Tyrosinemia type 1 in pediatric nephrology: Not always straightforward

The main clinical features of tyrosinemia type 1 usually appear in the first months of life, including fever, diarrhea, vomiting, liver involvement, growth failure, and renal proximal tubulopathy with subsequent hypophosphatemic rickets. An early diagnosis is crucial in order to provide specific management and to prevent complications. Here, we report on two cases referred primarily to pediatric nephrologists for the diagnosis of “neonatal tubulopathy” and management of “X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH),” respectively. Our aim is to emphasize that (1) even a mixed tubulopathy can reveal tyrosinemia, and (2) tyrosinemia is a classic differential diagnosis of XLH that should not be forgotten, especially in the era of the anti-FGF23 burosumab.     

The problem of rickets in UK Asians

A large body of work relating to the occurrence of rickets in UK Asians is reviewed. Several theories of the aetiology of this condition are shown to be untenable: it is not exclusively a function of sunlight deprivation or of darker pigmentation; nor is it simply due to phytate-induced losses of calcium from the gut. Asian rickets, however, is associated with a high consumption of cereals, and experiments with rats have suggested a mechanism. In the absence of adequate vitamin D from sunlight, the low-calcium, high cereal intake of the UK Asian population may induce a state of mild secondary hyperparathyroidism which enhances the destruction of vitamin D and leads to a progressive reduction in vitamin D status and, ultimately, to the development of clinical rickets.     

骨骼畸形儿童的临床研究

目的探讨骨骼畸形与晚发性佝偻病(DR)的关系.方法采用病例对照,结合临床调查,检测了85例骨骼畸形儿童及50例健康儿童的血钙、血磷、碱性磷酸酶(ALP)、骨碱性磷酸酶(BALP)、X线.结果85例5～16岁骨骼畸形儿童的临床症状主要为多汗、肢体疼痛、肢体无力、肌肉痉挛;体征以鸡胸和X形腿为多见;血钙、血磷、碱性磷酸酶检测阳性率均低,BALP测定阳性率(BALP>250U/L)为14.1%,诊断为DR,并与对照组比较,差异有显著性意义(p<0.05).结论要重视骨骼畸形儿童的诊断及DR的诊断和防治工作.     

抗维生素D佝偻病的临床及X线表现（附一家族6例报告）

目的 探讨抗维生素D佝偻病（VDRR）的临床及X线表现。方法 报告一家族6例VDRR,对该家族6例病人进行全身骨骼X线摄片观察。结果 本病的典型X线表现在儿童表现为佝偻病,在成人表现为软骨病。结果 认识对本病的临床及X线表现,有助于提高对VDRR的诊断和鉴别诊断的水平。     

Ectopic Calcification and Hypophosphatemic Rickets: Natural History of ENPP1 and ABCC6 Deficiencies

Generalized arterial calcification of infancy (GACI) is a rare disorder caused by ENPP1 or ABCC6 variants. GACI is characterized by low pyrophosphate, arterial calcification, and high mortality during the first year of life, but the natural course and possible differences between the causative genes remain unknown. In all, 247 individual records for patients with GACI (from birth to 58.3 years of age) across 19 countries were reviewed. Overall mortality was 54.7% (13.4% in utero or stillborn), with a 50.4% probability of death before the age of 6 months (critical period). Contrary to previous publications, we found that bisphosphonate treatment had no survival benefit based on a start-time matched analysis and inconclusive results when initiated within 2 weeks of birth. Despite a similar prevalence of GACI phenotypes between ENPP1 and ABCC6 deficiencies, including arterial calcification (77.2% and 89.5%, respectively), organ calcification (65.8% and 84.2%, respectively), and cardiovascular complications (58.4% and 78.9%, respectively), mortality was higher for ENPP1 versus ABCC6 variants (40.5% versus 10.5%, respectively; p = 0.0157). Higher prevalence of rickets was reported in 70.8% of surviving affected individuals with ENPP1 compared with that of ABCC6 (11.8%; p = 0.0001). Eleven affected individuals presenting with rickets and without a GACI diagnosis, termed autosomal recessive hypophosphatemic rickets type 2 (ARHR2), all had confirmed ENPP1 variants. Approximately 70% of these patients demonstrated evidence of ectopic calcification or complications similar to those seen in individuals with GACI, which shows that ARHR2 is not a distinct condition from GACI but represents part of the spectrum of ENPP1 deficiency. Overall, this study identified an early mortality risk in GACI patients despite attempts to treat with bisphosphonates, high prevalence of rickets almost exclusive to ENPP1 deficiency, and a spectrum of heterogenous calcification and multiple organ complications with both ENPP1 and ABCC6 variants, which suggests an overlapping pathology. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR). This article has been contributed to by US Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.     

迟发性佝偻病与支气管哮喘

目的 观察迟发性佝偻病并发哮喘的治疗反应,探讨维生Ｄ（ＶＤ）缺乏的哮喘发病中的作用。方法 ３１例迟发性佝偻病并发哮喘患儿随机分成Ａ、Ｂ两组,１５例单纯哮喘患儿为Ｃ组。３组均吸入二丙酸倍氯米松气雾剂（ｂｅｃｏｔｉｄｅ ｉｎｈａｌｅｒ）１年,Ａ组另加ＶＤ３治疗。于治疗前后别测定肺功能等。结果 治疗前３组用力呼气一秒量（ＦＥＶ１．０）及用力呼气峰流速（ＰＥＦ）均减低,但组间无差别;Ａ、Ｂ两组骨钙素和反映     

Phosphate transport in osteoblasts from normal and X-linked hypophosphatemic mice

Human hypophosphatemic vitamin D-resistant rickets (X-linked hypophosphatemia-XLH) is characterized by hypophosphatemia, a decreased tubular reabsorption of phosphate (P_i) and defective skeleton mineralization. Utilizing a mouse model (Hyp) of XLH, which demonstrates biological abnormalities and skeletal defects of XLH, we analyzed sodium-dependent phosphate transport in isolated osteoblasts derived from the calvaria of normophosphatemic and hypophosphatemic mice. Initial rates of phosphate uptake by normal and Hyp osteoblasts showed similar slopes. Osteoblasts from both normal and Hyp mice exhibited saturable, sodium-dependent phosphate transport with apparent V_max and K_m values not significantly different (normal mice, V_max=24.30±3.45 nmol/mg prot. 10 min, K_m=349.49±95.20 mol/liter; Hyp mice, V_max=23.03±3.41 nmol/mg prot. 10 min, K_m=453.64±106.93 mol/liter, n=24). No differences were found in the ability of normal and Hyp osteoblasts to respond to P_i transport after 5 hours of P_i deprivation. Both cell types exhibited a similar increase in cAMP in response to PTH. The accumulated results demonstrate that P_i uptake and transport in normal and Hyp mouse osteoblasts is a sodium-dependent saturable process. As osteoblast P_i uptake and transport is apparently normal in the Hyp mouse model of XLH, the osteoblastic failure described for the Hyp mouse should be attributed to other mechanism(s).     

Comparison of total alkaline phosphatase and three assays for bone-specific alkaline phosphatase in childhood and adolescence

We compared serum levels of total alkaline phosphatase (TAP) and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) as determined by three different assays (lectin affinity electrophoresis, immunoradiometric assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) in subjects aged 5–20 years suffering from X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets ( n = 14), chronic renal failure ( n = 10) and chronic cholestatic liver disease ( n = 16). Results were compared to controls of the same age and were expressed as standard deviation scores (SDS). TAP correlated significantly with BAP ( r > 0.9 for each assay; p <0.001) in controls. In children with cholestatic diseases, TAP (median SDS + 2.0) was elevated, but BAP, as measured by the electrophoretic assay, was within the reference range for most patients (median SDS: -0.4; p = 0.003 for the difference between the median SDS of TAP and BAP). In contrast, results for BAP as determined by the two immunoassays were not significantly different from TAP in any of the three patient groups ( p > 0.05 in each group for both assays). In this study, the two immunoassays did not have a detectable advantage over lectin affinity electrophoresis in the determination of BAP.     

Vitamin D-dependent rickets type I and type II

Two distinct hereditary defects, vitamin D-dependent rickets type I (VDDR I) and type II (VDDR II), have been recognized in vitamin D metabolism. VDDR I is suggested to be a deficiency of the renal 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)-1α-hydroxylase. Muscle weakness and rickets are the prominent clinical findings. A normal physiologic dose of 1α-hydroxyvitamin D₃ and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ is sufficient to maintain remission of rickets in this disorder. VDDR II consists of a spectrum of intracellular vitamin D receptor (VDR) defects and is characterized by the early onset of severe rickets and associated alopecia. This can be attributed to mutations in the VDR gene. Massive doses of vitamin D analogs and calcium supplementation is usually required for the treatment; however, the response to therapy is sometimes variable.     

佝偻病简易诊断与骨X线及实验性诊断的相关性

目的 探讨婴幼儿佝偻病的简易诊断与骨X线、实验性诊断的相关性。方法 对简易诊断为佝偻病的166例小儿全部作骨X线、骨碱性磷酸酶（BALP）,血生化检查。结果 经骨X线确诊为佝偻病78例（47．0％）。BALP检测结果与X线检查结果符合率最高。夜惊、多汗、乒乓头、枕秃在佝偻病患儿中发生率较高。结论 简易诊断具有一定的实用价值,可应用于我国基层卫生机构,若有条件应用骨X线、BALP、血生化测定则可提高佝偻病诊断的准确性。