INBORN ERRORS OF METABOLISM
INBORN ERRORS OF METABOLISM
• IEM occur 1 in 5000 births collectively
• Often treatable if diagnosed
• Most difficult task for clinician is to know when to consider IEM and which tests to order for evaluation
• Clues to presence of IEM may often be found in FH
DIAGNOSING INBORN ERRORS OF METABOLISM
• Signs and symptoms are often nonspecific
• Routine childhood illnesses excluded 1st• Inborn errors considered only secondarily
• Every child with unexplained . . . • Neurological deterioration• Metabolic acidosis• Hypoglycemia• Inappropriate ketosis• Hypotonia• Cardiomyopathy• Hepatocellular dysfunction• Failure to thrive
. . . should be suspected of having a metabolic disorder
WHEN TO SUSPECT AN IEM
• Infants have only a limited repertoire of symptoms--sxs non-specific
• Vomiting, lethargy, FTT, sz’s, resp (tachypnea, hyperpnea, apnea), coma, cardiomyopathy
• Odor, abnormal hair, dysmorphology• Labs: metabolic acidosis, hypoglycemia,
hyperammonemia, reducing substances in urine, ketonuria, pancytopenia
• Not all infants with life threatening IEM have either acidosis or hyperammonemia (i.e. non-ketotic hyperglycinemia, mild lactate elevations).
Laboratory Assessment of Neonates Suspected of Having an Inborn Error of Metabolism Routine Studies Special Studies Blood lactate and pyruvate Complete blood count and differential Plasma amino acids Plasma ammonia Plasma carnitine Plasma glucose Urine amino acids Plasma electrolytes and blood pH Urine organic acids Urine ketones Urine-reducing substances
Clinical Symptomatology of Inborn Errors of Metabolism (IEM) in the Neonate or Infant Symptoms indicating possibility of an IEM (one or all)
Infant becomes acutely ill after period of normal behavior and feeding; this may occur within hours or weeks
Neonate or infant with seizures and/or hypotonia, especially if seizures are intractable
Neonate or infant with an unusual odor Symptoms indicating strong possibility of an IEM, particularly when coupled
with the above symptoms Persistent or recurrent vomiting Failure to thrive (failure to gain weight or weight loss)
Apnea or respiratory distress (tachypnea) Jaundice or hepatomegaly Lethargy Coma (particularly intermittent) Unexplained hemorrhage Family history of neonatal deaths, or of similar illness, especially in
siblings Parental consanguinity Sepsis (particularly Escherichia coli)
Physical Anomalies Associated With Acute-Onset Inborn Errors of Metabolism (IEM)
Anomaly Possible IEM Ambiguous genitalia Congentital adrenal hyperplasia Hair and/or skin problems (alope- Multiple carboxylase deficiency, biotinidase cia, dermatitis) deficiency, argininosuccinic aciduria Structural brain abnormalities Pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency (agenesis of corpus callosum, cortical cysts) Macrocephaly Glutaric aciduria, type I Renal cysts, facial dysmorphia Glutaric aciduria, type II; Zellweger syndrome Facial dysmorphia Peroxisomal disorders, (Zellweger syndrome) Cataract Galactosemia, Lowe syndrome Retinopathy Peroxisomal disorders Lens dislocation, seizures Sulfite oxidase deficiency Molybdenum cofactor deficiency Facial dysmorphia, congenital heart 3-OH-isobutyric CoA deacylase deficiency
disease, vertebral anomalies
Clinical Manifestations of Inborn Errors Presenting Neonatally
Neurologic Signs Poor suck Lethargy (progressing to coma) Abnormalities of tone Loss of reflexes Seizures Gastrointestinal Signs Poor feeding Vomiting Diarrhea Respiratory Signs Hyperpnea Respiratory failure Organomegaly Liver Heart
Inborn Errors of Metabolism of Acute Onset: Nonacidotic, Nonhyperammonemic Features Neurologic Features Predominant (Seizures, Hypotonia, Optic Abnormality) Glycine encephalopathy (nonketotic hyperglycinemia) Pyridoxine-responsive seizures Sulfite oxidase/santhine oxidase deficiency
Peroxisomal disorders (Zellweger syndrome, neonatal adrenoleuko- dystrophy, infantile refsum disease)
Jaundice Prominent Galactosemia Hereditary fructose intolerance Menkes kinky hair syndrome
1-antitrypsin deficiency Hypoglycemia (Nonketotic): Fatty acid oxidation defects (MCAD, LCAD,
carnitine palmityl transferase, infantile form) Cardiomegaly Glycogen storage disease (type II phosphorylase kinase b deficiency18) Fatty acid oxidation defects (LCAD) Hepatomegaly (Fatty): Fatty acid oxidation defects (MCAD, LCAD) Skeletal Muscle Weakness: Fatty acid oxidation defects (LCAD, SCAD,
multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase
defective enzyme
Substrate(increased)
Product(decreased)
action
Metabolites(increased)
Co-factor A Co-factor B
otherenzymes Metabolites
(decreased)
EFFECT ON OTHER METABOLIC ACTIVITYe.g., activation, inhibition, competition
Theoretical consequences of an enzyme deficiency.
PROTEIN GLYCOGEN FAT
AMINO ACIDSFRUCTOSE
GALACTOSE
FREE FATTY ACIDS
AMMONIA
UREA
UREA CYCLE
ORGANIC ACIDSGLUCOSE
PYRUVATE
ACETYL CoA
KREBS CYCLE
NADH
KETONES
ATP
LACTATE
An integrated view of the metabolic pathways
FIRST STEPS IN METABOLIC THERAPY FOR INBORN ERRORS
OF METABOLISM
• Reduce precursor substrate load• Provide caloric support• Provide fluid support• Remove metabolites via dialysis• Divert metabolites• Supplement with cofactor(s)
THERAPEUTIC MEASURES FOR IEM
• D/C oral intake temporarily
• Usually IVF’s with glucose to give 12-15 mg/kg/min glu and at least 60 kcal/kg to prevent catabolism
• Na benzoate/arginine/citrulline
• Dialysis--not exchange transfusion
• Vitamins--often given in cocktails after labs drawn before dx is known
• Biotin, B6, B12, riboflavin, thiamine, folate
TREATMENT OF THE ACUTELY SICK CHILD
General Therapy
• Maintain vital functions• Oxygenation• Hydration• Acid/Base balance
Specific Therapy
• Treat infection
• High dose I.V. glucose
• Carnitine supplementation
TREATMENT OF GENETIC DISEASES
• MODIFY ENVIRONMENT, e.g., diet, drugs
• SURGICAL, correct or repair defect or organ transplantation
• MODIFY OR REPLACE DEFECTIVE GENE PRODUCT, megadose vitamin therapy or enzyme replacement
• REPLACE DEFECTIVE GENE• CORRECT ALTERED DNA IN DEFECTIVE GENE
NEWBORN SCREENING
• PKU - must do on all infants in NICU even if not advanced to full feeds
• Positive--transient HPA, tyr, liver disease, benign HPA, classical PKU
• Galactosemia-
• Hypothyroidism
• Hemoglobinopathies
• Biotinidase def, CAH (21-OH’ase def),
• MSUD
METABOLIC DISORDERS PRESENTING AS SEVERE
NEONATAL DISEASE1. Disorders of Carbohydrate Metabolism• Galactosemia - presents with severe liver
disease, gram negative sepsis, and/or cataracts
• Enz deficiency: Gal-1-phos uridyl transferase, UDP-gal-4-epimerase
• Glycogen storage disease type 1a & 1b - presents as hypoglycemia
• Enz deficiency: Glucose-6 phosphatase • Lactic Acidosis - presents as lactic acidosis +/-
hypoglycemia• Enz deficiency: Pyruvate carboxylase, Pyr
dehydrogenase, etc.• Fructose intolerance - Needs fructose
exposure, hypoglycemia and acidosis
METABOLIC DISORDERS PRESENTING AS SEVERE
NEONATAL DISEASE2. Amino Acid Disorders• Maple syrup urine disease - presents with
odor to urine and CNS problems• Enz deficiency: Branched chain ketoacid
decarboxylase• Nonketotic hyperglycinemia - presents with
CNS problems• Enz deficiency: Glycine cleavage system
• Tyrosinemia - Severe liver disease, renal tubular dysfunction
• Enz deficiency: Fumaryl acetate• Transient tyrosinemia of prematurity -
progressive coma following respiratory distress
METABOLIC DISORDERS PRESENTING AS SEVERE
NEONATAL DISEASE3. Urea Cycle Defects and Hyperammonemia
4. All present with lethargy, seizures, ketoacidosis, neutroenia, and hyperammonemia
• Ornithine carbamyl transferase (OTC) deficiency
• Carbamyl phosphate synthetase deficiency
• Citrullinemia
• Arginosuccinic Aciduria
• Argininemia
• Transient tyrosinemia of prematurity
METABOLIC DISORDERS PRESENTING AS SEVERE
NEONATAL DISEASEAll present with lethargy, seizures, ketoacidosis, neutropenia, hyperammonemia, and/or
hyperglycinemia
4. Organic Acid Defects• Methylmalonic acidemia• Proprionic acidemia• Isovaleric acidemia - odor of “sweaty feet”• Glutaric aciduria type II• Dicarboxylic aciduria
5. Miscellaneous• Peroxisomal disorders• Lysosomal storage disease• Pyridoxine dependent seizures