Disturbance of connective tissue metabolism in gunshot injury of lower extremities

Total urine excretion of glicosaminoglycanes, glicosaminoglycanes spectnun (electrophoresis on acetate cellulose) activity of 3 lysomal enzymes which participated in the breakdown of glicosaminoglycanes and were very sensitive indicators of renal damage as well as oxyproline (marker of collagene breakdown) and creatinine (typical index of muscle breakdown) were studied in 7 patients with gunshot injuries of lower extremities during the early phase of traumatic disease (on 2, 7, 15 days). Increased urine excretion of glicosaminoglycanes, mainly chondroitin sulfate, N- acetyl-ß-glucosaminidase, oxyproline as well as creatinine was detected. Maximum excretion was noted on day 7 after injury infliction. By day 15 most of biochemical parameters, except for creatinine, returned to normal level. Tire results obtained showed that during early phase of traumatic disease gunshot injury caused the breakdown of the intracellular matrix of connective tissue.