Homocystinuria Due to Cystathionine Synthase Deficiency

Combined Clinical Staff Conference at the National Institutes of Health

  1. LEONARD LASTER, M.D.;
  2. GEORGE L. SPAETH, M.D.;
  3. S. HARVEY MUDD, M.D.; and
  4. JAMES D. FINKELSTEIN, M.D.
  1. Requests for reprints should be addressed to Leonard Laster, M.D., Chief, Section on Gastroenterology, Metabolic Diseases Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases Bldg. 10, Room 8-N-240, National Institutes of Health,
    Bethesda, Md. 20014
    .

Excerpt

Dr. Leonard Laster: In 1962, Carson and Neill (1) reported results of a survey in which samples of urine from 2,081 mentally retarded individuals in Northern Ireland were examined "by qualitative chemical tests and chromatographic techniques in order to detect any inborn errors of metabolism which might be a contributory factor responsible for brain damage in these people." They discovered two female siblings with similar clinical findings whose urine specimens gave positive reactions in the sodium nitroprusside-cyanide test (2) indicating an increased excretion of a sulfur-containing amino acid. Examination of the urinary amino acids by paper chromatography revealed that in

Summario in Interlingua

Homocystinuria es characterisate per retardation mental, ectopia del lente, anormalitates ossee, anormalitates cardiovascular con episodios thrombo-embolic, fin capillos de color clar, rubescentias malar, alterationes grassiose del hepate, e levate concentrationes de methionina e homocystina in le plasma sanguinee a parte un quantitate anormal de homocystina in le urina. Homocystina es le disulfururo de homocysteina, un composito intermediari in le metabolismo de methionina. Normalmente, homocysteina se condensa con serina sub le effecto catalytic del enzyma synthase cystathioninic resultante in le production de cystathionina. Essayage de extractos de tissu hepatic ab quatro patientes con homocystinuria revelava un carentia marcate de activitate de synthase cystathioninic (amontante a circa 3 pro cento del valor medie de controlo). Le addition del cofactor phosphato de pyridoxal in vitro non augmentava le activitate del extractos, e le extractos non inhibiva le activitate de preparatos de specimens hepatic de controlo. In duo familias studiate, cata-un del parentes habeva inter 33 e 43 pro cento del valor medie de controlo pro synthase cystathioninic del hepate in le absentia de stigmas clinic del morbo e de homocystina in le urina.

Nos stipula que le defecto fundamental es un carentia in le activitate de synthase cystathioninic, que le defecto es transmittite geneticamente como un character recessive autosomal, que le parentes asymptomatic representa le stato heterozygotic, e que le afficite prole representa le stato homozygotic. Un cosina de un del subjectos homozygotic le qual excerneva homocystina in le urina sin manifestar characteristicas clinic del morbo, habeva un activitate de synthase cystathioninic in le hepate amontante a 12 pro cento del valor medie de controlo. Le stato genetic de iste cosina non es clar. Le absentia de symptomas in illa es possibilemente attribuibile al presentia de un residuo de activitate enzymatic sufficiente pro su usual ingestion diurne de methionina.

Le homine normal converte le sulfure de circa 80 pro cento de un carga oral de L-methionina ad in sulfato inorganic le qual appare in le urina. In duo patientes con carentia de synthase cystathioninic, le capacitate de effectuar ille conversion esseva marcatemente reducite, sed le capacitate de converter sulfure de cysteina ad in sulfato inorganic esseva intacte. Isto monstra que le reaction de synthase cystathioninic es un passo in le circuito major pro le metabolismo de methionina in le homine e que in le afficite patiente le passos in ultra de iste reaction non es disturbate significativemente. Un test clinic pro grados marcate de carentia de synthase cystathioninic es proponite a base del reportate constatationes.

Un non ancora identificate composito a contento de sulfure, tal como un forma ligate de methionina, appare in le urina de un afficite patiente post le ingestion de L-methionina in quantitates multo superior a illos incontrate in subjectos de controlo e in quantitates superior a illo de homocystina in le urina. In plus, le afficite patiente retene un quantitate anormal de un dose de methionina e excerne lo de maniera anormalmente lente.

Un extracto de tissu cerebral obtenite post morte ab un patiente con homocystinuria pare esser characterisate per un carentia selective del activitate de synthase cystathioninic.

Un extracto de tissu hepatic ab un mentalmente retardate patiente con cystathioninuria habeva un activitate hepatic de cystathionase amontante a 5 pro cento del valor medie de controlo. Isto representa un secunde defecto in le circuito de transsulfuration associate con disturbate functiones cerebral.

Article and Author Information

  • This is an edited transcription of a combined clinical staff conference at the Clinical Center, Bethesda, Md., by the National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

    • Received October 12, 1965.
    • Accepted October 13, 1965.
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