Isoenzyme pattern of serum beta-hexosaminidase in liver disease, alcohol intoxication, and pregnancy.

The isoenzyme distribution of serum beta-hexosaminidase was studied in 11 pregnant women, 18 patients with cirrhosis of the liver, 14 patients with cholestasis, and 9 chronic alcoholics with acute ethanol intoxication. Serum beta-hexosaminidase activity was elevated in sera from all groups. The results of isoenzyme separation by isoelectric focusing demonstrated that the isoenzyme pattern in the different patient groups was similar to pregnancy with a preferential increase of isoenzyme forms with pI's between 5.6 and 6.8.