The identification of type 1 Gaucher disease patients, asymptomatic cases and carriers in The Netherlands using urine samples: an evaluation.

The feasibility of using urine samples for the identification of patients with Gaucher disease and carriers has been investigated. It was found that the pH of a urine sample should be pH 6.0 or lower to ensure stability of lysosomal hydrolases.

Monoclonal antibodies against human acid alpha-glucosidase.

Acid alpha-glucosidase purified from human placenta was used to immunize a mouse (strain Balb/cHeA) according to a procedure described earlier (Stähli, C., Staehlin, T., Miggiano, V.

A family with different clinical forms of acid maltase deficiency (glycogenosis type II): biochemical and genetic studies.

In the same family, the generalized or infantile form of acid maltase deficiency (glycogenosis type II, Pompe disease) and the muscular or adult-onset form affected different individuals. Autosomal-recessive inheritance for the two clinical forms was demonstrated in this family by assay of acid alpha-glucosidase in muscle, lymphocytes, cultured fibroblasts, and urine of asymptomatic relatives. Current biochemical techniques do not discriminate between persons heterozygous for the generalized form and those heterozygous for the muscular form.

Identification of heterozygotes for glycogenosis 2 (acid maltase deficiency).

In 21 obligate and 9 possible heterozygotes for acid maltase deficiency (AMD) (glycogenosis 2, Pompe's disease), different methods of identifying heterozygotes have been studied. Heterozygosity could not be demonstrated by physical examination, serum CPK assays, morphological examination of muscle biopsy (including light-microscopy, histochemistry and electron-microscopy), or by ultrastructural examination of a skin biopsy. Heterozygotes could be identified to a large, but still limited extent, by measuring the acid alpha-glucosidase activity in urine, cultivated fibroblasts, leucocytes, or skeletal muscle.