Defective microbicidal activity in glutathione peroxidase-deficient neutrophils of selenium-deficient rats

SEVERAL enzymes are involved in the microbicidal activity of phagocytes 1–3 . Gluthathione peroxidase (GSHPx) deficiency has been associated with decreased microbicidal ability in leukocytes from two female patients with chronic granulomatous disease, a rare hereditary disorder 4 . With the discovery that the essential trace element selenium (Se) is an integral part of GSHPx, it is now possible to induce experimental GSHPx deficiency by feeding animals a Sedeficient diet 5 . We report here an impairment in the killing of yeast cells ingested by GSHPx-deficient leukocytes from rats depleted of Se.