Impact of glycogen storage disease type I on adult daily life: a survey.

Background: Glycogen storage disease type I (GSD I) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of carbohydate metabolism characterized by recurrent hypoglycaemia and hepatomegaly. Management of GSD I is demanding and comprises a diet with defined carbohydrate intake and the use of complex carbohydrates, nocturnal tube feeding or night-time uncooked cornstarch intake, regular blood glucose monitoring and the handling of emergency situations. With improved treatment, most patients nowadays survive into adulthood.

Endogenous galactose formation in galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase deficiency.

Patients with classical galactosaemia (galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase (GALT) deficiency) manifest clinical complications despite strict dietary galactose restriction. Therefore the significance of endogenous galactose production has been assessed. Previous in vivo studies primarily focused on patients homozygous for the most common genetic variant Q188R but little is known about other genetic variants.

Clinical and neurocognitive outcome in symptomatic isovaleric acidemia.

Background: Despite its first description over 40 years ago, knowledge of the clinical course of isovaleric acidemia (IVA), a disorder predisposing to severe acidotic episodes during catabolic stress, is still anecdotal. We aimed to investigate the phenotypic presentation and factors determining the neurological and neurocognitive outcomes of patients diagnosed with IVA following clinical manifestation.

Methods: Retrospective data on 21 children and adults with symptomatic IVA diagnosed from 1976 to 1999 were analyzed for outcome determinants including age at diagnosis and number of catabolic episodes.

Differential glycomics of epithelial membrane glycoproteins from urinary exovesicles reveals shifts toward complex-type N-glycosylation in classical galactosemia.

A variety of genetic variations in the galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase (GALT) gene cause profound activity loss of the enzyme and acute toxic effects mediated by accumulating metabolic intermediates of galactose in newborns induced by dietary galactose. However, even on a severely galactose-restricted diet, patients develop serious long-term complications of the CNS and ovaries, which may result from damaging perturbations in cell biology caused by endogenously synthezised galactose. Under galactose stress, the cosubstrate of GALT, galactose-1-phosphate, accumulates and disturbs catabolic and anabolic pathways of the carbohydrate metabolism with potential effects on protein glycosylation and membrane localization of glycoprotein receptors, like the epidermal growth factor receptor.

Efficacy and outcome of expanded newborn screening for metabolic diseases--report of 10 years from South-West Germany.

Background: National newborn screening programmes based on tandem-mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and other newborn screening (NBS) technologies show a substantial variation in number and types of disorders included in the screening panel. Once established, these methods offer the opportunity to extend newborn screening panels without significant investment and cost. However, systematic evaluations of newborn screening programmes are rare, most often only describing parts of the whole process from taking blood samples to long-term evaluation of outcome.

Cross-sectional analysis of speech and cognitive performance in 32 patients with classic galactosemia.

Background: Long-term outcome in classic galactosemia is disappointing with impaired IQ, reduced bone mineral density, and fertility problems. Moreover, speech impairment is common with conflicting reports regarding frequency, pattern, and relation to IQ.

Objective: To evaluate speech and cognitive performance in patients with galactosemia.

Clinical and molecular characterization of five patients with succinyl-CoA:3-ketoacid CoA transferase (SCOT) deficiency.

Succinyl-CoA:3-ketoacid CoA transferase (SCOT) deficiency is an inborn error of ketone body metabolism and causes episodic ketoacidosis. We report clinical and molecular analyses of 5 patients with SCOT deficiency. Patients GS07, GS13, and GS14 are homozygotes of S405P, L327P, and R468C, respectively.

Longitudinal assessment of intellectual achievement in patients with classical galactosemia.

Objective: To conduct a longitudinal assessment of long-term cognitive outcome in patients with classical galactosemia.

Methods: Inclusion criteria were (1) previous assessment of IQ dating back >10 years with tests being comparable with the recent German tests HAWIK-III and HAWIE-R, (2) absence of illnesses other than galactosemia, (3) absence of foreign language problems, (4) enzymatic-metabolic proof of classical galactosemia, (5) compliance with dietary therapy, and (6) written informed consent. Twenty-three patients who fulfilled these criteria were found.

A non-enzymatic function of 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 10 is required for mitochondrial integrity and cell survival.

Deficiency of the mitochondrial enzyme 2-methyl-3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase involved in isoleucine metabolism causes an organic aciduria with atypical neurodegenerative course. The disease-causing gene is HSD17B10 and encodes 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 10 (HSD10), a protein also implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Here we show that clinical symptoms in patients are not correlated with residual enzymatic activity of mutated HSD10.

Molecular genetics of maple syrup urine disease in the Turkish population.

In maple syrup urine disease (MSUD), disease-causing mutations can affect the BCKDHA, BCKDHB or DBT genes encoding for the E1alpha, E1beta and E2 subunits of the multienzyme branched-chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase (BCKDH) complex. Here we summarize the MSUD genotypes of a cohort of 32 unrelated Turkish patients in whom both alleles at a single gene locus harbored presumable disease-causing nucleotide changes. The patients had different forms of MSUD, ranging from the severe classical form (26 patients) to severe and mild variants (6 patients).

Biochemical and genetic analysis of 3-methylglutaconic aciduria type IV: a diagnostic strategy.

The heterogeneous group of 3-methylglutaconic aciduria type IV consists of patients with various organ involvement and mostly progressive neurological impairment in combination with 3-methylglutaconic aciduria and biochemical features of dysfunctional oxidative phosphorylation. Here we describe the clinical and biochemical phenotype in 18 children and define 4 clinical subgroups (encephalomyopathic, hepatocerebral, cardiomyopathic, myopathic). In the encephalomyopathic group with neurodegenerative symptoms and respiratory chain complex I deficiency, two of the children, presenting with mild Methylmalonic aciduria, Leigh-like encephalomyopathy, dystonia and deafness, harboured SUCLA2 mutations.

Urinary excretion of pentose phosphate pathway-associated polyols in early postnatal life.

Background: Two new inborn errors in the pentose phosphate pathway have been described: ribose-5-isomerase deficiency and transaldolase deficiency. These defects are characterized by accumulation of specific polyols in body fluids. Little is known about human polyol metabolism, but there are indications for a physiological role primarily during early development.

Safety and efficacy of 22 weeks of treatment with sapropterin dihydrochloride in patients with phenylketonuria.

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an inherited metabolic disease characterized by phenylalanine (Phe) accumulation, which can lead to neurocognitive and neuromotor impairment. Sapropterin dihydrochloride, an FDA-approved synthetic formulation of tetrahydrobiopterin (6R-BH4, herein referred to as sapropterin) is effective in reducing plasma Phe concentrations in patients with hyperphenylalaninemia due to tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4)-responsive PKU, offering potential for improved metabolic control. Eighty patients, > or =8 years old, who had participated in a 6-week, randomized, placebo-controlled study of sapropterin, were enrolled in this 22-week, multicenter, open-label extension study comprising a 6-week forced dose-titration phase (5, 20, and 10 mg/kg/day of study drug consecutively for 2 weeks each), a 4-week dose-analysis phase (10 mg/kg/day), and a 12-week fixed-dose phase (patients received doses of 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg/day based on their plasma Phe concentrations during the dose titration).

Biochemical monitoring of pregnancy and breast feeding in five patients with classical galactosaemia--and review of the literature.

Pregnancy, delivery, and postpartal metabolic control was monitored biochemically in five patients (22-38 years of age) with clinically, enzymatically, and genotypically established classical galactosaemia and good dietary compliance. Three of the patients performed breast feeding of their newborns. Monitoring parameters were galactose-1-phosphate and galactitol concentrations in erythrocytes and urinary excretion of galactose, galactitol, galactonate, and lactose.

Evaluation of quality of life and description of the sociodemographic state in adolescent and young adult patients with phenylketonuria (PKU).

Background: Normal intellectual and personal development can be expected in early-diagnosed and treated PKU patients. Aim of the study was to analyse quality of life and social status, which are important parameters for an overall estimation of success of treatment apart from intellectual outcome in adult PKU patients.

Methods: 67 patients completed a questionnaire on quality of life and social status.

Outcome and long-term follow-up of 36 patients with tetrahydrobiopterin deficiency.

We describe the treatment, the clinical, and biochemical findings and the outcome of 26 patients with 6-pyruvoyl-tetrahydropterin synthase (PTPS) deficiency and 10 patients with dihydropteridine reductase (DHPR) deficiency. These are the two most common forms of the autosomal-recessively inherited tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) deficiency. Time of diagnosis, dosage of BH4 and neurotransmitter precursors, folinic acid substitution, and levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA) and homovanillic acid (HVA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are essential parameters in the follow-up of patients.

Cystic renal dysplasia as a leading sign of inherited metabolic disease.

Glutaric acidemia type II and carnitine palmitoyltransferase type II deficiency are rare, but potentially treatable, inherited metabolic diseases. Hallmarks of the early onset form of both conditions are renal abnormalities and neonatal metabolic crisis. In this article, we report on two newborns with cystic renal dysplasia as a leading sign of these metabolic diseases.

Neonatal screening for very long-chain acyl-coA dehydrogenase deficiency: enzymatic and molecular evaluation of neonates with elevated C14:1-carnitine levels.

Objective: Neonatal screening programs for very long-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency have been implemented recently in various countries. Mildly elevated C14:1-carnitine on day 3 of life strongly suggests very long-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency.

Design: We characterized 11 neonates with elevated C14:1-carnitine by enzyme and molecular analyses.

Impact of longitudinal plasma leucine levels on the intellectual outcome in patients with classic MSUD.

Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is an inherited deficiency of branched chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase (BCKDH) activity impairing the degradation of the branched chain amino acids valine, leucine, and isoleucine. Classic MSUD may lead to severe neonatal encephalopathy including coma and impaired cognitive outcome in later life. Early start of dietary treatment and careful metabolic control may improve the outcome of patients with classic MSUD.

[Inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) in adults. A new challenge to internal medicine (Part 2)].

Improvements in screening programs, diagnostic tests and therapeutic interventions in inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) have led to increasing and prolonged patient survival and improved prognosis of affected subjects. Today, in Germany about 200 patients with IEM survive per year into adulthood. They need specialized adult care.

[Situation of adult patients with inborn errors of metabolism. A survey in Germany].

Background And Purpose: Advances in diagnosis and therapy of inborn errors of metabolism have improved prognosis and outcome of affected patients. Many patients have reached adulthood already, and thus may be attended by adult physicians. In this study the authors evaluated the situation of adult patients with metabolic diseases in Germany.