5'-NUCLEOTIDASE AND ADENOSINE-DEAMINASE ACTIVITIES IN BLOOD OF PATIENTS WITH UNSTABLE ANGINA-PECTORIS

During ischaemia and hypoxia adenosine is released from cardiac cells. Adenosine is the end product of 5 '-nucleotidase activity. We were in terested in how this enzyme activity in plasma of patients with unstab le angina pectoris, causes short-term ischaemia. 5 '-Nucleotidase acti vity in plasma was determined using a standard diagnostic kit from Sig ma. Furthermore, we studied the activity of adenosine deaminase in pla sma, granulocytes, lymphocytes and erythrocytes by the methods of Hopk inson [1]. It was found that 5 '-nucleotidase activity was increased b y about 43% in plasma. The activity of adenosine deaminase (ADA) in pl asma increased by 6%, but in granulocytes, lymphocytes and erythrocyte s decreased by about 24, 19 and 10.6%, respectively. We concluded that a large increase in 5 '-nucleotidase activity may be caused by activa tion of 5 '-ectonucleoridase in blood cells by ischaemia. However, the decrease in ADA activity in blood cells may be associate with the ade nosine metabolism.