Combined heart and liver transplantation in a patient supported by left ventricular assist device (LVAD) with propionic acidemia.

Propionic acidemia (PA) is a rare inherited metabolic disease due to inborn errors of metabolism. PA results in the accumulation of abnormal organic acid metabolites in multiple systems, mainly the central nervous system and the heart. Cardiac complications include dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and carry a 40-50% increased mortality risk. Liver transplantation (LT) is required in PA patients when medical treatment fails and may prevent or slow down the cardiomyopathy progression. However, severe heart disease may be a serious contraindication to LT. We present a complicated case of a PA patient, supported with a Left Ventricular Assist Device, who underwent a heart and Liver transplant. PA patients are at increased risk for metabolic acidosis during surgery, with increased anion gap and hyperammonemia. A strict multi-disciplinary approach is needed to prevent and treat metabolic decompensation. The patient had a successful heart and liver transplant after a strict treatment protocol in the pre, intra, and post-operative periods. His case highlights the complexity of PA patients and the increased risk for metabolic decompensation during surgery and provides an insight into how to manage such complicated patients.

[Disease spectrum analysis of children with inherited metabolic diseases detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of urinary organic acids].

Objective: To investigate the spectrum of amino acid, organic acid, and fatty acid oxidative metabolic diseases in children diagnosed by detecting urinary organic acid levels using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Methods: From January 2005 to December 2021, clinical data of 2 461 children diagnosed with inherited metabolic diseases (IMD) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, in combination with tandem mass spectrometry and genetic testing in Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Among 2 461 children, 1 446 were male and 1 051 were female. A total of 32 types of IMD were detected among 2 461 patients, which included 10 amino acid disorders in 662 cases (26.9%), 6 common diseases were hyperphenylalaninemia, citrin deficiency, ornithine carbamoyltransferase deficiency, maple syrup urine disease, alkaptonuria, and tyrosinemia-I, 17 types of organic acidemias in 1 683 cases (68.4%), 6 common diseases were methylmalonic acidemia, propionic acidemia, valeric acidemia-type Ⅰ, isovaleric acidemia, 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase deficiency and multiple carboxylase deficiency and 5 fatty acid ß oxidative defects in 116 cases (4.7%), 2 common diseases were multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency and short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency). Conclusion: Among the diseases diagnosed by analyzing urinary organic acid profiling with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, the most common are organic acidemias, followed by amino acid disorders and fatty acid oxidation defects.

Incidence of newborn screening disorders among 56632 infants in Central Saudi Arabia. A 6-year study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence of newborn screening (NBS) disorders and to study the key performance indicators of the program. METHODS: This retrospective single-center study enrolled all infants who underwent NBS from January 2012 to December 2017 at Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We screened 17 NBS disorders. Blood samples were collected 24 hours after birth. If the initial result was positive, a second sample was collected. True positive cases were immediately referred for medical management. Data were extracted from laboratory computerized and non-computerized records using case report forms. RESULTS: During the study period, 56632 infants underwent NBS with a coverage rate of 100%. Thirty-eight cases were confirmed. The incidence of congenital hypothyroidism was 1:3775. The positive predictive value for the detection of congenital hypothyroidism was 11.8%. Propionic aciduria was the most common metabolic disorder, with an incidence of 1:14158. Very long-chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency and glutaric aciduria type 1 had an incidence of 1:18877 each. Phenylketonuria, biotinidase deficiency, maple syrup urine disease, and citrullinemia had an incidence of 1:28316 each. However, galactosemia and 3-methyl crotonyl carboxylase deficiency had the lowest incidence of 1:56632. CONCLUSION: The NBS coverage rate at our facility was 100%. Congenital hypothyroidism was the most frequently detected disorder with an incidence that matches worldwide figures. The incidence of other inherited disorders was consistent with regional figures.

Acidemia propiónica: una causa sumamente rara de linfohistiocitosis hemofagocítica en un lactante / Propionic acidemia: an extremely rare cause of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in an infant

La linfohistiocitosis hemofagocítica (LHH) puede ser primaria (hereditaria) o secundaria a infecciones, tumores malignos, trastornos reumatológicos, síndromes de inmunodeficiencia y metabolopatías. Se informaron casos de intolerancia a la proteína lisinúrica, deficiencia de múltiples sulfatasas, galactosemia, enfermedad de Gaucher, síndrome de Pearson y galactosialidosis. No se sabe cómo se desencadena la LHH en las metabolopatías. Se diagnosticó LHH en un lactante de 2 meses con letargo, palidez, alimentación deficiente, hepatoesplenomegalia, fiebre y pancitopenia, y se instauró el protocolo HLH-2004. Se realizaron, en conjunto, análisis para detectar mutaciones genéticas y pruebas metabólicas; los resultados fueron negativos para las mutaciones genéticas de LHH primaria, pero se detectaron hiperamoniemia y concentración elevada de metilcitrato. Se diagnosticó acidemia propiónica. Aquí informamos sobre un caso de LHH secundaria a acidemia propiónica. Es posible la realización simultánea de pruebas de detección de trastornos metabólicos y de mutaciones genéticas para el diagnóstico temprano en los lactantes con LHH

Hemophagocytic lymphohystiocytosis (HLH) may be primary (inherited/familial) or secondary to infections, malignancies, rheumatologic disorders, immune deficiency syndromes and metabolic diseases. Cases including lysinuric protein intolerance, multiple sulfatase deficiency, galactosemia, Gaucher disease, Pearson syndrome, and galactosialidosis have previously been reported. It is unclear how the metabolites trigger HLH in metabolic diseases. A 2-month-old infant with lethargy, pallor, poor feeding, hepatosplenomegaly, fever and pancytopenia, was diagnosed with HLH and the HLH-2004 treatment protocol was initiated. Analysis for primary HLH gene mutations and metabolic screening tests were performed together; primary HLH gene mutations were negative, but hyperammonemia and elevated methyl citrate were detected. Propionic acidemia was diagnosed with tandem mass spectrometry in neonatal dried blood spot. We report this case of HLH secondary to propionic acidemia. Both metabolic disorder screening tests and gene mutation analysis may be performed simultaneously especially for early diagnosis in infants presenting with HLH.

Propionic acidemia: an extremely rare cause of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in an infant. / Acidemia propiónica: una causa sumamente rara de linfohistiocitosis hemofagocítica en un lactante.

Hemophagocytic lymphohystiocytosis (HLH) may be primary (inherited/familial) or secondary to infections, malignancies, rheumatologic disorders, immune deficiency syndromes and metabolic diseases. Cases including lysinuric protein intolerance, multiple sulfatase deficiency, galactosemia, Gaucher disease, Pearson syndrome, and galactosialidosis have previously been reported. It is unclear how the metabolites trigger HLH in metabolic diseases. A 2-month-old infant with lethargy, pallor, poor feeding, hepatosplenomegaly, fever and pancytopenia, was diagnosed with HLH and the HLH-2004 treatment protocol was initiated. Analysis for primary HLH gene mutations and metabolic screening tests were performed together; primary HLH gene mutations were negative, but hyperammonemia and elevated methyl citrate were detected. Propionic acidemia was diagnosed with tandem mass spectrometry in neonatal dried blood spot. We report this case of HLH secondary to propionic acidemia. Both metabolic disorder screening tests and gene mutation analysis may be performed simultaneously especially for early diagnosis in infants presenting with HLH.

La linfohistiocitosis hemofagocítica (LHH) puede ser primaria (hereditaria) o secundaria a infecciones, tumores malignos, trastornos reumatológicos, síndromes de inmunodeficiencia y metabolopatías. Se informaron casos de intolerancia a la proteína lisinúrica, deficiencia de múltiples sulfatasas, galactosemia, enfermedad de Gaucher, síndrome de Pearson y galactosialidosis. No se sabe cómo se desencadena la LHH en las metabolopatías. Se diagnosticó LHH en un lactante de 2 meses con letargo, palidez, alimentación deficiente, hepatoesplenomegalia, fiebre y pancitopenia, y se instauró el protocolo HLH-2004. Se realizaron, en conjunto, análisis para detectar mutaciones genéticas y pruebas metabólicas; los resultados fueron negativos para las mutaciones genéticas de LHH primaria, pero se detectaron hiperamoniemia y concentración elevada de metilcitrato. Se diagnosticó acidemia propiónica. Aquí informamos sobre un caso de LHH secundaria a acidemia propiónica. Es posible la realización simultánea de pruebas de detección de trastornos metabólicos y de mutaciones genéticas para el diagnóstico temprano en los lactantes con LHH.

Acidemia propiónica: diagnóstico clínico vs. cribado neonatal / Propionic acidemia: clinical diagnosis vs newborn screening

La acidemia propiónica es una rara enfermedad metabólica (prevalencia: 1/100 000), cuya detección puede hacerse de forma precoz mediante el cribado neonatal en las primeras 72 horas de vida. Puede tener una presentación neonatal grave, tardía intermitente o crónica progresiva. El tratamiento de las crisis consiste en la inversión del catabolismo que detiene la ingesta proteica con aporte intravenoso de calorías no proteicas. La mortalidad depende, fundamentalmente, de los episodios de descompensación aguda, mientras que la evolución asocia una alta tasa de secuelas neurológicas y déficits cognitivos.Se presenta el caso de una recién nacida de 11 días de vida con clínica de estancamiento ponderal, letargia, acidosis metabólica e hiperamonemia, que, debido a una falla en el proceso de cribado, no se benefició del diagnóstico precoz.A pesar de la ya existente detección por cribado, es vital mantener un alto índice de sospecha en casos sugestivos de metabolopatías.

Propionic acidemia is a rare metabolic disease (prevalence 1/100,000) that can be early detected with the newborn metabolic screening within the first 72 hours of life. It can have a severe neonatal presentation, a late intermittent onset or a chronic and progressive course. The treatment in the crisis consists in inverting the catabolism by pausing the protein intake and giving intravenous non-protein calories. Mortality depends mainly on acute episodes of decompensation, while evolution and prognosis associate a high rate of neurological sequelae and cognitive deficiencies.We present the case of an 11-day-old female newborn with failure to thrive, lethargy, metabolic acidosis and hyperammonemia that, because of a failed newborn screening process, could not be early diagnosed.In spite of the existence of early detection with the newborn metabolic screening, it is very important to keep a high suspicion in cases that suggest metabolic disorders.

Liver Transplantation in Children With Propionic Acidemia: Medium-Term Outcomes.

Liver transplantation (LT) for patients with propionic acidemia (PA) is an emerging therapeutic option. We present a retrospective review of patients with PA who underwent LT at a tertiary liver center between 1995 and 2015. A total of 14 children were identified (8 males) with median age at initial presentation of 3 days (range, 0-77 days). Pretransplant median protein restriction was 1 g/kg/day (range, 0.63-1.75 g/kg/day), 71% required supportive feeding, and 86% had developmental delay. Frequent metabolic decompensations (MDs) were the main indication for LT with a median age at transplantation of 2.4 years (range, 0.8-7.1 years). Only 1 graft was from a living donor, and 13 were from deceased donors (4 auxiliary). The 2-year patient survival was 86%, and overall study and graft survival was 79% and 69%, respectively. Three patients died after LT: at 43 days (biliary peritonitis), 225 days (acute-on-chronic rejection with multiorgan failure), and 13.5 years (posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease). Plasma glycine and propionylcarnitine remained elevated but reduced after transplant. Of 11 survivors, 5 had at least 1 episode of acute cellular rejection, 2 sustained a metabolic stroke (with full recovery), and 3 developed mild cardiomyopathy after LT. All have liberalized protein intake, and 9 had no further MDs: median episodes before transplant, 4 (range, 1-30); and median episodes after transplant, 0 (range, 0-5). All survivors made some developmental progress after LT, and none worsened at a median follow-up of 5.8 years (range, 2-23 years). LT in PA significantly reduces the frequency of MDs, can liberalize protein intake and improve quality of life, and should continue to be considered in selected cases.

Masquerading acidosis after cardiopulmonary bypass: a case of propionic acidemia and congenital heart disease.

We report the case of a child with both propionic acidemia and cyanotic congenital heart disease. The presence of an underlying inborn error of metabolism confounded the management of this patient in the postoperative period, resulting in therapeutic misdirection until the true etiology of hyperlactemia was recognized.

Emerging trends in management of propionic acidemia / Tendências emergentes no manejo da academia propiônica

Objetivo : To evaluate the therapeutic agents used during metabolic crises and in long-term management of patients with propionic acidemia (PA).Materials and methods : The records of PA patients were retrospectively evaluated.Results : The study group consisted of 30 patients with 141 admissions. During metabolic crises, hyperammonemia was found in 130 (92%) admissions and almost all patients were managed with normal saline, ≥ 10% dextrose, and restriction of protein intake. In 56 (40%) admissions, management was done in intensive care unit, 31 (22%) with mechanical ventilation, 10 (7%) with haemodialysis, 16 (11%) with vasopressor agents, and 12 (9%) with insulin. In the rescue procedure, L-carnitine was used in 135 (96%) patients, sodium bicarbonate in 116 (82%), sodium benzoate in 76 (54%), and metronidazole in 10 (7%), biotin in about one-quarter, L-arginine in one third, and antibiotics in three-quarter of the admissions. Blood/packed RBCs were used in 28 (20%) patients, platelets in 26 (18%), fresh frozen plasma in 8 (6%), and granulocyte-colony stimulating factors in 10 (7%) admissions. All patients were managed completely/partially with medical nutrition formula plus amino acid mixture, vitamins and minerals. For long-term management 24 (80%) patients were on L-carnitine, 22 (73%) on sodium benzoate, 6 (20%) on biotin, one half on alkaline therapy and 4 (13%) on regular metronidazole use. Almost all patients were on medical formula and regular follow-up.Conclusion : Aggressive and adequate management of acute metabolic crises with restriction of protein intake, stabilization of patient, reversal of catabolism, and removal of toxic metabolites are essential steps. Concerted efforts to ensure adequate nutrition, to minimize the risk of acute decompensation and additional therapeutic advances are imperative to improve the outcome of PA patients. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab. 2014;58(3):237-42.

Objetivo : Avaliar os agentes terapêuticos usados durante as crises metabólicas e para o manejo de longo prazo de pacientes com academia propiônica (AP).Materiais e métodos : Avaliação retrospectiva das fichas médicas de pacientes com AP.Resultados : O grupo estudado consistiu de 30 pacientes com 141 hospitalizações. Durante as crises metabólicas, a hiperamonemia foi observada em 130 (92%) pacientes hospitalizados e quase todos foram tratados com solução salina regular, ≥ 10% dextrose e restrição da ingestão de proteína. Em 56 (40%) das hospitalizações, o manejo foi feito na unidade de terapia intensiva, 31(22%) com ventilação mecânica, 10 (7%) com hemodiálise, 16 (11%) com vasopressores e 12 (9%) com insulina. Para o resgate, a L-carnitina foi usada em 135 (96%) pacientes, o bicarbonato de sódio em 116 (82%), o benzoato de sódio em 76 (54%), o metronidazole em 10 (7%), a biotina em cerca de um quarto, a L-arginina em um quarto e antibióticos em três quartos dos pacientes hospitalizados. Sangue/concentrado de hemácias foram usados em 28 (20%), plaquetas em 26 (18%), plasma fresco congelado em 8 (6%) e fatores estimulantes de colônias de granulócitos em 10 (7%) pacientes hospitalizados. Todos os pacientes foram manejados completamente/parcialmente com fórmula de nutrição hospitalar mais uma mistura de aminoácidos, vitaminas e minerais. Para o manejo de longo prazo, 24 (80%) dos pacientes foram tratados com L-carnitina, 22 (73%) com benzoato de sódio, 6 (20%) com biotina, a metade com tratamento alcalino e 4 (13%) com uso regular de metronidazole. Quase todos os pacientes foram tratados com fórmulas médicas e acompanhamento regular.Conclusão : O manejo adequado e agressivo de crises metabólicas com restrição da ingestão de proteína, ...

[Juvenile glaucoma in propionic acidemia]. / Juveniles Glaukom bei Propionazidämie.

Propionic acidemia (PA) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder resulting from deficiency of the biotin-dependent enzyme propionyl-CoA carboxylase, which is necessary for the catabolism of branched chain amino acids and odd-chain fatty acids. Although optic atrophy was documented in four cases, no glaucomatous optic atrophy has yet been described. This article describes the first case of a 12-year-old boy with PA showing bilateral glaucomatous optic disc atrophy due to dysgenetic changes of the angle of the anterior chamber.

[Clinical analysis of organic acidemia in neonates from neonatal intensive care units].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical features of organic acidemia in neonates admitted to the intensive care unit. METHODS: The clinical features of neonates from 15 neonatal intensive care units of Henan Province, who were diagnosed with congenital organic acidemia by gaschromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) between June 2008 and August 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Fifty neonates of 287 high risk neonates were confirmed as having or highly suspected to have inborn errors of metabolism. Of the 50 cases, 32 cases were diagnosed with organic acidemia disease, including 28 cases of methylmalonic acidemia, 2 cases of propionic acidemia, 1 case of maple syrup urine disease and 1 case of isovaleric acldemla. In most cases, disease onset occurred in the first week after birth in most of cases (75%). Neonates whose symptoms occurred immediately after or within a few hours of birth presented with serious conditions. Clinical manifestations were various and mainly related to neurologic, respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms such as poor response, coma, drowsiness, abnormal muscle tone, convulsions, polypnea, dyspnea, milk refusal, diarrhea and jaundice. Initial symptoms were non-specific and included dyspnea, poor response, milk refusal, lethargy and seizures. CONCLUSIONS: Methylmalonic acidemia is a common inherited metabolic disease in the neonatal period. Clinical manifestations of organic acid metabolism abnormalities in neonates are atypical and early onset is associated with more serious conditions.

Acidemia propiónica neonatal con deterioro neurológico, rechazo al alimento y emesis reporte de caso y revisión de la literatura / Neonatal-onset propionic acidemia neurologic deficit, poor feeding and vomiting - a case report and literature review

Paciente pretérmino que reingresa a la unidad de recién nacidos de la Clínica Universitaria Colombia, Bogotá DC, por problemas en la alimentación y pobre ganancia ponderal, a quien se le diagnosticó acidemia propiónica mediante cromatografía de ácidos orgánicos en orina. Los errores innatos del metabolismo son entidades que a pesar de tener una baja incidencia, se deben considerar en todo neonato con encefalopatía, problemas en la alimentación o pobre ganancia ponderal, entre otras manifestaciones, ya que el diagnóstico temprano y tratamiento oportuno previenen la aparición de secuelas neurológicas con retardo del desarrollo psicomotor y muerte temprana.

Preterm infant readmitted to the neonatal unit at ClínicaUniversitaria Colombia, Bogotá DC, presenting poor feeding and delays in normal growth velocity, who was diagnosed with propionic acidemiaby means of a urine organic acid profiling by chromatography. Although its low incidence, inborn metabolic disorders must be considered in any newborn presenting with encefalopathy, poor feeding or delays in normal growth velocity, among other manifestations for early diagnosisandprompt treatment preventneurological sequellae including psychomotor retardation and early neonatal death.