Serum beta-glucuronidase in thyroid disease.

Abstract

The induction by thyroxine of metamorphosis in amphibia is associated with increased activity of several lysosomal enzymes in the resorbing tail, presumably in endocytic cells (1). One of these enzymes, beta-glucuronidase, has been shown to increase approximately 20-fold during metamorphosis (1, 2). Were thyroid hormone to have similar effects on mammalian tissues, changes in the amount or distribution of enzyme might be paralleled by changes in the activity of beta-glucuronidase in the sera of patients with diseases of the thyroid. Patients with hyperthyroidism might be expected to show increases in serum activity of the enzymes, myxedematous patients to show decreased activity; in either group, appropriate therapy should return these values to control levels. We should like to submit data indicating that the activity of beta-glucuronidase in the serum of humans does, in fact, appear to vary with the state of activity of the thyroid gland.Materials and Methods. The beta-glucuronidase activity of fresh se...