Role of cysteine and glutathione in signal transduction, immunopathology and cachexia. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Role of cysteine and glutathione in signal transduction, immunopathology and cachexia.

Biofactors. 1998;8(1-2):97-102. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/98364172
Droge W; Hack V; Breitkreutz R; Holm E; Shubinsky G; Schmid E; Galter D; Division of Immunochemistry, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum,; Heidelberg, Germany.

Abstract: Abnormally low plasma cystine levels have been found in the late asymptomatic stage of HIV infection and several other diseases associated with progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass. The phenomenon is commonly associated with a low NK cell activity, skeletal muscle wasting or muscle fatigue and increased rates of urea production. In its extreme form, the negative nitrogen balance leads to overt cachexia and is associated with severe debilitation and psychological stress. The low NK cell activity is in most cases not life-threatening but may be disasterous in HIV infection, because it may compromise the initially stable balance between immune system and virus and trigger disease progression. This review summarizes briefly (i) the role of cysteine in the physiological regulation of body cell mass and the development of skeletal muscle wasting, and (ii) the role of glutathione in the immune system.
Keywords: JOURNAL ARTICLE REVIEW REVIEW, TUTORIAL Animal Cachexia/*PHYSIOPATHOLOGY Cysteine/*PHYSIOLOGY Cystine/BLOOD/DEFICIENCY Disease Progression Glutathione/*PHYSIOLOGY Human HIV Infections/BLOOD/IMMUNOLOGY/*PHYSIOPATHOLOGY Killer Cells, Natural/IMMUNOLOGY Muscle, Skeletal/PHYSIOPATHOLOGY Muscular Diseases/BLOOD/IMMUNOLOGY/*PHYSIOPATHOLOGY Signal Transduction/*PHYSIOLOGYKWDjournalarticlereviewreview,tutorialanimalcachexia/KWDphysiopathologycysteine/KWDphysiologycystine/blood/deficiencydiseaseprogressionglutathione/KWDphysiologyhumanhivinfections/blood/immunology/KWDphysiopathologykillercells,natural/immunologymuscle,skeletal/physiopathologymusculardiseases/blood/immunology/KWDphysiopathologysignaltransduction/KWDphysiology
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A9911085

Copyright © 1999 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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