title: [Measurement of the erythrocyte galactokinase activity in patients with presenile and senile idiopathic cataract. Preliminary study].
abstract: The activity of galactokinase in red blood cells, has been assayed in 17 patients with idiopathic senile and presenile cataract and in 12 age-matched subjects with perfectly transparent lenses. 3 of the idiopathic cataract patients (17.6%) showed low erythrocytes GK activity, while nobody in the control group showed reduced GK activity. Although preliminary, our results seem to support the possibility that a chronic disorder of galactose metabolism may be involved in the pathogenesis of the idiopathic senile and presenile cataract.
authors.affiliation: Cattedra di Oftalmologia Pediatrica, I Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia dell'Università di Napoli.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Simonelli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Frunzio
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Balestrieri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giovane
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cotticelli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002386:Cataract / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D005686:Galactokinase / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency; D005690:Galactose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D005686:Galactokinase; D005690:Galactose
vernacular_title: Valutazione dell'attività galattochinasica eritrocitaria in pazienti con cataratta idiopatica presenile e senile. Studio preliminare.