Activity of enzymes with different subcellular localization in the blood plasma of patients with aortic aneurysm.
BACKGROUND
The wall of an abdominal aorta aneurysm shows increased activity of metalloproteinases, aspartyl cathepsins and cystein cathepsins, and decreased activity of inhibitors of these enzymes, as compared to the wall of a normal aorta. Parietal thrombi of the aneurysm also show marked proteolytic activity. The aim of our study was to determine the activity of secretory enzymes, membrane enzymes, cytosol enzymes, mitochondrial enzymes and lysosomal enzymes in the blood plasma of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm.


METHODS
Blood for examinations was collected from 15 patients with abdominal aorta aneurysm without coexisting diseases, and from the same number of healthy subjects, to determine the activity of lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH), 5' nucleotidase (5'NT), gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGTP) and cholinesterase (ChE), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartic aminotransferase (AST), cathepsin B (CB), cathepsin D (CD), and cathepsin L (CL).


RESULTS
The plasma activity of ALT, AST and GGTP in the blood of patients with aortic aneurysm is lower than in the plasma of healthy subjects. The activity of LDH, 5'NT and ChE, CB and CL does not significantly differ in the plasma of patients with aortic aneurysm compared to the plasma of healthy subjects. The activity of CD is increased in the plasma of patients with aortic aneurysm.


CONCLUSIONS
Determination of cathepsin D activity may be helpful in the diagnosis of aortic aneurysm.
Gacko
Marek
M
Department of Vascular Surgery and Transplantology, Medical University in Białystok, Białystok, Poland. mgacko@poczta.onet.pl
Ostapowicz
Roman
R
Chrostek
Lech
L
Worowska
Anna
A
Kordecki
Kazimierz
K
D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology*; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000097:blood; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000097:blood; D004798:Enzymes / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D045726:Metalloproteases / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000201:enzymology; D012016:Reference Values; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000201:enzymology*; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D004798:Enzymes; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D002403:Cathepsins; D045726:Metalloproteases