Abstract
Background/aimChanges in collagen metabolism and fibroblastic activity may play a role in the pathogenesis of brucellosis. The prolidase enzyme plays an important role in collagen synthesis. We aimed to investigate the association of prolidase levels with brucellosis.Materials and methodsSerum prolidase levels in 20 patients newly diagnosed with brucellosis were compared with levels in 30 healthy control subjects. Patients with brucellosis were reassessed 3 months later for prolidase, other laboratory measurements, and response to treatment.ResultsThe levels of serum prolidase were significantly higher in brucellosis patients compared with those of healthy controls. Prolidase, sedimentation, and C-reactive protein levels were significantly lower after antibrucellosis treatment than before treatment.ConclusionThe current study is the first to demonstrate significantly increased serum prolidase levels in patients with brucellosis compared with healthy controls. Prolidase levels also significantly decreased with antibrucellosis treatment. This finding provides a new experimental basis to understand the pathogenesis of brucellosis in relation to collagen metabolism. The increase in serum prolidase levels might be related to several factors such as tissue destruction, increased fibroblastic activity, and granuloma formation, all of which are involved in the natural history of brucellosis.
Highlights
The clinical presentation of brucellosis is nonspecific and the course of infection is variable
Materials and methods: Serum prolidase levels in 20 patients newly diagnosed with brucellosis were compared with levels in 30 healthy control subjects
The current study is the first to demonstrate significantly increased serum prolidase levels in patients with brucellosis compared with healthy controls
Summary
The clinical presentation of brucellosis is nonspecific and the course of infection is variable. Brucellosis presents as a multisystem disease involving many organs and tissues [1]. The mechanisms underlying the manifestations of brucellosis are not completely understood. Biopsied samples of tissues in patients with brucellosis may show noncaseating granulomas, but the molecular mechanism underlying this change remains unclear. Prolidase is a cytosolic exopeptidase that splits imidodipeptides with C-terminal proline or hydroxyproline. This enzyme has a major role in recycling proline from imidodipeptides for collagen resynthesis and cell growth. Prolidase activity has been reported in leukocytes, erythrocytes, plasma, and various organs such as the brain, heart, kidney, uterus, thymus, and dermal fibroblasts [3]
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