Man and primates have an inborn error in metabolism which renders them incapable of synthesizing ascorbic acid. Clemetson and Anderson reported premature deliveries to vitamin C deficient mothers(1). Vitamin C deficiency in the mother has also been associated with increased morbidity, mortality, still birth, premature and low birth weight(2). Paucity of studies on Indian women and neonates led ...

Photic induced sneeze is a reflex that occurs in certain individuals after exposure to bright light. Cystinosis is an autosomal recessive inborn error of metabolism in which nonprotein cystine accumulates within lysosomes. The pathognomonic ocular manifestation of cystinosis is corneal crystal deposition. We observed photic induced sneezes during ophthalmoscopic examination in five of 19 patien...

Methylmalonic aciduria and homocystinuria, cblC type, is the most common inborn error of vitamin B(12) (cobalamin) metabolism. The recent cloning of the disease gene, MMACHC, has permitted genotype-phenotype correlation. In a 1-year-old girl, compound heterozygous c.271dupA and c.616C>T mutations in MMACHC were identified as causing an early onset methylmalonic aciduria and homocystinuria, cblC...

Phenylalanine (Phe) is the most reliable indicator for the diagnosis of phenylketonuria (PKU). The purpose of this study is to establish a reliable and quick method for the assignment of Phe in peripheral capillary blood from newborns and children by high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). PKU is an inborn error of metabolism characterized by the inability o...

Wilson's disease (WD) is a rare autosomal recessive inborn error of copper metabolism caused by a mutation to the copper-transporting gene ATP7B. The presentation is usually neurologic or hepatic, seen in 40% of patients. Diagnosis depends primarily on clinical features, biochemical parameters and the presence of the Kayser-Fleischer ring. Here a case of Wilson disease with various neurological...

In studies on the nature of the enzymic defect in patients with histidinaemia, an inborn error of histidine metabolism (La Du, Howell, Jacoby, Seegmiller & Zannoni, 1962), it was necessary to develop a sensitive assay procedure to measure histidine oc-deaminase (L-histidine ammonia-lyase, EC 4.3.1.3), the enzyme that converts histidine into urocanic acid. The application of this method has show...

We present a rare case of Tay-Sachs disease with retinal 'cherry-red spots' in a 19-month-old Malay child. Molecular genetic studies confirmed the diagnosis. The case highlights that 'cherry-red spot' is a useful clinical clue in Tay-Sachs disease and several other lysosomal storage disorders. It serves as an ideal illustration of the eye as a window to inborn error of metabolism.

Propionic acidemia is a rare, autosomal, recessively inherited inborn error of propionate metabolism. It presents most often as a neonatal life threatening emergency with metabolic acidosis, hyperammonemia, hyperglycinemia and hyper gylcinuria. Since its first description in a male infant with episodic metabolic acidosis and hyperglycinemia(l), more than 100 cases have been reported. The presen...

Fibroblasts derived from individuals with mucopolysaccharidosis, an inborn error of metabolism, have been found to be more easily transformed by simian virus 40 than are cells derived from normal individuals. The increased susceptibility does not seem to depend upon changes in glycoprotein at the cell surface. Repeated observations were necessary to demonstrate these differences, and we do not ...