Warburg effect mimicking inborn errors of metabolism in childhood hematologic malignancies:A case-based systematic review

BACKGROUND Type B lactic acidosis and hypoglycemia can occur in various pediatric conditions.In young children with a history of fasting preceding these metabolic derangements,inborn errors of metabolism should be primarily considered.However,the Warburg effect,a rare metabolic complication,can also manifest in children with hematologic malignancies.Only a few reports of this condition in children have been published in the literature.AIM To identify the clinical course,treatment strategies,and outcomes of childhood hematologic malignancies with type B lactic acidosis.METHODS We performed a comprehensive search of the PubMed,Scopus,and Cochrane databases without any time restriction but limited to English language articles.The databases were last accessed on July 1st,2023.RESULTS A total of 20 publications were included in the analysis,all of which were case reports or case series.No higher quality evidence was available.Among children with hematologic malignancies and Warburg effect,there were 14 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 6 cases of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma including our illustrative case.Lactic acidosis occurred in 55%of newly diagnosed cases and 45%of relapsed cases.The mean age was 10.3±4.5 years,and 80%of cases were male.The mean serum lactate was 16.9±12.6 mmol/L,and 43.8%of the cases had concomitant hypoglycemia.Lactic acidosis initially subsided in 80%of patients receiving chemotherapy compared to 60%in the contrast group.The mortality rate of newly diagnosed cases was 45.5%,while the relapsed cases represented a 100%mortality rate.All 8 patients reported before 2001 died from disease-related complications.However,patients described in reports published between 2003 and 2023 had a 54.5%rate of complete remission.CONCLUSION This complication has historically led to fatal outcome;however,patients who received chemotherapy showed a more favorable response.Therefore,it is crucial to promptly initiate specific treatment in this context.

Infant with cardiomyopathy: When to suspect inborn errors of metabolism?

Inborn errors of metabolism are identified in 5%-26% of infants and children with cardiomyopathy. Although fatty acid oxidation disorders, lysosomal and glycogen storage disorders and organic acidurias are well-known to be associated with cardiomyopathies, emerging reports suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction and congenital disorders of glycosylation may also account for a proportion of cardiomyopathies. This review article clarifies when primary care physicians and cardiologists should suspect inborn errors of metabolism in a patient with cardiomyopathy, and refer the patient to a metabolic specialist for a further metabolic work up, with specific discussions of "red flags" which should prompt additional evaluation.

Human biochemical genetics: an insight into inborn errors of metabolism

Inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) include a broad spectrum of defects of various gene products that affect interme-diary metabolism in the body. Studying the molecular and biochemical mechanisms of those inherited disorder, systematically summarizing the disease phenotype and natural history, providing diagnostic rationale and methodology and treatment strategy comprise the context of human biochemical genetics. This session focused on: (1) manifestations of representative metabolic disorders; (2) the emergent technology and application of newborn screening of metabolic disorders using tandem mass spec-trometry; (3) principles of managing IEM; (4) the concept of carrier testing aiming prevention. Early detection of patients with IEM allows early intervention and more options for treatment.

Current strategies for the treatment of inborn errors of metabolism

Inborn errors of metabolism（IEMs） are a large group of inherited disorders characterized by disruption of metabolic pathways due to deficient enzymes, cofactors, or transporters. The rapid advances in the understanding of the molecular pathophysiology of many IEMs, have led to significant progress in the development of many new treatments. The institution and continued expansion of newborn screening provide the opportunity for early treatment, leading to reduced morbidity and mortality. This review provides an overview of the diverse therapeutic approaches and recent advances in the treatment of IEMs that focus on the basic principles of reducing substrate accumulation, replacing or enhancing absent or reduced enzyme or cofactor, and supplementing product deficiency. In addition, the challenges and obstacles of current treatment modalities and future treatment perspectives are reviewed and discussed.

Diagnosis and treatment of an inborn error of bile acid synthesis type 4:A case report

BACKGROUND Inborn error of bile acid synthesis type 4 is a peroxisomal disease with impaired bile acid synthesis caused by a-methylacyl-CoA racemase(AMACR)gene mutation.The disease is usually found in children with mild to severe liver disease,cholestasis and poor fat-soluble vitamin absorption.At present,there is no report of inborn errors of bile acid synthesis type 4 in adults with liver disease and poor fat-soluble vitamin absorption.CASE SUMMARY A 71-year-old man was hospitalized in our department for recurrent liver dysfunction.The clinical manifestations were chronic liver disease and yellow skin and sclera.Serum transaminase,bilirubin and bile acid were abnormally increased;and fat-soluble vitamins decreased.Liver cirrhosis and ascites were diagnosed by computed tomography.The patient had poor coagulation function and ascites and did not undergo liver puncture.Genetic testing showed AMACR gene missense mutation.The patient was diagnosed with inborn error of bile acid synthesis type 4.He was treated with ursodeoxycholic acid,liver protection and vitamin supplementation,and jaundice of the skin and sclera was reduced.The indicators of liver function and the quality of life were significantly improved.CONCLUSION When adults have recurrent liver function abnormalities,physicians should be alert to genetic diseases and provide timely treatment.

Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry for Analysis of Acylcarnitines in Dried Blood Specimens Collected at Autopsy from Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Objective To investigate the feasibility of analyzing acylcarnitine in dry filter-paper blood spots by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS) which could be applied to detect inborn errors of metabolism in neonates.Methods We obtained filter-paper blood from 26 dead infants from a neonatal intensive care unit(NICU) between October 1,2008 and September 30,2009.Acylcarnitine and amino acid profiles were obtained with LC-MS/MS.Four infants underwent routine autopsy.The postmortem blood specimens were compared with newborn blood specimens,and with specimens obtained from older infants with metabolic disorders.Results Of all the 26 patients,5(19.2%) were diagnosed as having different kinds of diseases:3 with methylmalonic acidemia(the concentration of C3,and the ratio of C3/C16,C3/C2 increased),1 with maple syrup urine disease(the concentration of leucine and isoleucine increased),and 1 with isovaleric aci-demia(the concentration of C5 increased).Conclusions Postmortem metabolic test can explain infant deaths and provide estimates of deaths attributable to inborn errors of metabolism in NICU.LC-MS/MS is suitable for analysis of postmortem specimens and can be considered for routine application in NICU autopsy.

Glutaric acidemia type Ⅱ patient with thalassemia minor and novel electron transfer flavoprotein-A gene mutations:A case report and review of literature

Glutaric acidemia type Ⅱ （GAⅡ）, also known as multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase defciency, is an auto-somal recessive inborn error of amino acid and fatty acid metabolism. We report a case of GAⅡ with novel electron transfer flavoprotein （ETF）-A mutations in a 2-year-old female with thalassemia minor. The patient developed an episode of hypoglycemia and hypotonicityon the postnatal first day. Laboratory investigations revealed elevations of multiple acyl carnitines indicat-ing glutaric acidemia type Ⅱ in newborn screening analysis. Urinary organic acids were evaluated for the confrmation and revealed a high glutaric acid excretion. Genetic analysis revealed two novel mutations in the ETF-A gene, which are considered to be compound heterozygote. At the 8 mo of life ketone therapy was added, which significantly increased the neuromotor development. The patient had been closely followed for two years with carnitine, ribofavin, coenzyme Q10, and ketone supplementation in addition to a high carbohydrate diet. Although the patient had comorbidity like thalassemia minor, her neuromotor developmentwas normal for her age and had no major health problems. This specific case expands the previously reported spectrum of this disease.

Long-term clinical outcomes and health-related quality of life in patients with isolated methylmalonic acidemia after liver transplantation:experience from the largest cohort study in China

Background Liver transplantation(LT)has been proposed as a viable treatment option for selected methylmalonic acidemia(MMA)patients.However,there are still controversies regarding the therapeutic value of LT for MMA.The systematic assessment of health-related quality of life(HRQoL)-targeted MMA children before and after LT is also undetermined.This study aimed to comprehensively assess the long-term impact of LT on MMA,including multiorgan sequelae and HRQoL in children and families.Methods We retrospectively evaluated 15 isolated MMA patients undergoing LT at our institution between June 2013 and March 2022.Pre-and post-transplant data were compared,including metabolic profiles,neurologic consequences,growth parameters,and HRQoL.To further assess the characteristics of the HRQoL outcomes in MMA,we compared the results with those of children with biliary atresia(BA).Results All patients had early onset MMA,and underwent LT at a mean age of 4.3 years.During 1.3–8.2 years of follow-up,the patient and graft survival rates were 100%.Metabolic stability was achieved in all patients with liberalized dietary protein intake.There was a significant overall improvement in height Z scores(P=0.0047),and some preexisting neurological complications remained stable or even improved after LT.On the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory(PedsQL™)generic core scales,the mean total,physical health,and psychosocial health scores improved significantly posttransplant(P<0.05).In the family impact module,higher mean scores were noted for all subscales post-LT,especially family function and daily activities(P<0.01).However,the total scores on the generic core scales and transplant module were significantly lower(Cohen’s d=0.57–1.17)when compared with BA recipients.In particular,social and school functioning(Cohen’s d=0.86–1.76),treatment anxiety,and communication(Cohen’s d=0.99–1.81)were far behind,with a large effect size.Conclusions This large single-center study of the mainland of China showed an overall favorable impact of LT on isolated MMA in terms of long-term survival,metabolic control,and HRQoL in children and families.The potential for persistent neurocognitive impairment and inherent metabolic fragility requires long-term special care.

Liver cell transplantation for Crigler-Najjar syndrome type Ⅰ: Update and perspectives

Liver cell transplantation is an attractive technique to treat liver-based inborn errors of metabolism. The feasibility and efficacy of the procedure has been demonstrated, leading to medium term partial metabolic control of various diseases. Crigler-Najjar is the paradigm of such diseases in that the host liver is lacking one function with an otherwise normal parenchyma. The patient is at permanent risk for irreversible brain damage. The goal of liver cell transplantation is to reduce serum bilirubin levels within safe limits and to alleviate phototherapy requirements to improve quality of life. Preliminary data on Gunn rats, the rodent model of the disease, were encouraging and have led to successful clinical trials. Herein we report on two additional patients and describe the current limits of the technique in terms of durability of the response as compared to alternative therapeutic procedures. We discuss the future developments of the technique and new emerging perspectives.

Liver transplantation in Crigler-Najjar syndrome type I disease

BACKGROUND: Crigler-Najjar syndrome type I (CNS I) is a very rare autosomal recessive inherited disease that liver transplantation can properly deal with. METHODS: We present one case of an 18-month-old child with CNS I diagnosed by clinical findings and genetic detecting LTx was performed 5 days after kernicterus broke out and neurological symptoms were successfully reversed. RESULT: Magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed encouraging results that brain pathology had a trend to return to normal in 1-year follow-up, combined with electroencephalogram and motor development estimate studies. CONCLUSIONS: Liver transplantation can cure CNS I with reversible neurological symptoms to some extent in time Magnetic resonance spectroscopy may be a future option of predicting brain conditions and selecting suitable patients with CNS I for transplantation.