title: [Serum level of beta-glucuronidase as potential indicator of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)].
abstract: The lysosomal enzyme beta-glucuronidase is involved in the degradation of glycosaminoglycans to monosaccharides. beta-glucuronidase-activity has been found to correlate well with histomorphological changes in active arthritis. By use of a new--enzyme kinetic--assay serum activity of beta-glucuronidase was measured in 32 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 23 patients with systemic lupus erythematodes (sLE) and compared to 120 healthy volunteers. In 72% of the patients with RA and 65% of the patients with sLE increased beta-glucuronidase-activity was found (greater than 97.5. percentile of healthy volunteers). There was no correlation with an estimated score of disease activity, duration of morning stiffness, or blood sedimentation rate. The determination of beta-glucuronidase revealed increased serum levels in most of the patients with RA and sLE. The role of beta-glucuronidase as a predictor of joint destruction remains to be evaluated in a prospective study. For this evaluation the use of the enzyme-kinetic method described here is recommendable.
authors.affiliation: Zentrum der Inneren Medizin, Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Falkenbach
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Unkelbach
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gottschalk
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kaltwasser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D005966:Glucuronidase
vernacular_title: beta-Glucuronidase-Konzentration im Serum als potentieller Indikator der Krankheitsaktivität bei rheumatoider Arthritis (RA) und systemischem Lupus erythematodes (sLE).