title: Decreased serum levels of various hydrolytic enzymes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: It is known that the serum level of glycylproline aminopeptidase (Gly-Pro-AP) is decreased in the patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In the present study, the serum levels of various hydrolytic enzymes were tested in such patients. In comparison to the controls, many enzymes, including Ala-AP, Ser-AP, Phe-AP, Gly-Pro-AP, Gly-Pro-Leu-AP, dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase (angiotensin converting enzyme), and esterase, showed significantly decreased activities in the patients' sera. Only the activity of Trp-AP was significantly increased. Of these enzymatic activities in serum, several ones including those of Gly-Pro-AP, Ala-AP, Phe-AP, trypsin-like enzyme, and esterase, were significantly correlated with the severity of the disease. Although a part of these findings are compatible with previous observations, they suggest rather more extensive disorders of peptide metabolism in this immunological disease.
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000097:blood; D000626:Aminopeptidases / Q000097:blood; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology*; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000097:blood; D004950:Esterases / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006867:Hydrolases / Q000097:blood*; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000097:blood; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000097:blood; D014357:Trypsin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006867:Hydrolases; D004950:Esterases; D012260:Ribonucleases; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D002403:Cathepsins; D000626:Aminopeptidases; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; D014357:Trypsin