STUDIES ON SERUM BETA-GLUCURONIDASE ACTIVITY AND URINARY TRYPTOPHAN-METABOLITES IN HUMAN FASCIOLIASIS

In the last few years, human fascioliasis has been reported more frequ ently from different parts of the world including Egypt. The present w ork aimed to study the ability of fascioliasis affected patients to me tabolize tryptophan and to explore how this disease can affect the act ivity of the hydrolytic lysosomal enzyme beta-glucuronidase. Liver and kidney functions and complete blood pictures of the studied patients were considered. Eleven tryptophan metabolites together with 4-pyridox ic acid, the major metabolite of vitamin B-6, were determined. Fasciol iasis showed an abnormal pattern of tryptophan metabolism which resemb led that described earlier by Kupke and Knapp and which indicated that those patients were suffering from vitamin B-6 deficiency. This concl usion was proved by the decreased levels of 4-pyridoxic acid. Abnormal ly high levels of beta-glucuronidase were also encountered in the fasc ioliasis cases which points to the liver damage caused by the fluke.