[Studies of enzymuria and proteinuria: Report 1: N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase in urological diseases].

N-Acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG) exists in renal tubules and seminal tract. We measured the NAG level in patients with urinary tract and seminal tract diseases and evaluated its clinical significance. The urinary NAG level was high in renal tubular function disorders such as glomerulonephritis, diabetic nephropathy and hydronephrosis. In these patients, NAG-isoenzyme studies indicated that the A-type isoenzyme decreased while the B-type isoenzyme increased. On the other hand, in the seminal tract disease patients, the urinary NAG level was high in benign prostatic hypertrophy with a catheter indwelling and in prostatitis. Urinary and seminal NAG-isoenzymes were measured in normal subjects. The isoenzyme patterns for urinary NAG and seminal NAG differed. The urinary NAG isoenzymes were measured in acute prostatitis patients, we found that the A-type isoenzyme decreased and the B type increased. In conclusion, when the A/B ratio of the NAG-isoenzyme is close to 24.9/75.0 in the urine, the presence of urological diseases in which seminal plasma could be mixed in, especially prostatic diseases, should be suspected.