1982 Volume 102 Issue 7 Pages 659-665
A method for the simultaneous determination of glutathione and D-penicillamine in the human blood was developed by use of a high-performance liquid chromatography with a voltammetric detector. The glutathione and D-penicillamine values in the blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with D-penicillamine (100-300 mg/d) were studied. It was found that the glutathione values in the blood of responders to D-penicillamine (10 patients) were 25% higher than that of non-responders (10 patients) (p<0.01), and that D-penicillamine values in the blood were little in both groups. The measurement of glutathione could be used both as a parameter of disease activity and as a tool for distinguishing responders from non-responders to D-penicillamine.
