Activity and kinetics of arylsulfatase A (ASA, EC 3.1.6.8) were analyzed in leukocyte homogenates derived from patients suffering from cerebral palsy. Lower ASA activity was found in the patients\u27 leukocytes than in controls, as determined by spectrophotometry using chromogenic substrate p-nitrocatechol sulfate (p-NCS). Kinetic parameters, Km and vmax, for leukocyte ASA were determined from the dependence of initial reaction velocities on the p-NCS concentrations. A slight difference in Km values was found for leukocyte enzyme in cerebral palsy (0.26 mmol L-1) compared to the control (0.21 mmol L-1), whereas max-1 value for leukocyte ASA in disease reached only 58% of the control value. In addition, the presence of the most common mutations associated with ASA pseudodeficiency (N350S, 1524+95 A>G) and metachromatic leukodystrophy (P426L) was detected in all investigated patients. Changes in activity and kinetic parameters of leukocyte ASA in cerebral palsy are most probably related to the decrease of enzyme concentration; the detected mutations might at least partially contribute to the observed changes.Analizirane su aktivnost i kinetika arilsulfataze A (ASA, EC 3.1.6.8) u leukocitnim homogenatima osoba oboljelih od cerebralne paralize. Spektrofotometrijskim određivanjem aktivnosti ASA prema kromogenom supstratu p-nitrokatehol sulfatu (p-NCS) utvrđene su manje aktivnosti enzima u leukocitima oboljelih osoba. Kinetički parametri, Km i vmax, leukocitne ASA određeni su iz ovisnosti početne brzine reakcije o koncentraciji p-NCS. Utvrđena je manja razlika između Km vrijednosti enzima zdravih (0,21 mmol L-1) i oboljelih osobal (0.26 mmol L-1), dok je vrijednost vmax enzima iznosila 58% vrijednosti vmax enzima zdravih osoba. Također je u svih ispitanika s dijagnozom cerebralne paralize utvrđeno prisustvo najčešći mutacija povezanih s ASA pseudodeficijencijom (N350S, 1524+95 A>G) i metakromatskom leukodistrofijom (P426L). promjene aktivnosti i kinetičkih parametara leukocitne ASA u cerebralnoj parealizi najvjerojatnije su posljedica snižene koncentracije enzima; moguće je da nađene mutacije barem djelomično doprinose zapaženim promjenama
