Altered lysosomal glycohydrolase activities in juvenile diabetes mellitus.

Studies have been carried out on activities of lysosomal beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase (hex), beta-galactosidase (beta-gal), alpha-glucosidase (alpha-glu), and acid phosphatase (AP) in serum and urine from patients with juvenile diabetes and matched controls. There is a large increase in blood and urinary hex activity (the former presenting three distinct patterns of abnormality), a moderate increase in urinary beta-gal, and a small increase in urinary alpha-glu activity, but no elevation of blood or urinary AP in the diabetics. Urinary alpha-glu activity in the diabetics shows striking inhibition by glucose, and this may reflect a similar phenomenon in vivo. Although glycohydrolase activities are elevated in patients with no detectable microangiopathy, more striking changes may be observed in patients with severe small-vessel disease. These alterations may be associated with increased glycoprotein catabolism in the diabetic, an area in need of further studies in the human and experimental diabetic animal.