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I Saarelainen

Publications and source records attributed to I Saarelainen.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Epidermis is the origin of high creatine kinase levels in skin blister fluid.

Creatine kinase (CK) isoenzyme, CK-BB, known as the brain fraction, is not normally present in serum but predominates in several normal and malignant tissues and body fluids. We recently reported increased CK-BB levels in suction blister fluid. In the present study the cellular origin of the enzyme in skin was studied from homogenates of blister top epidermis and blister base dermis as well as from homogenates of split skin dermatome shavings and isolated keratinocytes. The CK-BB in human skin was derived almost exclusively from the epidermis. Enzyme determinations from various spontaneous bullae suggest that all types of skin blisters initially contain high CK-BB levels.

Biopsy↗

The BB-isoenzyme is a major component of creatine kinase in skin blister fluid.

We measured levels of creatine kinase and its three isoenzymes in serum and blister fluid from 16 healthy volunteers. The BB-isoenzyme was found to be the predominant form in blister fluid while only the MM isoenzyme was found in serum. The levels of BB-isoenzyme in blister fluid decreased as the blisters aged. The source of BB-isoenzyme in blister fluid is most probably the damaged epidermis.

Adult↗