Biomaterial Database

An improved and simple micro-method of sphingomyelinase assay in leukocytes and urine. 1978

D Seidel, and J Klenke, and G Fischer, and H Pilz

A simple one-vial-method was developed for the quantitative determination of sphingomyelinase activity in human leukocytes and urine, using [14C-methyl] sphingomyelin. The measured activities of healthy control persons show a higher scatter in (n=50) urine (1.2 +/- 0.5 nmol/h . ml urine) than in (n=9) leukocytes (2.15 +/- 0.35 nmol/h . mg protein). Long term tests showed that the enzyme activities in urine can best be correlated to the 24-h-creatinine excretion. A distinct loss of enzyme activity was found in dialyzed urine starting at about the third day; this did not occur in undialyzed urine. The method also shows good reproducibility in micro-tests. It is therefore suitable for screening tests (urine of persons suffering from Niemann Pick disease) and for the prenatal diagnosis of sphingomyelinosis. For one out of two children with symptoms of sphingomyelinosis (hepatosplenomegaly, mental retardation, and neurological deterioration) the diagnosis was confirmed by morphological examination of tissues obtained by biopsy. In both cases leukocytes and urine revealed normal sphingomyelinase activity. These biochemical results in conjunction with the clinical and morphological picture were indicative of type C Niemann-Pick disease.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007962	Leukocytes	White blood cells. These include granular leukocytes (BASOPHILS; EOSINOPHILS; and NEUTROPHILS) as well as non-granular leukocytes (LYMPHOCYTES and MONOCYTES).	Blood Cells, White,Blood Corpuscles, White,White Blood Cells,White Blood Corpuscles,Blood Cell, White,Blood Corpuscle, White,Corpuscle, White Blood,Corpuscles, White Blood,Leukocyte,White Blood Cell,White Blood Corpuscle
D008297	Male		Males
D008832	Microchemistry	The development and use of techniques and equipment to study or perform chemical reactions, with small quantities of materials, frequently less than a milligram or a milliliter.
D009542	Niemann-Pick Diseases	A group of autosomal recessive disorders in which harmful quantities of lipids accumulate in the viscera and the central nervous system. They can be caused by deficiencies of enzyme activities (SPHINGOMYELIN PHOSPHODIESTERASE) or defects in intracellular transport, resulting in the accumulation of SPHINGOMYELINS and CHOLESTEROL. There are various subtypes based on their clinical and genetic differences.	ASM Deficiency,ASM-Deficient Niemann-Pick Disease,Acid Sphingomyelinase Deficiency,Acid Sphingomyelinase-deficient Niemann-Pick Disease,Niemann-Pick Disease,ASM Deficiencies,ASM Deficient Niemann Pick Disease,ASM-Deficient Niemann-Pick Diseases,Acid Sphingomyelinase deficient Niemann Pick Disease,Deficiencies, ASM,Deficiencies, Acid Sphingomyelinase,Deficiency, ASM,Deficiency, Acid Sphingomyelinase,Disease, ASM-Deficient Niemann-Pick,Diseases, ASM-Deficient Niemann-Pick,Niemann Pick Disease,Niemann Pick Diseases,Niemann-Pick Disease, ASM-Deficient,Niemann-Pick Diseases, ASM-Deficient,Sphingomyelinase Deficiencies, Acid,Sphingomyelinase Deficiency, Acid
D010727	Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases	A class of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of one of the two ester bonds in a phosphodiester compound. EC 3.1.4.	Phosphodiesterase,Phosphodiesterases,Hydrolases, Phosphoric Diester
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D003404	Creatinine		Creatinine Sulfate Salt,Krebiozen,Salt, Creatinine Sulfate,Sulfate Salt, Creatinine
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man