Plasma chitotriosidase activity in Gaucher disease patients who have been treated either by bone marrow transplantation or by enzyme replacement therapy with alglucerase.
A marked elevation in plasma chitotriosidase (chitinase) activity has recently been observed in patients with Gaucher disease (Hollak et al 1994). It has been suggested that this phenomenon may serve as a useful marker for the efficacy of treatment with enzyme replacement therapy. We report our findings on the comparison of plasma chitotriosidase levels in 8 patients treated with the modified human placental enzyme alglucerase and 8 patients treated by allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Two years after transplantation the activity in the BMT patients had fallen by over 93% and has continued to fall. Now, 5-12 years post-BMT, 6 patients have normal levels of plasma chitotriosidase and 2 patients have activities slightly above the reference range. Patients have been treated with alglucerase for a considerably shorter time than the BMT patients. The chitotriosidase activities have fallen and are continuing to fall in 7 patients but at a slower rate than in the BMT group. In one patient there has been no appreciable change in activity over the last 6 months, which would suggest that she may be on too low a dosage.
Young
E
E
Division of Biochemistry and Genetics, Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
Chatterton
C
C
Vellodi
A
A
Winchester
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005776:Gaucher Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000628:therapy*; D005962:Glucosylceramidase / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006596:Hexosaminidases / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors
C070292:alglucerase; D006596:Hexosaminidases; C086400:chitotriosidase; D005962:Glucosylceramidase