Increased glycosaminoglycan excretion after chymopapain injection of intervertebral discs.

The urinary excretion of glycosaminoglycans during the 24 hours after intradiscal injection of chymopapain was found to be greater than during the 24 hours before injection when comparison was made either on the basis of a complete 24-hour urine collection or by the use of a glycosaminoglycan/creatinine ratio. Each individual in a group of 14 patients showed this increase after injection. In contrast, no significant increase over the pre-injection levels was detected in serum glycosaminoglycans during the post-injection time periods for which blood samples were available.