Open AccessEnzymes and muscle diseases
Author(s) -
Mario Plebani
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
reumatismo
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.294
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 2240-2683
pISSN - 0048-7449
DOI - 10.4081/reumatismo.2001.158
Subject(s) - aldolase a , medicine , creatine kinase , polymyositis , skeletal muscle , muscle biopsy , enzyme , myositis , myopathy , pathology , biopsy , endocrinology , biochemistry , biology
Skeletal muscle disorders may result in release of muscle enzymes into the circulation and give increased serum enzyme activity. A variety of enzymes routinely determined in the clinical laboratory may be elevated, but creatine kinase is the enzyme present in the highest concentration in muscle, and in every variety of muscle disease is the serum enzyme which shows the greatest incidence and degree of elevation. Aspartate aminotransferase is the enzyme associated most significantly with inflammation. A diagnostic algorithm based on the combined measurement of creatine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase and aldolase has been found to discriminate muscular dystrophies from polymyositis and other myopathies. This combination of laboratory tests has diagnostic application and thus allows the clinician to better select patients who need to have a skeletal muscle biopsy as a diagnostic procedure.