title: Salivary exoglycosidases in the detection of early onset of salivary gland involvement in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possibility of making use of the specific activity of N-acetyl-β-hexosaminidase, its isoenzymes and β-glucuronidase--potential indicators of salivary gland damage--in the detection of early onset of salivary gland impairment in RA, which is also demonstrated by xerostomia.
  
  
  METHODS
  For this purpose RA xerostomic salivary patients (unstimulated salivary flow >0.1 mL/min) were compared with RA xerostomic hyposalivary patients (unstimulated salivary flow ≤0.1 mL/min), RA patients without xerostomia (unstimulated salivary flow >0.1 mL/min) and generally healthy controls (unstimulated salivary flow >0.1 mL/min, without xerostomia). Salivary N-acetyl-β-hexosaminidase, its isoenzymes A and B, and β-glucuronidase specific activity were determined according to the Marciniak et al. method. The protein content in the unstimulated saliva was determined by the bicinchoninic acid method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In xerostomic rheumatoid arthritis patients, the specific activity of salivary β-glucuronidase and isoenzyme A was significantly higher than in the healthy controls but the specific activity of salivary N-acetyl-β-hexosaminidase, its isoenzyme B and β-glucuronidase was significantly lower than in xerostomic hyposalivary rheumatoid arthritis patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest a simple, safe and cheap method for the determination of exoglycosidases as a useful tool for the diagnosis of early stages of salivary gland involvement in rheumatoid arthritis.
authors.affiliation: Conservative Dentistry Medical University of Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zalewska
authors.affiliation: Conservative Dentistry Medical University of Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Julita
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Szulimowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Napoleon
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Waszkiewicz
authors.affiliation: Conservative Dentistry Medical University of Białystok, Poland.
authors.forename: Danuta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Waszkiel
authors.affiliation: Medical College of the Universal Education Society, Łomża, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zwierz
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Health Care, The Higher Vocational School- Prof. E.F. Szczepanik, Suwałki, Poland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knaś
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications / Q000201:enzymology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D012463:Saliva / Q000201:enzymology*; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000201:enzymology*; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000209:etiology; D001619:beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007527:Isoenzymes; D005966:Glucuronidase; D001619:beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases