title: Diagnostic value of lysozyme activity estimation in the feces of infants with acute diarrhoea.
abstract: The activity of lysozyme in feces was estimated in a control group of 50 healthy infants and in a group of 152 infants with acute diarrhoea. All infants investigated were artificially nourished. In the latter group the activity of lysozyme was estimated twice: a) at the beginning of clinically active phase of the disease and (b) in the convalescence period immediately after withdrawal of clinical symptoms. The range of normal values was 14.9--77.0 (average 44.0) of egg-white lysozyme units/g dry feces. In acute diarrhoea the activity of lysozyme in feces was found to be elevated in 72.4% of cases in the first determinations and in an additional 7.6% of cases in the second determination (i.e. a total of 80% of cases in both determinations). The average elevations of lysozyme activity in the feces and the dynamics of their normalization after withdrawal of clinical symptoms were generally related to the severity of the disease.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000201:enzymology*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009113:Muramidase / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D009113:Muramidase