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Propionic acidemia and optic neuropathy: a report of two cases.

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION:Propionic acidemia is a metabolic disease produced by a deficiency of the enzyme propionyl-CoA carboxylase. It can lead to coma, with severe neurologic encephalopathy or present later in life with vomiting, hypotonia, and seizures. An early diagnosis with adequate treatment helps to prevent the sequelae. Among the described complications is optic neuropathy, although not commonly reported, it is very disabling. OBJECTIVES:To describe two patients with propionic acidemia and optic neuropathy. PATIENTS AND METHODS:Patient 1: 16 years old, male, parents without consanguinity. He was diagnosed at 5 months of age because of hypotonia and seizures. Until the age of 9 years, he evolved satisfactorily; therefore, he stopped treatment. At 13 years, he presented bilateral optic neuropathy. Patient 2: 20 years, female, parents without consanguinity. She was diagnosed with PA at 11 months of age because of hypotonia and seizures. She evolved satisfactorily until the age of 9 years when she presented a metabolic decompensation followed by a bad metabolic control. At 18 years, she presented bilateral progressive optic neuropathy. RESULTS:Both patients have psychometric scores with borderline IQ 84-75 (WISC-R) beside optic neuropathy. They were evaluated by an ophthalmologist and also by neuroimaging (MRI of optic pathway). CONCLUSIONS:Pathophysiology of optic neuropathy is not completely understood. There is evidence that the damage is due to an accumulation of neurotoxic compounds secondary to the metabolic block increasing the oxidative stress. We suggest an annual ophthalmologic evaluation in the long-term follow-up of organic acidurias with visual loss, in order to detect this disabling sequela at an earlier stage.

SUBMITTER: Arias C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3897799 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Propionic acidemia and optic neuropathy: a report of two cases.

Arias Carolina C Raimann Erna E Peredo Pilar P Cabello Juan Francisco JF Castro Gabriela G Valiente Alf A de la Parra Alicia A Bravo Paulina P Okuma Cecilia C Cornejo Verónica V

JIMD reports 20130702

<h4>Introduction</h4>Propionic acidemia is a metabolic disease produced by a deficiency of the enzyme propionyl-CoA carboxylase. It can lead to coma, with severe neurologic encephalopathy or present later in life with vomiting, hypotonia, and seizures. An early diagnosis with adequate treatment helps to prevent the sequelae. Among the described complications is optic neuropathy, although not commonly reported, it is very disabling.<h4>Objectives</h4>To describe two patients with propionic acidem ...[more]

PMID: 23818179

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Project description:Propionic acidemia is a rare metabolic disorder caused by a deficiency of propionyl- CoA carboxylase, the enzyme converting propionyl-CoA to methylmalonyl-CoA that subsequently enters the citric acid cycle as succinyl-CoA. Patients with propionic acidemia cannot metabolize propionic acid, which combines with oxaloacetate to form methylcitric acid. This, with the defective supply of succinyl-CoA, may lead to a deficiency in citric acid cycle intermediates.The objective of this study was to determine whether supplements with glutamine (400mg/kg per day), citrate (7.5mEq/kg per day), or ornithine ?-ketoglutarate (400mg/kg per day) (anaplerotic agents that could fill up the citric acid cycle) would affect plasma levels of glutamine and ammonia, the urinary excretion of Krebs cycle intermediates, and the clinical outcome in 3 patients with propionic acidemia.Each supplement was administered daily for four weeks with a two week washout period between supplements. The supplement that produced the most favorable changes was supplemented for 30 weeks following the initial study period and then for a 2 year extension.The urinary excretion of the Krebs cycle intermediates, ?-ketoglutarate, succinate, and fumarate increased significantly compared to baseline during citrate supplementation, but not with the other two supplements. For this reason, citrate supplements were continued in the second part of the study. The urinary excretion of methylcitric acid and 3-hydroxypropionic acid did not change with any intervention. No significant changes in ammonia or glutamine levels were observed with any supplement. However, supplementation with any anaplerotic agents normalized the physiological buffering of ammonia by glutamate, with plasma glutamate and alanine levels significantly increasing, rather than decreasing with increasing ammonia levels. No significant side effects were observed with any therapy and safety labs (blood counts, chemistry and thyroid profile) remained unchanged. Motor and cognitive development was severely delayed before the trial and did not change significantly with therapy. Hospitalizations per year did not change during the trial period, but decreased significantly (p<0.05) in the 2years following the study (when citrate was continued) compared to the 2years before and during the study.These results indicate that citrate entered the Krebs cycle providing successful anaplerotic therapy by increasing levels of the downstream intermediates of the Krebs cycle: ?-ketoglutarate, succinate and fumarate. Citrate supplements were safe and might have contributed to reduce hospitalizations in patients with propionic acidemia.

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Propionic acidemia and optic neuropathy: a report of two cases.

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Propionic acidemia and optic neuropathy: a report of two cases.

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