Muscle-specific carbonic anhydrase III is a more sensitive marker of muscle damage than creatine kinase in neuromuscular disorders

H. K. Vaananen, T. E. Takala, U. Tolonen, J. Vuori and V. V. Myllyla
Department of Anatomy, University of Oulu, Finland.

Serum concentration of carbonic anhydrase III (S-CA III), a novel marker of type I skeletal muscle cells was measured in 37 patients with neuromuscular diseases (polymyositis, muscular dystrophies, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and other neurogenic diseases) and in 24 control patients. Significant elevation in S-CA III was observed in all patient groups. Serum concentration of carbonic anhydrase III correlated positively with serum-creatine kinase. Serum concentration of carbonic anhydrase III was observed to be a more sensitive skeletal muscle marker both in myogenic and in neurogenic muscle affecting diseases than serum creatine kinase.