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Updated: Jun 1, 2026
Determining the Serum Stability of Human Adenosine Deaminase 1 Enzyme
Published on: September 27, 2024
Adenosine deaminase activity in patients with Crohn's disease: distinction between active and nonactive disease
Irit Maor1, Tova Rainis, Amos Lanir
1Department of Biochemistry bGastroenterology Unit, Bnai Zion Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
Insights
Elevated adenosine deaminase (ADA) levels, particularly ADA2 in serum and ADA1 in neutrophils, indicate active Crohn's disease (CD). These markers decrease as CD patients improve, suggesting their utility in monitoring disease activity.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Immunology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by immune system dysregulation.
- Neutrophil infiltration and inflammation are key features of active CD.
- Adenosine deaminase (ADA) plays a role in inflammatory responses and is associated with activated leukocytes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the activity of total ADA (tADA) and its isoenzymes, ADA1 and ADA2, in serum and neutrophils of CD patients.
- To assess the potential of ADA levels as biomarkers for CD activity and inflammation.
Main Methods:
- Serum and neutrophil samples were collected from 20 active CD patients, 20 CD patients in remission, and 15 healthy controls.
- Total ADA, ADA1, and ADA2 activities were measured in all sample groups.
- Correlation analysis was performed between tADA activity and C-reactive protein levels.
Main Results:
- Patients with active CD exhibited significantly higher serum tADA and ADA2 levels compared to those in remission and healthy controls.
- Serum ADA levels did not differ significantly between healthy controls and CD patients in remission.
- Neutrophil tADA activity was elevated in all CD patients, primarily due to increased ADA1 activity, showing a positive correlation with C-reactive protein levels.
Conclusions:
- Elevated serum tADA and ADA2 levels are associated with active Crohn's disease.
- Decreasing ADA levels correlate with clinical improvement and remission in CD patients.
- tADA and ADA2 show promise as supportive biomarkers for monitoring inflammation and disease activity in Crohn's disease.
Background:
Crohn's disease (CD) is a common chronic inflammatory bowel disease. During the disease a cascade of immunologic events occur including mucosal influx of inflammatory cells like neutrophils. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) is important in inflammatory responses and serves as a marker of activated leukocytes.
Materials And Methods:
In this study, we investigated the activity of total ADA (tADA) and its isoenzymes, ADA1 and ADA2, in serum and neutrophils derived from 20 active patients with CD, 20 patients in remission, as well as in 15 healthy controls.
Results:
Patients with active disease had significantly (P<0.001) higher levels of tADA in serum (22.9±4.9 U/l) than patients in remission or healthy controls (14.0±3.4 U/l and 13.2±2.4 U/l respectively). ADA2, the main isoenzyme in the serum was higher in active patients by 60% as compared with patients in remission and healthy controls (19.7±1.9 U/l, 12.3±1.2 U/l, and 12.2±0.9 U/l respectively). We did not find a significant difference in these parameters between healthy controls and stable patients. There was a positive correlation (R=0.516) between tADA activity and C-reactive protein levels in patients with CD. Enhanced activity in tADA was also detected in neutrophils that were obtained from all patients with CD as compared with healthy controls (15.3±2.9 U/g, 14.1±2.3 U/g, and 9.4±2.9 U/g protein, respectively). This is mainly due to a significant increment (up to 51%) in ADA1 activity, the main isoenzyme in the neutrophils (84% out of the tADA). The cause of this increment remains to be elucidated.
Conclusion:
The results obtained in this study demonstrated elevated levels of tADA and ADA2 in patients with active disease. As the patient improves and becomes clinically stable these levels decrease, approaching normal values. tADA and ADA2 can be used as markers of inflammation, and provide a supportive indicator of CD activity.
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