Glycogen Storage Disorders Flashcards
What are Glycogen Storage Disorders?
- Inherited disorders that affect the quantity and/or the quality (structure) of glycogen stored in tissue
- Overall affects 1 in 25,000 (Europe/USA)
- Mainly diagnosed in first few years of life
- Testing mainly through genetics, only 1 UK lab offers biochemical testing
What is the presentation of Glycogen Sorage Disorders?
- Hepatomegaly and fasting hypoglycaemia are presenting features of GSD affecting the liver
- Muscle cramps and exercise intolerance are features of GSD affecting muscle
What is Glycogen?
- Secondary energy store for the body
- Stored by forming 1-4 linked straight chains with branches formed by 1-6 links
- Store of glucose in a readily accessible form without imposing an osmotic load on the cell
- 2 main storage sites liver (35%) and muscle (60%). Some also stored in brain, intestine and kidneys
- Can be mildly elevated in the neonatal period
Describe glycogen metabolism
Synthesis
- Priming - Glycogenin
- Elongation - Glycogen synthase
- Branching - Glycogen branching Enzyme
Degradation
- Shortening of straight chains - Phosphorylase
- Removal of branch points - Debrancher
- Whole sale degradation - Acid a-glucosidase
Transport and utilisation
- Glycolysis - PFK etc.
- Release from cells - Glucose-6-phosphatase
What are Hepatic GSDs examples?
- GSD I: glucose-6-phosphatase or transport systems in ER
- GSD III: debranching enzyme
- GSD IX a, b , c: liver phosphorylase b kinase (PBK)
- GSD VI: liver phosphorylase
- GSD IV: branching enzyme
- GSD 0a: glycogen synthase
What are Muscle GSDs?
- GSD II: acid a-glucosidase
- GSD V: muscle phosphorylase
- GSD VII: muscle phosphofructokinase
- GSD IX: Muscle isoforms of PBK
Rare
- GSD X: phosphoglycerate mutase
- GSD XII: Aldolase A
- GSD XIII: β-enolase
- GSD XIV: Phosphoglucomutase
- GSD XV: Glycogenin deficiency
- Phosphoglycerate kinase deficiency
What are rare muscular forms of GSDs?
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What are Routine biochemistry investigation of GSDs?
- U+E
- LFTs
- Clotting
- Glucose
- (Free Fatty Acids, Beta-Hydroxybutyrate, insulin, c-peptide, Ammonia)
- Lactate
- CK
- Cholesterol and triglycerides
- Urate
What are the samples used for Enzyme analysis?
- 5- 10 mL lithium Heparin whole blood. To be received within 24 hours of collection
- Blood spot
- Liver biopsy snap frozen
- Muscle biopsy snap frozen
What are features of GSD Type 1 (von Gierke)?
- 1:58,000 newborns - rare, 25% of GSDs diagnosed
- Types A and B
- Glucose-6-Phosphatase deficiency (type a)
- Terminal step in both gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis
What is the routine biochemistry findings of GSD Type 1 (von Gierke)?
- ↓ Glucose
- ↑ Urate
- ↑ Transaminases
- ↑ ↑ ↑ Lipeamia
- Glucose challenge
- ↑ Lactate
How is diagnosis of GSD type 1 (von Gierke)?
- DNA analysis preferred to enzyme analysis – 2 common mutations (~50%) for each type but >65 and >80 described.
- Enzyme analysis only indicated if genetics unclear. Type 1a frozen muscle biopsy and Type 1b fresh liver biopsy (requires sacrifice of a rabbit).
- Histology finding of elevated liver glycogen. Upregulation of glycogen synthase due to increased [G-6-P]
- No clear genotype/phenotype correlation
- Monitor AFP, urate, proteinuria
- 1b – increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease and osteopenia
What are features of GSD 2 (Pompe)?
- Autosomal recessive disease whereby there is a partial or complete deficiency acid α-glucosidase.
- Progressive storage of glycogen in the lysosomes, leading to rupture of the lysosome and subsequent cellular damage
What are symptoms of GSD 2 (Pompe)?
Infantile form
- Presents within the first 6 months
- Severe hypotonia
- Progressive cardiomyopathy,
- Respiratory and feeding difficulties.
- Rapidly fatal if left untreated.
Adult or late onset form
- Presents with a milder disease progression with little or no cardiac involvement.
- Muscle weakness and respiratory insufficiency are common clinical presentations.
What is the Diagnosis and treatment of GSD type 2?
Investigation
-
Blood spot enzyme analysis
- Measure activity at both acidic and neutral pH and ± acarbose
- Use ratio of acid/neutral and ± acarbose
- White cell assay used to confirm adult onset and difficult cases
- Histology vacuolated lymphocytes
Treatment
- Through enzyme replacement therapy
How is cross reactive immunogenic material measured?
Measure if any enzyme being made
- Uses antiGAA Ab
- Band present CRIM +ve - Straight to ERT
- Absent bands CRIM –ve - Immune modulation prior to ERT
- Rapid turnaround time ~72 hours
- Second antibody to b-Actin
- Checks for sample degradation
What is GSD Type 3 (Cori)?
Deficiency of glycogen debranching enzyme (AGL)
2 phenotypes
- 3a liver and muscle
- 3b liver only
What are 2 functions of glycogen debranching enzyme (AGL)?
- Transfer of 3 glucose residues from a branch point to a non reducing end
- Cleavage of the a-1,6- linkage liberating glucose
Stored Glycogen in GSD III is short chained and highly branched