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Clinical chemistry reagents intended to perform qualitative and/or quantitative chemical analyses of body fluids to determine the level of proteins that have catalytic properties (i.e., enzymes); frequently, a reagent is used to determine a particular form of the various structurally related forms of the enzyme (i.e., an isoenzyme) that may have different chemical, physical, or immunological characteristics. Assays for determination of enzymes/isoenzymes may measure either directly, measuring the enzyme itself, or indirectly, such as measuring the enzymatic activity. The characterization of enzymatic activity is a diagnostic tool in many diseases, including myocardial infarction, hepatitis, and cancer.
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