No abstract

No abstract

Chitotriosidase (CHIT) belongs to the family of glycosylhydrolases and is highly homologous to chitinases from lower organisms. The enzyme CHIT is of interest for clinical reasons, because it is selectively expressed in chronically activated tissue macrophages. In most ethnic groups, approximately 6% of all individuals are homozygous for CHIT deficiency. Pathological tissue macrophages in several disease conditions massively express CHIT. A shared feature of such cells in the different conditions is the accumulation of lipid material in the lysosomal apparatus. Serum CHIT activity is significantly increased in individuals suffering from atherosclerosis disease and is related to the severity of the atherosclerotic lesion, suggesting a possible role as atherosclerotic extent marker. Our objective is to determine the levels of serum CHIT activity in healthy elderly subjects. Healthy 90 (between 65-94 years old) elderly people and 69 (between 20-44 years old) young people were chosen. Serum CHIT enzymatic activity was determined with the flurometric enzyme activity assay using artificial 4-MU substrate. We found CHIT activity 270 +/- 21 (nmol/mL/h) (values are mean +/- SD) in elderly people and 136 +/- 17 in young people. There are statistical differences between elderly and young subjects.

BackgroundPlasma chitotriosidase activity, which is a marker of macrophage activation, has been reported to increase in inflammatory conditions and atherosclerosis. Chronic periodontitis has likely an important role in the development of coronary artery disease. In this study, we aimed to analyze the effect of chronic periodontitis on salivary and plasma chitotriosidase activities in patients with or without coronary atherosclerosis.MethodsFifty subjects were divided into four groups as controls (n=13), periodontitis (n=11), coronary artery disease (n=13), and periodontitis + coronary artery disease (n=13). Plasma and saliva chitotriosidase activities were measured by a fluorimetric method in all groups before the nonsurgical treatment of periodontitis and 5 weeks posttreatment in periodontitis groups.ResultsSalivary chitotriosidase activity was decreased after nonsurgical periodontal treatment in patients having periodontitis with or without coronary atherosclerosis. However, plasma activities remained unchanged.ConclusionAlthough this study has some limitations like small sample size and short study duration, it can suggest that salivary chitotriosidase can have the potential to be used as a very useful and practical marker to evaluate the success of the periodontal treatment and/or host response.Key findingSalivary chitotriosidase can be used as a marker for the evaluation of the success of the periodontal treatment and/or host response.

No abstract

C hitin is the most abundant polysaccharide in the world following cellulose. Chitotriosidase (CHIT) is an enzyme of the chitinase class, which can hydrolyze chitin and various artificial substrates. The human CHIT gene is located on 1q31-q32, and contains a sequence of 20 kb, consisting of 12 exons. 1 CHIT enzymes are synthesized selectively in re-Chitotriosidase Activity in Normal Pregnancies and in Abortions A AB BS ST TR RA AC CT T O Ob bj je ec ct ti iv ve e: : The aim of this study was to gather data on the importance of chitotriosidase in the prediction of abortion by comparing maternal serum chitotriosidase activity in normal pregnancies and in abortions. M Ma at te er ri ia al l a an nd d M Me et th ho od ds s: : This study was designed as a prospective case-control study and included 142 pregnancies; 81 ended with abortion before 10 weeks of gestation, and 61 normal pregnancies. Five women in the spontaneous abortion group and one woman in the normal pregnancy group were excluded from the study. Peripheral blood samples were obtained from all pregnant women. Chitotriosidase activity was studied in these samples using the fluorometric method. R Re es su ul lt ts s: : Chitotriosidase activity was significantly higher in the spontaneous abortion group compared to the control group (p<0.01). A threshold of 46 nmol/mL/hour for maternal chitotriosidase activity yielded 53.9% sensitivity and 85% specificity. There was no significant difference between the type of abortion and chitotriosidase activity (p>0.05). C Co on nc cl lu us si io on n: : Activated macrophages may play a role in the pathogenesis of abortion. Further studies are warranted on this subject. This is the first study evaluating macrophage activation in spontaneous abortion. K Ke ey y W Wo or rd ds s: : Chitotriosidase; abortion, spontaneous Ö ÖZ ZE ET T A Am ma aç ç: : Çalışmamızda normal ve abortus tanısı almış gebelerde maternal serum kitotriosidaz aktivitesini karşılaştırarak abortus öngörüsünde kitotriosidazın önemi hakkında bilgi edinilmesi amaçlandı. G Ge er re eç ç v ve e Y Yö ön nt te em ml le er r: : Prospektif vaka-kontrol çalışması olarak planlandı. Çalışma 10. gebelik haftasının altında olan 81 spontan abortus olgusu ve 61 normal gebe olmak üzere, toplam 142 gebelik olgusu üzerinde yapıldı. Spontan abortus grubundan beş gebe ve sağlıklı gebe grubundan bir gebe çalışma dışı bırakıldı. Bu gebelerden maternal periferik kan örneği alındı. Bu örneklerden fluorometri yöntemi ile kitotriosidaz aktivitesi belirlendi. B Bu ul lg gu ul la ar r: : Spontan abortus grubunda maternal serum kitotriosidaz aktivitesi, kontrol grubuna göre anlamlı şekilde yüksek bulundu (p<0,001). Maternal serum kitotriosidaz aktivitesi için 46 nmol/mL/saat eşik değerinin sensivitesi %53,9 ve spesifitesi %85 olarak saptandı. Abortus tipi ile kitotriosidaz aktivitesi arasında anlamlı bir fark bulunmadı (p>0,05). S So on nu uç ç: : Abortus patogenezinde aktive makrofajların rolü olabilir. Bu konuda ileri çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır. Bu çalışma, spontan abortuslarda makr...