Absolute concentration of urinary endogenous beta-glucuronidase determined by an ELISA method as a sensitive but non-specific indicator for active renal parenchymal damage

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, β-galactosidase, β-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, β-galactosidase, β-glucuronidase and α-mannosidase were determined by colorimetric method and expressed in pKat/μg of creatine (pKat/μg Cr.).

RESULTS

Urinary α-fucosidase, β-galactosidase, β-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, β-galactosidase, β-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, β-galactosidase, β-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, β-galactosidase, β-glucuronidase and α-mannosidase in children and adolescents.

Determination of urinary and serum beta-glucuronidase and alkaline phosphatase in various renal disease and kidney rejection transplanted patients

Beta-glucuronidase (beta-Glu) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were evaluated in serum and urine in 50 subjects classified into five equal groups. Group I was control healthy subjects, while groups II, III, IV, and V were patients with nephritic syndrome, pyelonephritis, kidney rejection, and end-stage renal disease, respectively. Urinary beta-Glu was significantly elevated in all four groups; while serum enzyme showed no change. On the other hand, serum ALP showed a significant elevation in all abnormal groups. Accordingly, urinary beta-Glu and serum ALP could be used as diagnostic markers for various renal diseases.