title: A thermodynamic study of beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase enzyme heterogeneity in cerebrospinal fluid from patients with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  ss-N-acetylhexosaminidase (Hex) is a lysosomal hydrolase, whose determination in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) has provided discordant results.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total Hex and its isoenzymes Hex A and Hex B were determined using a thermodynamic procedure in the CSF of 27 patients with definitive MS, 8 with possible MS, 9 with meningitis, 14 with other neurological diseases, and in 10 controls without any neurological disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the group of patients with definitive MS, the total Hex and Hex A were significantly higher than in the control group (p<0.001), with a possible association of greater enzymatic activities with the presence of oligoclonal bands and recent relapse; however, an overlap was detected for the activities of total Hex and its isoenzymes between the groups of patients with different neurological diseases. A significant correlation was obtained for neuron-specific enolase (NSE) with total Hex and Hex A and Hex B isoenzymes (p<0.001); however, in the partial correlation statistical significance was only obtained between NSE and Hex A (p<0.001) which is the most abundant Hex isoenzyme in the brain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the inflammatory process in MS mainly takes place in the perivascular zone, with little activity in the cerebral parenchyma, the significant increase of NSE and Hex A isoenzyme in CSF reveals a neuronal damage. The disease status may have effect on the CSF Hex activity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio Central Hospital Clínico Universitario, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: Luis F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.forename: José C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Tutor
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000201:enzymology*; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D013816:Thermodynamics; D001619:beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*
chemical_list: D001619:beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase