Urinary exoglycosidases, reference values in healthy children.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of age on lysosomal exoglycosidase activities: α-fucosidase, ß-galactosidase, ß-glucuronidase and α-mannosidase in healthy children and adolescents. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Urine samples were collected from 203 healthy children and adolescents (girls = 99, boys = 104), aged six months to 17.9 years. The activities of α-fucosidase, ß-galactosidase, ß-glucuronidase and α-mannosidase were determined by colorimetric method and expressed in pKat/µg of creatine (pKat/µg Cr.). RESULTS: Urinary α-fucosidase, ß-galactosidase, ß-glucuronidase and α-mannosidase activities (pKat/µg Cr.) were the highest in children below 3 years of age in comparison to the remaining age groups. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between urinary α-fucosidase, ß-galactosidase, ß-glucuronidase and α-mannosidase (pKat/µg Cr.) and age (r = -0.36; r = -0.36; r = -0.35; r = -0.35; at p < 0.0001, respectively). In addition, we constructed the reference values for urinary activity of α-fucosidase, ß-galactosidase, ß-glucuronidase and α-mannosidase (pKat/µg Cr.) in percentiles according to age in 3-year intervals. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is the first to show reference values for urinary α-fucosidase, ß-galactosidase, ß-glucuronidase and α-mannosidase in children and adolescents.

The activity of N-acetyl-ß-d-hexosaminidase A and B and ß-glucuronidase in nasal polyps and hypertrophic nasal concha.

UNLABELLED: Nasal polyps and hypertrophic lower nasal conchae are common disorders of nasal cavity. The majority of etiopathogenetic theories indicate inflammatory background of polyps and hypertrophic concha. N-acetyl-ß-D-hexosaminidase and ß-glucuronidase are lysosomal exoglycosidases revealing accelerated activity in inflammatory processes. AIM: The aim of the study was to evaluate the catabolism of glycoconjugates in nasal polyps and hypertrophic nasal concha basing on the activity of N-acetyl-ß-D-hexosaminidase (HEX) and ß-glucuronidase (GLU). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Material consisted of nasal polyps taken from 40 patients during polypectomy in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and hypertrophic lower nasal conchae taken from 20 patients during mucotomy. The activity of HEX, HEX A, HEX B and GLU in supernatant of homogenates of nasal polyps and hypertrophic lower nasal concha tissues has been estimated using colorimetric method. RESULTS: Statistically significant decrease has been observed in concentration of the activity (per 1mg of tissue) of HEX (p<0.05), HEX B (p<0.001) and specific activity (per 1mg of protein) of HEX B (p<0.001) in nasal polyps tissue in comparison to hypertrophic lower nasal conchae tissue. CONCLUSIONS: Decrease in the activity and specific activity concentration of the majority of examined lysosomal exoglycosidases (increasing in inflammations) in comparison to hypertrophic lower nasal conchae suggests electrolytes disorders and questions the inflammatory background of nasal polyps.