Immune Cells from Children with Autism

Table 2

Intracellular glutathione redox status in resting PBMCs and activated monocytes and CD4 T cells.

Metabolite	Case children		Control children		Corrected 𝑍-test
	𝑛	Mean ± SD	𝑛	Mean ± SD	Difference; (95% CI)	𝑃 value
Resting PBMCs
GSH (nmol/mg protein)	43	25.45±8.16	41	23.35±6.38	2.09 (−1.09, 5.29)	0.19
GSSG (nmol/mg protein)	43	0.90±0.3	41	0.66±0.23	0.24 (0.13, 0.35)	<0.001
GSH/GSSG	43	29.58±9.04	41	37.58±10.89	−7.99 (−12.51, −3.48)	<0.001
Oxidized GSH (%)	43	0.07±0.02	41	0.05±0.01	0.02 (0.0075, 0.024)	<0.001
Activated monocytes
GSH (nmol/mg protein)	18	7.73±3.16	20	8.55±2.5	−0.82 (−2.02, 0.38)	0.18
GSSG (nmol/mg protein)	18	0.62±0.24	20	0.47±0.17	0.14 (0.03, 0.25)	0.01
GSH/GSSG	18	13.31±7.26	20	19.30±6.35	−5.98 (−9.99, −1.97)	0.003
Oxidized GSH (%)	18	0.14±0.05	20	0.10±0.03	0.04 (0.02, 0.07)	<0.001
Activated CD4 T cells
GSH (nmol/mg protein)	18	6.82±3.0	19	10.16±3.74	−3.33 (−5.24, −1.42)	<0.001
GSSG (nmol/mg protein)	18	0.68±0.29	19	0.63±0.24	0.05 (−0.11, 0.22)	0.51
GSH/GSSG	18	10.47±4.19	19	17.49±6.95	−7.02 (−10.17, −3.87)	<0.001
Oxidized GSH (%)	18	0.17±0.05	19	0.11±0.05	0.05 (0.03, 0.08)	<0.001

GSH: glutathione; GSSG: oxidized glutathione disulfide; oxidized GSH: (%)2GSSG/(GSH+2GSSG); curtailment: PBMC GSH >45 set = 45 (𝑛=1); PBMC GSSG >1.75 set = 1.75 (𝑛=1); Monocytes GSH/GSSG >35 set = 35 (𝑛=1).