Explain how enzymes can be useful in the diagnosis of disease, giving specific examples. Is the change in enzyme concentration a direct or indirect result of the disease?
What will be an ideal response?
Many enzymes are normally present in the blood in a particular range of concentrations. Alterations in these concentrations can be associated with abnormal conditions. For example, elevation in the digestive enzyme
amylase, produced by the pancreas, may indicate pancreatic disease. Elevation of enzymes that normally operate inside cells can indicate tissue damage, such as the elevation of creatine kinase following myocardial infarction. Low amounts of hexosamidase A can indicate Tay-Sachs disease. In the examples given, the amylase and hexosamidase enzyme changes are direct results of the disease, whereas enzymes elevated because of tissue damage are the result of cellular damage and not a direct change in the enzyme itself.
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