• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.20-29
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• 2013

Inborn error of metabolism usually presents with a constellation of clinical pictures involving multiorgan systems. Because of its rarity and clinical diversity, it is difficult to make diagnosis accurately and efficiently. Many inborn error of metabolism shows predominantly hepatic symptoms and signs. The onset of symptoms is also varying depending the disease. The onset might be even prenatal, either neonatal or infantile, and late childhood. The major manifestation patterns are jaundice or cholestasis, hepatomegaly with or without splenomegaly, hypoglycemia and acute or chronic hepatocellular dysfunction. Based on pronounced hepatic symptoms and onset of symptoms, differential diagnosis can be more easily made with subsequent further laboratory investigation. In this review paper, major inborn error of metabolism with hepatic symptoms are described from the perspective of mode of clinical presentations.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.43-47
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• 2019

Hyperammonemia can be caused by several genetic inborn errors of metabolism including urea cycle defects, organic acidemias, fatty acid oxidation defects, and certain disorders of amino acid metabolism. High levels of ammonia are extremely neurotoxic, leading to astrocyte swelling, brain edema, coma, severe disability, and even death. Thus, emergency treatment for hyperammonemia must be initiated before a precise diagnosis is established. In neonates with hyperammonemia caused by an inborn error of metabolism, a few studies have suggested that peritoneal dialysis, intermittent hemodialysis, and continuous renal replacement therapy (RRT) are effective modalities for decreasing the plasma level of ammonia. In this review, we discuss the current literature related to the use of RRT for treating neonates with hyperammonemia caused by an inborn error of metabolism, including optimal prescriptions, prognosis, and outcomes. We also review the literature on new technologies and instrumentation for RRT in neonates.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2021

Among the various etiologies of cardiomyopathy, inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) is one of the underlying causes, especially in the pediatric population. The accurate identification of the IEM of cardiomyopathy may lead to better prognosis through disease-specific management. Therefore, clinicians should always keep in mind the possibility that IEM may be one of the underlying etiologies of cardiomyopathy, and carry out multi-systematic clinical approach to diagnosis of IEM. This review covers the pathophysiology, clinical presentations, typical laboratory findings, diagnosis, and proper treatment of each type of IEM-induced cardiomyopathy in pediatric patients to gain a deeper understanding of this subject.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.24-31
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• 2006

Purpose : The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs adopted newborn screening for the low-income families in 1991 and expanded in 1997 to cover all newborns. At the beginning of the program 6 diseases were selected for screening but the number of screening items had been reduced to two (congenital hypothyroidism and phenylketonuria) from the year 1995. Now, the government program has a fifteen year history. The purpose of this study was to analyze results of neonatal screening tests and prevalence at birth of phenylketonuria and congenital hypothyroidism in Korea. Methods : The results of neonatal screening tests were collected from public health centers during 15 years from 1991 to 2005. These data were analyzed for number of tested newborns and prevalence at birth of the inborn errors of metabolism. Results : Neonatal screening test for inborn error of metabolism was performed for 3,707,773 newborns for 15 years. Among newborns who were screened 718 congenital hypothyroidisms and 86 phenylketonurias were detected, and these presented an prevalence at bith of congenital hypothyroidism 1/5,164 and that of phenylketonuria 1/43,114. The total prevalence of two diseases was 1/4,612. Conclusion : National screening program should be expanded to include all items of screening tests for whole newborns and established correct prevalence of other inherited metabolic diseases in Korea.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.117-122
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• 2015

Global developmental delay (GDD) is a relatively common early-onset chronic neurological condition, which may have prenatal, perinatal, postnatal, or undetermined causes. Family history, physical and neurological examinations, and detailed history of environmental risk factors might suggest a specific disease. However, diagnostic laboratory tests, brain imaging, and other evidence-based evaluations are necessary in most cases to elucidate the causes. Diagnosis of GDD has recently improved because of remarkable advances in genetic technology, but this is an exhaustive and expensive evaluation that may not lead to therapeutic benefits in the majority of GDD patients. Inborn metabolic errors are one of the main targets for the treatment of GDD, although only a small proportion of GDD patients have this type of error. Nevertheless, diagnosis is often challenging because the phenotypes of many genetic or metabolic diseases often overlap, and their clinical spectra are much broader than currently known. Appropriate and cost-effective strategies including up-to-date information for the early identification of the "treatable" causes of GDD are needed for the development of well-timed therapeutic applications with the potential to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.13-17
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• 2004

Hereditary tyrosinemia type I (fiunarylacetoacetate hydrolase deficiency) is an autosomal recessive inborn error of tyrosine metabolism that results in liver failure in infancy or chronic liver disease with cirrhosis, frequently complicated by hepatocellular carcinoma in childhood or early adolescence. Early detection of this condition is very important to early intervention for better prognosis of patients. Neonatal screening test using tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS) is performed, and this method facilitates detection of the inborn error of tyrosine. For early treatment of tyrosinemia type I, phenylalanine and tyrosine restricted diet and NTBC (2-nitro-4-trifluoromethylbenzoyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione) for inhibition of succinylacetone production are recommended. We studied a 10-month-old Korean boy with tyrosinemia type I whose condition was not discovered earlier through conventional neonatal screening testing available in Korea. The patient presented hyperbilirubinemia, liver failure, bleeding tendency, colicky pain and skin melanin pigmentation in neonatal period. MS-MS made it possible to detect tyrosinemia type I and allowed immediate treatment of the patient. This was the first successful NTBC trial on tyrosinemia type I patient in Korea.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.78-83
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• 2008

Lesch-Nyhan syndrome is an inborn error of purine metabolism resulting from hypoxanthine-guanine-phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) deficiency and leading to excess purine production and uric acid over-production. It is a very rare X-linked recessive disorder, characterized by movement disorder, cognitive deficits, and self-injurious behavior. However, because of the high incidence of calculi, patients may present for surgery of urinary tract, and have increased risk of difficult intubation, aspiration pneumonia, renal insufficiency or sudden death. We report the case of a 5-year-old boy with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome who underwent successive extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy under general anesthesia.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.322-328
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• 2007

Ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency is the most common inborn error of urea cycle metabolism; it is inherited in an X-linked manner. The OTC catalyzes the third step of the urea cycle, the conversion of ornithine and carbamyl phosphate to citrulline. Deficiency of OTC leads to the accumulation of ammonia, causing neurological deficits. In most affected hemizygote males, OTC deficiency manifests as hyperammonemic coma that often leads to death in the newborn period, and those who recover from the coma may be neurologically impaired due to the sequelae of the hyperammonemic encephalopathy. In some, late-onset manifestations develop. We report a male neonate with early onset OT deficiency that had apnea and was comatous. On mutation analysis using DNA sequencing after polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the 10 exons, deletions of 10 bases in codon 285, causing a frame shift was detected in exon 8. The mother and a sister were diagnosed as female carriers. Therefore, genetic counseling and the risk assessment could be provided to the family.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.15-20
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• 2023

Galactosemia is an inborn error disorder of carbohydrate metabolism, caused by metabolic disturbances at various stages of the Leloir pathway. In patients with galactosemia, accurate diagnosis and appropriate care are essential to avoid complications and unnecessary treatments. And a careful differential diagnosis of the type of galactosemia is crucial. Even with an appropriate galactose-restricted diet, long-term complications may occur, especially in patients with classic galactosemia. So new treatment options are being developed. In this review, we will review the new symptoms of each subtype that have been reported recently and GALM (Galactose mutarotase) deficiency, a new form of galactosemia, and treatment policies according to recent guidelines.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.85-88
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• 2002

Methylmalonic acidemia is an inborn error of branched chain amino acid metabolism, clinically characterized by lethargy, vomiting, and hypertonia with abnormal movements, and biochemically characterized by ketoacidosis, hyperammonemia, and sometimes hyperglycinemia. Conventional treatment of methylmalonic acidemia incluides dietary protein restriction, bicarbonate, carnitine, and metronidazole. However, most patient have recurrent episodes of acidosis, and a significant number have neurologic deficits and renal impairment. We report the successful treatment of a patient with methylmalonic acidemia by liver transplantation.