Abstract

GUERRA, María B. et al. Determinación de valores de referencia de colinesterasa plasmática e intraeritrocitaria en niños de una población hospitalaria. Arch. argent. pediatr. [online]. 2005, vol.103, n.6, pp.486-490. ISSN 0325-0075.

Introduction. Plasmatic and intraerythrocytic cholinesterases are enzymes characterized by important interand intraindividual fluctuations, that are reflected in wide levels of normality. Therefore, the interpretation of results becomes very difficult if basal values of the patient are not available. Due to a shortage of data in the bibliography and, particularly at a national level, the objective of this investigation was to establish reference values for plasmatic and intraerythrocytic cholinesterases for the population who attended to the Hospital de Niños "Dr. Ricardo Gutiérrez". Population, material and methods. One hundred and fifty eight children and adolescents, who attended to the surgery service of the Hospital de Niños "Dr. Ricardo Gutiérrez" were selected to perform programmed and elective surgical interventions. Plasmatic cholinesterase was determined by Knedel and Bottger method that uses butyrylcholine as a substrate and acetylcholinesterase was determined by a kinetic method with acetylcholine as a substrate (Ellman's method), with previous wash and lysate of erythrocytes. Results. The median value for intraerythrocytic cholinesterase was 7,823 IU/l erythrocytes, with percentils 2.5^th and 97.5^th corresponding to activities of 6,056 and 10,320, respectively. The median value of plasmatic cholinesterase was 11,591 IU/l, with activities of 7,689 and 15,056 for percentiles 2.5^th and 97.5^th. No significant correlation was found with age or gender. Conclusion. We consider essential to establish reference values in our population for a proper interpretation of acetylcholinesterase and plasma cholinesterase levels in case of exposure to poisons of drugs that might affect the activity of these enzymes or for the detection of atypical variants.

Keywords : Acetylcholinesterase; Butyrylcholinesterase; Reference values.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )