Perpetual Smoking Compromise the Osmotic Fragility of RBC

Hydrogen Peroxide (HP) is one of the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) causing cellular injury. The present study is aimed to assess the level of HP, catalase, total glutathione (T-GSH) in chronic smokers and compare these with acute smoker, passive smokers and non-smokers. In the peripheral blood of chronic smoker, acute smoker, passive smokers and control subjects, oxidative stress was measured in terms of HP present in the serum; antioxidant status was measured by blood T-GSH and catalase activity. Adverse effects of HP is measured in term of osmotic fragility of RBC. Increase amount of HP in serum of smoker was observed, whereas two fold increase of the HP was detected in the serum of acute smoker and moderate amount was detected in passive smoker as compare to non-smoker. Variability in the measurement of catalase and T-GSH were also significantly evident in the groups. Increase concentration of HP in acute smoker suggested that ROS produced in smoking not only have their adverse effects in the lungs but they can cross the alveolar epithelium. Osmotic fragility test indicated the increase in fragility of RBC membrane of smoker when they are subjected to high concentration of HP in vitro.