Serum carnosinase activities in central nervous system disorders.
Serum carnosinase activity was assayed in five groups of patients with neurological disorders. Enzyme activities in patients with idiopathic epilepsy (mean +/- S.E.M., 148 +/- 11 nmol/ml per min) and motor neurone disease (155 +/- 15 nmol/ml per min) were similar to the control group (161 +/- 7 nmol/ml per min). Reduced serum carnosinase activity was observed in patients with Parkinson's disease (109 +/- 11 nmol/ml per min, P < 0.005), multiple sclerosis (82.5 +/- 10.0 nmol/ml per min, P < 0.005) and patients following a cerebrovascular accident (74.6 +/- 5.4 nmol/ml per min, P < 0.001) compared with the control group. Carnosinase activity, 5-10% of that found in serum, was detected in CSF samples. The cause of reduced serum carnosinase activities in central nervous system disorders is unclear, although anoxic damage to carnosinase-producing cells or disruption of the blood-brain barrier may be responsible.
Dept. of Clinical Biochemistry, King's College School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK.
W S
WS
Wassif
R A
RA
Sherwood
A
A
Amir
B
B
Idowu
B
B
Summers
N
N
Leigh
T J
TJ
Peters
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000201:enzymology*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000201:enzymology; D004150:Dipeptidases / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000201:enzymology; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000201:enzymology; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000201:enzymology
D004150:Dipeptidases; C019673:aminoacyl-histidine dipeptidase