title: A novel method for measuring serum ornithine carbamoyltransferase.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Serum ornithine carbamoyltransferase is a diagnostic marker of hepatic disorders due to its localization in periportal mitochondria.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have developed a new method for the determination of serum ornithine carbamoyltransferase. It is based on the reverse reaction of ornithine carbamoyltransferase, using ornithine-ketoacid aminotransferase, Delta(1)-pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase and glutamate dehydrogenase, which together convert citrulline through ornithine to glutamate. The glutamate is then quantitatively measured using glutamate oxidase and Trinder's reagent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results obtained by this method agreed well with those obtained using the diacetylmonoxime method as a gold standard [correlation coefficient (r) = 0.973 P<0.001]. The endogenous amino acids sensitive to this method in serum (glutamate, ornithine and Delta(1)-pyrroline-5-carboxylate) were eliminated by the initial futile reaction. The new method appears to be more accurate at low levels of ornithine carbamoyltransferase activity than the diacetylmonoxime method.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Here we report a new method for serum ornithine carbamoyl-transferase assay which might be useful for clinical diagnosis of hepatic disorders, including hepatic cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Technology, Fujita Health University College, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan. hishikaw@fujita-hu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuzawa
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagamura
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002956:Citrulline / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005969:Glutamate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D005971:Glutamates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood; D009952:Ornithine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D009954:Ornithine Carbamoyltransferase / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009953:Ornithine-Oxo-Acid Transaminase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011762:Pyrroline Carboxylate Reductases / Q000378:metabolism; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005971:Glutamates; D002956:Citrulline; D009952:Ornithine; D005969:Glutamate Dehydrogenase; D011762:Pyrroline Carboxylate Reductases; D009954:Ornithine Carbamoyltransferase; D009953:Ornithine-Oxo-Acid Transaminase