First-trimester prenatal diagnosis of pyruvate kinase deficiency in an Indian family with the pyruvate kinase-Amish mutation

Pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency is a rare red cell glycolytic enzymopathy. The purpose of the present investigation was to offer prenatal diagnosis for PK deficiency to a couple who had a previous child with severe enzyme deficiency and congenital non-spherocytic hemolytic anemia. PK deficiency was identified in the family by assaying the enzyme activity in red cells. Chorionic villus sampling was performed in an 11-week gestation and the mutation was located in exon 10 of the PKLR gene characterized by polymerase chain reaction and using restriction endonuclease digestion with the MspI enzyme, which was confirmed by DNA sequencing on the ABI 310 DNA sequencer. Both the parents were heterozygous for the 1436G-->A [479 Arg-->His] mutation in exon 10 and the proband was homozygous for this mutation. The fetus was also heterozygous for this mutation and the pregnancy was continued. Prenatal diagnosis allowed the parents with a severely affected child with PK deficiency to have the reproductive choice of having the fetus tested in a subsequent pregnancy.

Anemia hemolítica no esferocítica (AHCNE) por deficiencia de piruvato quinasa: informe del segundo caso en Costa Rica / Nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia to piruvate kinase deficiency: Inform of second case in Costa Rica

Se describe el segundo caso hallado en Costa Rica de anemia hemolítica crónica no esferocítica (AHCNE) por deficiencia de un piruvato quinasa, en una niña de 12 años de edad. Del estudio familiar, inicialmente orientado en su diagnóstico por una prueba positiva del cianuro ascorbato, se sugiere el posible caracter doble heterocigoto de la deficiencia en la paciente, eventualmente dada por dos variables enzimáticas por cooperación negativa

Gd(-) Carapicuiba, a rare glucose-6 phosphate dehydrogenase variant associated with moderate enzyme deficiency and chronic hemolysis

A 27 year old Brazilian male of both Portuguese and Spanish origin presenting nonspherocytic chronic hemolytic anemia was found to have a rare glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase variant herein named Gd(-) Carapicuiba. The red blood cell enzyme variant is characterized by a moderate enzyme deficiency (47%), high Km for its substrates G6P and NADP, decreased activity against deamino-NADP, increased Ki for NADPH and decreased heat stability. The clinical signs of the patient are probably related to these properties of the enzyme variant