Serum and urinary beta-galactosidase and beta-glucuronidase activity in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

To determine the effect of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) on serum and urinary activity of beta-galactosidase and beta-glucuronidase (lysosomal enzymes) 40 patients were studied. Eighteen patients had acute myocardial infarction and 22 were assigned as controls. Three of the 18 patients with acute myocardial infarction died within 5 to 10 days after hospitalization. Although the serum and urinary beta-glucuronidase and serum beta-galactosidase activity was higher in patients with acute myocardial infarction when compared with the control subjects these differences did not achieve statistical significance. However, the mean values of urinary beta-galactosidase in the control and acute MI groups were 158.68 and 333.3 nmol/mg creatinine/hr, respectively (p less than 0.046). These findings indicate that there is a significant increase in the urine beta-galactosidase activity during the early phases of acute myocardial infarction.