Pediatric research
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Comparative Study
Comparison of cytosolic and mitochondrial hepatic enzyme alterations in Reye's syndrome.
The activities of nine enzymes in liver specimens obtained from four children who had died from Reye's syndrome were compared to the corresponding activities of a control group of four children who had died from unrelated causes. At the 95% significance level, the alterations could be classified into three groups. Five activities [lactate dehydrogenase, alanine aminotransferase, glucose 6-phosphatase, cytochrome oxidase, and malate dehydrogenase (mitochondrial plus cytosolic)] showed no change. ⋯ Imbalances of the cytosolic:mitochondrial enzyme activities were evaluated in needle biopsy specimens from four other children under conditions where neurologic abnormalities were less severe. Two patients had elevated ratios of both glutamate:lactate dehydrogenase and cytosolic:mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase activities, and a third had only an abnormal malate dehydrogenase ratio. In contrast to these Reye's syndrome patients, a fourth case admitted with a provisional diagnosis of Reye's syndrome showed no abnormality in either ratio in stage IV coma.