[Activity of lysosomal exoglycosidases in serum of patients with chronic borrelia arthritis].

To estimate activities of lisosomal exoglycosidases in serum of patients with chronic borrelia arthritis. Study group consisted of 18 patients aged 18-72 years (x=46) hospitalized in Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections of Medical Academy in Białystok with diagnosis of chronic arthritis in course of borreliosis. Control consisted of 20 healthy volunteers (health services employees) aged 25-65 years (x=45), with no detectable anti-Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies in serum. In all borreliosis patients serum activity of: N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (HEX), beta-galactosidase and alpha-mannosidase was measured before and after 4 weeks of doxycycline treatment. Results were analyzed with Statistica 6.0 software. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. HEX activity was significantly increased in serum of Lyme arthritis patients before treatment compared to controls. It decreased after 4-week treatment, remaining insignificantly higher than in controls. b-galactosidase and a-mannosidase activities in serum of Lyme arthritis patients were insignificantly higher than in controls and fell after treatment to the levels observed in control group. N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (HEX) is sensitive enzymatic marker of Lyme arthritis. It may be used to monitor course of the disease and its efficiency of treatment.