Diseases of inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs) are very rare but the overall prevalence of IEMs is not low, and in the United States, about 5~10% of admitted patients have some genetic predispositions. Clinical manifestations of IEMs are very diverse, but most frequent manifestations are neurological symptoms and signs. IEMs in Korea have been underestimated because of prejudice, underdevelopment of diagnostic tools and ignorance. The Korean Pediatric Society has done a retrospective study in order to know the relative incidence of IEMs in 2001. All hospitals with over 100 beds participated in the study. The most frequent disease was Wilson disease (201 cases for 10 years) followed by phenylketonuria (98 cases for 10 years) and Hunters disease (69 cases for 10 years). Disorders of mineral metabolism were the most frequently diagnosed disease groups (252 cases for 10 years) followed by organic acidopathies (220 cases), aminoacidopathies (139 cases), mucopolysaccharidosis (131 cases), disorders of carbohydrate metabolism (84 cases), sphingolipidosis (69 cases), urea cycle disorders (39 cases), peroxisomal disorders (27 cases), porphyrias (16 cases), disorders of purine and pyrimidine metabolism (14 cases), disorders of membrane transport (13 cases), fatty acid oxidation disorders (9 cases), oligosaccharidosis (2 cases), and mucolipidosis (1 case). Clearly, Koreans are not protected from IEMs and a systematic approach is needed to make diagnosis more easy and accurate.
Brain Diseases, Metabolic, Inborn ; Carbohydrate Metabolism ; Diagnosis ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Hepatolenticular Degeneration ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea* ; Membranes ; Metabolism ; Metabolism, Inborn Errors* ; Mucolipidoses ; Mucopolysaccharidoses ; Peroxisomal Disorders ; Phenylketonurias ; Porphyrias ; Prejudice ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Sphingolipidoses ; United States ; Urea Cycle Disorders, Inborn

Bartter and Bartter-like syndromes, which include classic Bartter syndrome(type III), neonatal Bartter syndrome(type I, II or IV) and Gitelman syndrome, are autosomal - recessively inherited renal tubular disorders characterized by hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, salt wasting and normal to low blood pressure. Neonatal Bartter syndrome is characterized by intrauterine polyhydramnios, premature delivery, life-threatening episodes of fever and dehydration, subsequent failure to thrive, and severe hypercalciuria with nephrocalcinosis and osteopenia. It is caused by mutations in NKCC2(type I), ROMK(type II) or BSND(type IV) genes. If diagnosed and treated early, the progression to renal failure can be prevented and catch-up growth and normal development are achieved. We report here a 6 month-old infant with neonatal Bartter syndrome who presented with hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, polyhydramnios and premature delivery, persistent high fever and dehydration, failure to thrive, hypercalciuria, and nephrocalcinosis. He received indomethacin and potassium chloride per os and showed catch-up growth and normal developmental profile at 19 months of age.
Alkalosis ; Bartter Syndrome* ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Dehydration ; Failure to Thrive ; Fever ; Gitelman Syndrome ; Humans ; Hypercalciuria ; Hypotension ; Indomethacin ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Nephrocalcinosis ; Polyhydramnios ; Potassium Chloride ; Renal Insufficiency

No abstract available.
Acidosis, Respiratory* ; Alkalosis, Respiratory*

OBJECTIVE: To screen for potential variants of GCDH gene in 3 patients clinically diagnosed as glutaric aciduria type Ⅰ. METHODS: GCDH gene variants was detected by Sanger sequencing among the three children and their family members. RESULTS: Sanger sequencing showed that patient 1 carried compound heterozygosity variants of c.532G>A (p.Gly178Arg) and c.655G>A (p.Ala219Thr) of the GCDH gene, while his father and mother respectively carried heterozygous c.532G>A(p.Gly178Arg) and c.655G>A (p.Ala219Thr) variants. Patient 2 carried c.532G>A (p.Gly178Arg) and a novel c.1060G>T (p.Gly354Cys) compound heterozygous variant, while his father and mother respectively carried heterozygous c.532G>A (p.Gly178Arg) and c.1060G>T (p.Gly354Cys) variant. Patient 3 carried homozygous c.532G>A (p.Gly178Arg) variant of the GCDH gene, for which both of his parents were heterozygous carriers. CONCLUSION The GCDH gene variant probably underlie the glutaric aciduria type Ⅰ among the 3 patients. Identifcation of the novel variant has enriched the spectrum of GCDH gene variants.
Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors ; genetics ; Brain Diseases, Metabolic ; genetics ; Female ; Glutaryl-CoA Dehydrogenase ; deficiency ; genetics ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Male

OBJECTIVE: To review the clinical features of a male twin affected with glutaric academia type I (GA-I) and analyze the variations of glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase (GCDH) gene. METHODS: Clinical data of the pair of twins and their parents were collected. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples, and variants of GCDH genes were detected by capture sequencing using a customized panel. Variants of the twins and their parents were verified by Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: The level of glutaric acyl carnitine (C5DC + C6OH) was 3.26 μmol/L in the male twin. The relative level of glutaric acid in urine was 547.51 by gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis. Cerebral ultrasonography showed that the patient had subependymal hemorrhage, but no serious clinical manifestation was noted. After treating with special formula milk powder and L-carnitine, the boy showed good growth and development. Two heterozygous variants of the GCDH gene were detected in the patient, among which c.416C>G was suspected to be pathogenic, while c.109_110delCA was unreported. The variants were respectively inherited from his parents. The twin girl only carried the c.416C>G variant. CONCLUSION GA-I can be diagnosed by mass spectrometry, urine gas chromatographic mass spectrometry, imaging as well as genetic diagnosis. Early diagnosis and intervention is important.
Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors ; genetics ; Brain Diseases, Metabolic ; genetics ; Female ; Glutaryl-CoA Dehydrogenase ; deficiency ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Mutation ; Phenotype

Gitelman syndrome (GS) is a renal tubular disorder of the thiazide-sensitive sodium chloride cotransporter, which is located in the distal tubule of the loop of Henle. We present a rare case of GS complicated by severe hyponatraemia and hypophosphataemia. A 17-year-old boy was admitted to our institution with fever and lethargy. The workup revealed typical features of GS, i.e. hypokalaemia, hypomagnesaemia and metabolic alkalosis. In this report, we discuss the differential diagnoses and rationale for accepting GS as the most likely diagnosis. This case was complicated by severe hyponatraemia (115 mmol/L) and hypophosphataemia (0.32 mmol/L). We concluded that the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormones could not be ruled out and that respiratory alkalosis was the most likely aetiology of hypophosphataemia. This case report also generates an interesting discussion on water and electrolyte metabolism.
Adolescent ; Alkalosis, Respiratory ; diagnosis ; Electrolytes ; Fever ; Gitelman Syndrome ; complications ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Hyponatremia ; complications ; diagnosis ; Hypophosphatemia ; complications ; diagnosis ; Lethargy ; Male ; Vasopressins ; secretion

A one-year-old girl visited the hospital due to limb torsion and developmental regression for one month after hand, foot and mouth disease. At the age of 11 months, she visited a local hospital due to fever for 5 days and skin rash with frequent convulsions for 2 days and was diagnosed with severe hand, foot and mouth disease, viral encephalitis, and status epilepticus. Brain MRI revealed symmetric abnormal signals in the bilateral basal ganglia, bilateral thalamus, cerebral peduncle, bilateral cortex, and hippocampus. She was given immunoglobulin, antiviral drugs, and anticonvulsant drugs for 2 weeks, and the effect was poor. Blood and urine screening for inherited metabolic diseases were performed to clarify the etiology. The analysis of urine organic acids showed significant increases in glutaric acid and 3-hydroxyglutaric acid, which suggested glutaric aciduria type 1, but her blood glutarylcarnitine was normal, and free carnitine significantly decreased. After the treatment with low-lysine diets, L-carnitine, and baclofen for 1 month, the patient showed a significant improvement in symptoms. Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common viral infectious disease in children, and children with underlying diseases such as inherited metabolic diseases and immunodeficiency may experience serious complications. For children with hand, foot and mouth disease and unexplained encephalopathy, inherited metabolic diseases should be considered.
Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors ; etiology ; Brain Diseases, Metabolic ; etiology ; Developmental Disabilities ; etiology ; Female ; Glutaryl-CoA Dehydrogenase ; deficiency ; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease ; complications ; Humans ; Infant ; Torsion Abnormality ; etiology

OBJECTIVE: To detect potential variation in glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase (GCDH) gene among three Chinese families affected with glutaric acidemia type Ⅰ(GA-1) and correlate the genotypes with phenotypes. METHODS: Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples derived from three patients with GA-1 and their family members. The coding regions of the GCDH gene were amplified with PCR and subjected to Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: The clinical manifestation of the patients varied from macrocephaly to severe encephalopathy, with notable phenotypic difference between siblings carrying the same variation. In pedigrees 1 and 2, the probands have carried compound heterozygous variations c.1133C>T(p.Ala378Val) and c.1244-2A>C, which were derived their fathers and mothers, respectively. In pedigree 3, the proband has carried compound heterozygous variation c.339delT (p.Tyr113) and c.406G>T (p.Gly136Cys). Among these, variations c.339delT and c.1133C>T were verified as novel by retrieval of dsSNP, HGMD and 1000 genome database. Bioinformatic analysis suggested that above variations can affect protein function and are probably pathogenic. CONCLUSION Above discovery has expanded the mutation spectrum of the GCDH gene. No correlation was found between the clinical phenotype and genotype of GA-1 patients.
Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Brain Diseases, Metabolic ; diagnosis ; genetics ; China ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Glutaryl-CoA Dehydrogenase ; deficiency ; genetics ; Humans ; Mutation

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic basis for a neonate affected with Glutaric aciduria type I (GA-I). METHODS: Targeted capture and high-throughput sequencing was carried out for the proband and her parents. Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: The proband was found to harbor compound heterozygous variants of the GCDH gene, namely c.523G>A and c.1190T>C, which was derived from her father and mother, respectively. CONCLUSION The compound heterozygous variants of the GCDH gene probably underlay the GA-I in the patient.
Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors/genetics* ; Brain Diseases, Metabolic/genetics* ; Child ; Female ; Glutaryl-CoA Dehydrogenase/genetics* ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Mutation

Calcinosis cutis-calcification in soft tissue-is a rare benign disease that is separated into the following subtypes: dystrophic, iatrogenic, metastatic, calciphylaxis, and idiopathic. One of common site of calcinosis cutis is the scrotum. The nodules slowly grow for years or decades. The characteristic of calcinosis cutis of the scrotum is generally asymptomatic, yellowish marble-like, hard, polypoidal, solitary, or multiple. However, the pathogenesis of this nodule remains ambiguous and controversial. Thus, we reviewed possible causes and therapeutic consideration of calcinosis cutis of the scrotum.
Calcinosis* ; Calciphylaxis ; Scrotum* ; Skin