Erythrocyte adenosine kinase activity in gout

Abstract

1. 1. Erythrocyte adenosine kinase (AK) (EC 2.7.1.20) and guanosine monophosphate (GMP) reductase (EC 1.6.6.8) were measured in healthy male controls and primary gouty subjects. Adenosine kinase activity in 19 controls and 26 gouty subjects was 0.717 ± 0.176 and 0.615 ± 0.128 nmol/mg protein/h, respectively. The difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). GMP reductase activity in 39 controls and 46 gouty subjects was 30.90 ± 6.28 and 33.43 ± 7.97 μmol/mg protein/h, respectively, without statistically significant difference. 2. 2. When gouty patients were divided into two groups according to gouty heredity and/or tophus formation, a group with such clinical traits had a lower adenosine kinase activity when compared with another group having none of these clinical features ( P < 0.10). Adenosine kinase activity had negative correlations to serum urate level ( r = −0.433, P < 0.05) and to erythrocyte adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity ( r = −0.689, P < 0.05). The possible biochemical role of adenosine kinase activity in purine metabolism and in the pathogenesis of primary gout is discussed.