Deficient activity of glucocerebrosidase in urine from patients with type 1 Gaucher disease

Glucocerebrosidase is present in considerable amounts in human urine. The enzyme is stable in concentrated urine for several days when stored at 0 degrees C. Like tissue glucocerebrosidase, the urinary enzyme is inhibited by conduritol B-epoxide and hydrolyses not only glucocerebroside but also the synthetic substrate 4-methyl-umbelliferyl-beta-D-glucoside. The enzyme is deficient in urine from patients with Gaucher disease (type 1). It is possible to discriminate completely between patients with type 1 Gaucher disease and control subjects by measuring the ratio glucocerebrosidase/beta-hexosaminidase in urine. The value of this ratio (mean +/- SE) with the synthetic substrates 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-glucoside and p-nitrophenyl-beta-N-acetylglucosaminide, respectively, was 34.2 +/- 3.7 (n = 24) in the controls and 2.1 +/- 0.9 (n = 21) in the patients.