SYNOVIAL ENZYME-ACTIVITIES - APPLICABILITY TO DIAGNOSIS OF ARTHROPATHIES IN HORSE

Studies were conducted into the behaviours of aspartate-aminotransfera se (AST), alanine-aminotransferase (ALT), lactate-dehydrogenase (LDH) and acid phosphatases (AP) in the synovia of clinically intact joints and in various arthropathies of horse, with particular reference being made to osteoarthritis. Synovial spaces were investigated at 107 diff erent punctures for the purpose of elucidating the most suitable enzym es for differential diagnosis of arthropathies of horse. Parallel cyto logical testing of 61 of these punctures enabled comparison for effici ency between enzyme activity measurements, on the one hand, and cytolo gical synovia examinations, on the other. With regard to diagnosis of osteoarthritis, aspartate-aminotransferase (AST) and formaldehyde-stab ile acid phosphatase (AP-FS) were found to be the most informative enz ymes, and their tolerance limits were calculated.