Demonstration of a deficiency of glucocerebroside-cleaving enzyme in Gaucher's disease.

Abstract
The level of glucocerebroside-cleaving enzyme has been determined in human tissue specimens with the use of glucose-1-C14 cerebroside. The level of enzymatic activity was found to be markedly attenuated in eleven preparations of Gaucher spleen tissue compared with the values observed in ten non-Gaucher spleen samples. It is suggested that this metabolic defect may account for the accumulation of excessive quantities of glucocerebrosides in Gaucher''s disease.