Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.2.1.17 (lysozyme)
 21,489 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In AIDS the onset of the ocular dry syndrome, characterized by lacrimal hyposecretion and deterioration of the corneal and conjunctival epithelium, generally accompanies the clinical aggravation of immunodepression. The study of serum and lacrimal proteins contributes to our knowledge of the pathophysiology of this syndrome. The lacrimal clearance of albumin indicates changes in the permeability of the haemato-lacrimal and conjunctival barrier. Lacrimal monomeric IgA and IgG are mainly of plasmatic origin, while polymeric IgA and IgM are synthesized in situ. The concentrations of these analytes thus reflect ocular humoral immune status. They show a strong humoral protein response in patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis. Lacrimal concentrations of lactoferrin and lysozyme were found to be significantly decreased in AIDS patients with ocular dryness, reflecting a decrease in the secretory activity of the lacrimal gland. Moreover, ocular lympho-plasmocyte infiltration was observed in several patients, with an increase in lacrimal beta 2-microglobulin concentrations. These various lacrimal proteins could be good markers of the ocular dry syndrome in AIDS.
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PMID:Filtration and local synthesis of lacrimal proteins in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. 132 43

Accurate diagnosis of uveitis is of great importance since the treatment for the various uveitis entities may differ considerably. In a large number of cases the clinical picture is sufficient to make an adequate diagnosis. There are cases in which the diagnosis cannot be made on clinical grounds alone and support is needed from laboratory tests. Only a limited number of tests have been proven to be useful as a diagnostic or prognostic aid. These include HLA-B27 typing in patients presenting with anterior uveitis and testing for angiotensin converting enzyme and lysozyme in case of suspected sarcoid uveitis. Toxoplasma serology is only useful to exclude the diagnosis and a positive test has very low specific value. Analysis of local intraocular antibody production is a valuable tool to confirm a suspected clinical diagnosis in uveitis. It is now possible to analyse paired serum and aqueous samples for the presence of specific antibodies against toxoplasma, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus using commercially available kits. Of the patients retrospectively diagnosed as having toxoplasma chorioretinitis 75% were shown to have a positive antibody coefficient indicating specific intraocular antibody production. Local antibody production in the eye directed against CMV confirmed the suspected diagnosis of CMV retinitis in 50% of the AIDS patients investigated. Until now we have not been able to measure local antibody production against herpes simplex virus (26 samples tested). Two of three patients with acute retinal necrosis had a positive antibody coefficient against varicella zoster virus. Both of these patients even had a higher titre in the aqueous than in serum. Since the choice of treatment, in infectious uveitis, depends on the causative organisms, it is very important to confirm a suspected clinical diagnosis with aqueous humor analysis.
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PMID:The value of laboratory testing in uveitis. 217 95