Correlation Between Iron and alpha and pi Glutathione-S-Transferase Levels in Humans

Correlations were examined in humans of alpha and pi-glutathione-S-transferases (serum and plasma, respectively) and blood levels of iron, transferrin, ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) as well as Total Iron-binding Capacity (TIBC), and percent Transferrin saturation (%TS). Data analysis of ungrouped (unbinned) data indicated significant gender differences in the blood levels of iron, TIBC, ferritin, and %TS, with none seen with transferrin, sTfR, or the GSTs. Regression analysis of ungrouped data with alpha-GST as a response variable identified the interaction between age and iron as well as between age and percent iron saturation (%ISAT) as significant predictors of alpha-GST. Regression analysis using ungrouped pi-GST data, only resulted in a quadratic model with iron as the only significant predictor (R2 = 6.9%). Using binned data based on published clinical levels, it was seen that elevated levels of iron and sTfR are strong predictors of elevated alpha-GST levels. These associations were not seen using binned normal alpha-GST levels. Unlike regression analyses of the ungrouped data, regression analyses of binned pi-GST data indicated significant associations (elevated iron, normal transferrin) although not as strong as those seen using alpha-GST data.