Plasma benzylamine oxidase activity in cerebrovascular disease.

The plasma benzylamine oxidase level (BzAO) was determined in 60 patients with different types of acute cerebrovascular disease, such as cerebral bleeding, subarachnoid bleeding and cerebral infarction. Patients with cerebral infarction included both apoplectic and multiple types. A decreased plasma level of the enzyme was found following a stroke in patients with cerebral bleeding, subarachnoid bleeding, and the apoplectic type of cerebral infarction. The BzAO level increased in patients with the multiple type of cerebral infarction. Thus, we postulate that plasma BzAO metabolism is involved in cerebrovascular disease, and that plasma BzAO level varies with the type of cerebral infarction.