Heterozygous liver transplantation for maple syrup urine disease: First European reported case

MSUD is an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder that results from a defect in the BCKDH enzyme. This enzyme is essential for the second step in the metabolism of the branched-chain amino acids, leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Patients with MSUD are subject to severe, irreversible neurologic injury unless closely managed with a specialized metabolic formula and a diet restricted in leucine throughout their lifetime. During times of illness, patients with MSUD can suffer from severe metabolic derangement, acute cerebral edema, and untimely death. Deceased donor liver transplant restores the ability to metabolize branched-chain amino acids, even on an unrestricted diet, and prevents metabolic derangements during times of illness. We report a successful case of living donor (parental) transplant for a child with MSUD. The donor was the child's father. This approach has been controversial as parents of children with MSUD are obligate heterozygotes for the condition and have diminished levels of BCKDH activity. If effective, living-related donor transplant provides a promising alternative for deceased donor liver transplant, which often requires a prolonged waiting period and may not be feasible in areas with limited medical resources.

A comparative experimental study of the effects of diclofenac and ketoprofen on the small-bowel mucosa of canines

The aim of this experimental study was to investigate the effect of diclofenac sodium and ketoprofen, two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with different excretion pathways, and the role of other enteric factors during simultaneous administration of these drugs on the development of mucosal lesions of the small intestine in canines. Twenty-five animals were divided into three groups. Group I included 10 canines, 5 with diclofenac sodium (group Ia) and 5 with ketoprofen administration (group Ib). Group II included 5 animals in which a segment of ileum was surgically isolated from the rest of the small intestine. Group III included 10 animals in two subgroups of 5; a segment of ileum was surgically isolated in both subgroups; groups IIIa received diclofenac and group IIIb ketoprofen. Histological examination of the specimens taken revealed macroscopic and microscopic mucosal lesions in 5/5 animals in group Ia, whereas none of the 5 animals in group Ib had any lesions. Group II did not reveal any mucosal lesions. Three out of 5 animals (60%) administered diclofenac in group IIIa had intestinal mucosal lesions, but none of the 5 revealed lesions in the isolated loop of ileum. No lesions were observed in the isolated loop or in the rest of the intestinal mucosa in the animals in group IIIb. Our results suggest that NSAIDs produce intestinal mucosal lesions not only when administered per mouth but also after intramuscular administration. Diclofenac, unlike ketoprofen, was responsible for the development of lesions in the intestinal mucosa. The role of drugs and/or their metabolites in the intestine and certain other factors must still be determined.

Combined genetic defect (homogeneity for factor V Leiden and heterogeneity for prothrombin G20210A allele), in a young patient, with recurrent deep vein thrombosis and serious postphlebitic syndrome--a case report

Just a few years ago, resistance to activated protein C (APCR) was reported to be of high significance representing a strong predisposing factor in the development of venous thrombosis (VT). A little while later, APCR was established to be the result of a point mutation of the factor V gene (factor V Leiden: a G-to-A transition at position 1691). Up to today, it is not certain whether factor V Leiden is in itself able to lead to VT, or whether it acts in synergy with other factors. Nevertheless, heterozygous subjects have a tenfold increase in the risk of VT when compared to general population, whereas the risk is 80 times greater in homozygous individuals. In 1996, a prothrombin gene mutation (prothrombin G20210A allele), which is a single-nucleotide G-to-A transition at position 20210 in the sequence of the 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR) on chromosome 11, was discovered. The presence of this mutant gene results in elevated plasma prothrombin concentrations, increasing the possibility for the development of VT. However, the coexistence of these two abnormalities, as well as the clinical consequence, have not yet been studied. So far, only a few reports are found in the literature describing the coexistence of both mutations. The authors present a 25-year-old patient with a simultaneous double mutation of the FV and F II gene. The patient was homozygous for the factor V Leiden and heterozygous for the prothrombin G20210A allele. It is unclear whether the coexistence of the two predisposes more to the development of VT than the summation of the two as independent factors.