title: Serum chitotriosidase enzyme activity in patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a public health problem in many countries. Chitotriosidase (ChT) is an enzyme secreted by activated macrophages that catalyzes the hydrolysis of chitin and chitin-like substrates. The goal of this study was to assess the relationship between serum ChT activity and mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  ChT activities on the first day of hospitalization were analyzed in serum from 46 patients with CCHF and 36 healthy controls. Serum ChT activities and other clinical and laboratory parameters for patients with non-fatal and fatal CCHF were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median ChT activity was increased in all patients with CCHF [189.9 (134.8-246.6) nmol/mL/h]. The median ChT activity in the non-fatal CCHF group [220.2 (180.6-290.1) nmol/mL/h] was higher compared with the fatal CCHF group [29.2 (16.5-45.7) nmol/mL/h] (p<0.001). In univariate analysis, platelet count, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and activated partial thromboplastin time were associated with mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study investigating the association of serum ChT enzyme activity with mortality from CCHF. This study suggested that relatively low ChT enzyme activities may be a prognostic marker in patients with CCHF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yasemin Gulcan
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.forename: Tuncer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cayci
authors.forename: Pinar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Onguru
authors.forename: E Ozgur
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Akgul
authors.forename: Halil
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yaman
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.forename: Hurrem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bodur
authors.forename: Turker
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Turker
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.forename: M Aydin
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cevik
authors.forename: M Kemal
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Erbil
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006479:Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology; D006596:Hexosaminidases / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D006596:Hexosaminidases; C086400:chitotriosidase