title: A paediatric case of macro aspartate aminotransferase.
abstract: Macroenzymes are enzymes in plasma that have a higher molecular mass than the corresponding enzyme normally present under (patho) physiological conditions. Macro species have been described for most routinely measured enzymes, but with only a few reports of macro species with aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and in particular very few reports in children and adolescents. Routine biochemical analysis in a 15-year-old girl presenting with lower back pain revealed an isolated raised AST as part of a liver function test profile. Polyethylene glycol precipitation and gel filtration chromatography showed this to be a macro species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, Rotherham, UK. robert.lord@rothgen.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lord
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fahie-Wilson
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suri
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases