Human adenosine deaminase and its binding protein in normal and adenosine deaminase-deficient fibroblast cell strains.

Reduced or absent adenosine deaminase activity occurs in all tissues of some patients with severe combined immunodeficiency disease. In this report we describe (a) a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay for fibroblast adenosine deaminase and its binding protein, (b) the importance of various tissue culture media on the expression of fibroblast adenosine deaminase, and (c) the levels of immunoreactive adenosine deaminase compared to its binding protein in normal and homozygous adenosine deaminase-deficient fibroblast cell strains.