Phenylketonuria in Spain: RFLP haplotypes and linked mutations

In order to investigate the molecular basis of phenylketonuria (PKU) in Spain, we analyzed the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) haplotypes and common mutations in the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene in 32 unrelated Spanish PKU families. The distribution of RFLP haplotypes differs from that of northern Europe. Mutant haplotypes 2 and 3 were completely absent in our sample. Approximately 65% of the mutant alleles are confined to three RFLP haplotypes, namely haplotypes 1, 6 and 9, also frequently found in other Mediterranean populations. We screened for previously described PKU mutations using the polymerase chain reaction and allele-specific oligonucleotides, and found IVS10, I65T, E280K and P281L as the major mutations, representing 41% of the PKU alleles. Other mutations found were Y414C, and a new one, P244L. Mutations R408W and IVS12, prevalent in northern Europe, as well as others present in southern European populations (R252W, R261Q, L249F) were not detected in our sample. Our results reveal the genetic heterogeneity present in the Spanish PKU population, which shows similarities to others of Mediterranean origin.

[Facial angioma and the Sturge-Weber syndrome: a study of 121 cases]

BACKGROUND

We show a study in 121 patients with port-wine stain (PWS) over the areas of trigeminal nerve sensory innervation, and we analyzed the relations between this distribution, sex and the neuro-ocular disease.

METHODS

The population included 68 women between 12 months and 73 years (mean, 23 years; standard deviation, 13.7 years) and 53 men between 12 months and 50 years (mean, 18 years; standard deviation, 12 years). Chi-square test and Fisher test were performed in order to assess statistical significance of our results.

RESULTS

Facial port-wine stains (PWS) were predominantly distributed over the area of innervation of the maxillary branch (V2) of the trigeminal nerve (88% of patients), either isolated or simultaneously involving ophthalmic (V1) and/or mandibular branch (V3). Of the unilateral PWS (86%), 10% were also extrafacially distributed. However, bilateral PWS (14%) extended extrafacially in 53% of the patients. Moreover, the number of patients with extrafacial PWS was increased among those with PWS over V3 (50%). Glaucoma and epilepsy were present in 23 (17%) and 17 (14%) patients, respectively. In all of them PWS affected V1. Among the 19 patients with bilateral PWS, nine of them developed glaucoma and five, epilepsy. Epilepsy was more frequent in men (26%) than in women (4%).

CONCLUSIONS

Statistical analysis showed: 1) the PWS is preferentially distributed over the maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve, 2) bilateral PWS significantly increases the frequency of cutaneous extrafacial PWS, 3) the presence of PWS over the mandibular branch of trigeminal nerve carries a higher risk of cutaneous extrafacial presence of the angioma, 4) only those patients with PWS over the ophthalmic branch may develop glaucoma and/or epilepsy, 5) extrafacial PWS is associated with a higher frequency of glaucoma, 6) men have a higher risk of developing epilepsy than women.

[Dermatitis herpetiformis vs. celiac disease]

Twenty-nine patients affected with dermatitis herpetiformis (HD), all of whom were on a diet including gluten, were investigated for symptoms of enteropathy. Of these patients, 71% presented severe intestinal lesions, indistinguishable from those found in coeliac disease (CD). However, there were little other clinical manifestations of this finding since only three children in this group had weight and height < or = P3. Of the remaining children, 18% had moderate intestinal atrophy and 10% had normal mucosa or mucosa with negligible changes. When changed to a gluten free diet, the intestinal lesions subsided, dermic lesions disappeared in 17 patients, improved in 8 others and remained the same in the other three patients that were still on variable diets. A study of human leukocyte antigens (HLA) class II showed a total association with Dqw2 and 85% association to DR3, which was identical to the coeliac disease control group. These findings lead one to conclude that HD and CD are different clinical expressions of the same sensitivity to gluten which is associated to an immunological disorder with a common genetic base linked to certain HLA molecules.

Mutation analysis of phenylketonuria in Spain: prevalence of two Mediterranean mutations

We have screened seven Spanish phenylketonuric (PKU) families for the most prevalent Mediterranean and Caucasian mutations, and have subsequently found mutations P281L and IVS10. We have analyzed these two mutations in 23 of our patients. The frequencies found correspond to those of Mediterranean countries, such as Italy. This is the first report of a mutation analysis in the Spanish PKU population.

Poultry Meat Irradiation - Effect of Temperature on Chemical Changes and Inactivation of Microorganisms

Chilled (10°C) and frozen (-15°C) broiler carcasses initially artificially contaminated either with Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Salmonella typhimurium or Serratia marcescens (10⁶cfu/g) were irradiated (Co⁶⁰) with doses of 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 kGy. Ps. aeruginosa was eliminated by doses of 1.0 - 2.5 kGy, S. marcescens by doses of 2.5 - 5.0 kGy and S. typhimurium by a dose of 10 kGy. Characteristic radiation odor increasing with radiation dose and temperature was well removed by heat meat preparation. Radiation resulted in increase of acid and peroxide values and destruction of thiamine (up to 57%/10 kGy) and riboflavin (up to 27%/10 kGy), lower increase of fat indexes and lower destruction of vitamins was observed at lower irradiation temperature. Content of amino acids was not affected by the treatment.

Healing over and muscle contraction in toad hearts

The influence of temperature, contractures, and CA²⁺ on the processes of healing over and muscle contraction was investigated in toad myocardium by simultaneously measuring the size of the injury potential and the twitch tension. Stimulation with single pulses and electrically induced contractures of short duration (2-3 seconds) markedly increased the rate of healing, and epinephrine (10⁻⁶ g/ml) increased the effectiveness of stimulation. Other results supported the view that the healing process was largely dependent on temperature, since at 15°C or 10°C the rate of healing over was greatly reduced. The effect of temperature was probably related to a reduction in Ca²⁺ uptake. A possible change in junctional conductance produced by low temperature probably was not the reason for the decrease in rate of healing. Strontium, which replaces Ca²⁺ in the mechanical process, was also a good substitute for Ca²⁺ in healing over. The results stress the parallelism between the healing process and the contractile process in heart muscle.