Document 3086
 DOCN  M94A3086
 TI    High levels of beta-hexoaminidase and A-mannosidase in sera of HIV+
       individuals.
 DT    9412
 AU    Lugering N; Stoll R; Kucharzik T; Busch H; Domschke W; Department of
       Medicine B, University Munster, Germany.
 SO    Int Conf AIDS. 1994 Aug 7-12;10(1):157 (abstract no. PB0053). Unique
       Identifier : AIDSLINE ICA10/94369489
 AB    OBJECTIVE: 1. To assess the value of lysosomal glycosidases as markers
       for detection of the different stages of HIV disease. 2. To get
       information about mechanisms of release of lysosomal glycosidases under
       pathological conditions. METHODS: We measured activities of four
       different lysosomal glycosidases in sera of 62 patients at the different
       stages of HIV infection and in 30 healthy controls. The corresponding
       p-nitrophenyl glycosidases were used as substrates. Furthermore a
       procedure was used that allows the characterization of the molecular
       forms of cathepsin D in human serum. RESULTS: Serum concentrations of
       a-mannosidase and beta-hexoaminidase were significantly (p < 0.0001)
       increased in patients with HIV CDC III and CDC IV without correlation to
       CD4+ count and secondary infection. Activity of a-mannosidase
       (beta-hexoaminidase) was 780.4 +/- 337.8 U/ml (34.7 +/- 11.2 U/ml) for
       those with HIV CDC IV, 412 +/- 143 U/ml (27.6 +/- 7.5 U/ml) for those
       with HIV CDC III, and 206.2 +/- 95.3 U/ml (9.1 +/- 2.0 U/ml) for the
       healthy controls. For a-glucuronidase and beta-galactosidase no
       statistically significant differences were found. In human serum
       cathepsin D was present only in its high-molecular-weight precursor
       forms. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The presence exclusively of high
       levels of precursors of cathepsin D in the sera of patients with HIV CDC
       III and CDC IV suggests that in this illness secretion of lysosomal
       enzymes is markedly elevated, rather than the enzymes leaking from
       damaged cells. Thus characterization of molecular forms of cathepsin-D
       as well as determination of levels of beta-hexoaminidase and
       a-mannosidase in sera of HIV individuals may be useful for better
       detection and pathogenetic understanding of the different stages of HIV
       infection.
 DE    beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidase/*BLOOD  Biological Markers/BLOOD  Cathepsin
       D/BLOOD  Enzyme Precursors/BLOOD  Glycoside Hydrolases/BLOOD  Human  HIV
       Infections/CLASSIFICATION/*DIAGNOSIS/ENZYMOLOGY  HIV
       Seropositivity/CLASSIFICATION/*DIAGNOSIS/ENZYMOLOGY  Mannosidases/*BLOOD
       MEETING ABSTRACT

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