Serum nucleotide pyrophosphohydrolase activity; elevated levels in osteoarthritis, calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition disease, scleroderma, and fibromyalgia.
OBJECTIVE
Quantification of serum nucleotide pyrophosphohydrolase (NTPPHase) activity in healthy subjects and in patients with various rheumatic diseases or with quad/hemiplegia, hemodialysis, or renal transplant.


METHODS
Colorimetric assay of enzyme activity in serum.


RESULTS
Serum NTPPHase activity in 85 healthy subjects was independent of age or sex and was highly reproducible in each individual. The biologic and methodologic coefficients of variation were nearly identical. Elevated enzyme levels were found in sera from patients with osteoarthritis/spondylosis, calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystal deposition, scleroderma, fibromyalgia, or hemodialysis. Renal transplant patients receiving cyclosporine had the highest enzyme activity of any group, whereas transplant patients not taking this drug had normal levels. Histograms of values in all groups showed a normal distribution.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum NTPPHase activity levels were significantly elevated in patients with degenerative arthritis whether or not CPPD crystals were present, in patients with either scleroderma or fibromyalgia, and in patients receiving hemodialysis therapy or taking cyclosporine.
Cardenal
A
A
Department of Medicine, Arthritis Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226, USA.
Masuda
I
I
Ono
W
W
Haas
A L
AL
Ryan
L M
LM
Trotter
D
D
McCarty
D J
DJ
D002805:Chondrocalcinosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011755:Pyrophosphatases / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology
D016572:Cyclosporine; D011755:Pyrophosphatases; C021895:nucleoside triphosphate pyrophosphatase