Document Detail


Maternal heterozygosity for a mitochondrial trifunctional protein mutation as a cause for liver disease in pregnancy.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  15533621     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) and hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome are serious complications of pregnancy associated with significant maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. In previous reports, we have documented an association between AFLP and fetal deficiency of long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase (LCHAD) [N. Engl. J. Med. 340 (1999) 1723-1731; JAMA 288 (2002) 2163-2166]. LCHAD activity resides in the alpha-subunit of the mitochondrial trifunctional protein (MTP), a complex protein that catalyzes beta-oxidation of long chain fatty acids. In all reported cases, the fetus carried a common alpha-subunit MTP mutation (G1528C, E474Q) on one or both alleles. However, the association between fetal LCHAD deficiency and the maternal HELLP syndrome has been limited. Here, we report a case history of a 27-year-old black female who underwent Cesarean section for placenta previa and fetal distress at 36 weeks gestation. The newborn was a healthy male child. Post-delivery, the mother developed severe HELLP syndrome with complications resulting in death of the patient. We used single strand conformation variance and nucleotide sequence analyses to screen DNA isolated from the mother and the newborn for mutations in the MTP alpha-subunit. The mother was heterozygous for a novel mutation (C1072A, Q322K) in exon 11 of the LCHAD domain of the MTP, while the fetal genotype was completely normal. We hypothesize that, in some cases, maternal heterozygosity for an MTP mutation maybe sufficient to cause the development of maternal liver disease without carrying an affected fetus. Combination of the metabolic stress of pregnancy and other environmental stresses may overwhelm the heterozygous mother's capacity for effective metabolism of long chain fatty acids, leading to an accumulation of potentially toxic fatty acid metabolites in the maternal circulation with subsequent damage to the maternal liver.
Authors:
Kimberly R Blish; Jamal A Ibdah
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Medical hypotheses     Volume:  64     ISSN:  0306-9877     ISO Abbreviation:  Med. Hypotheses     Publication Date:  2005  
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2004-11-09     Completed Date:  2005-04-21     Revised Date:  2007-11-14    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7505668     Medline TA:  Med Hypotheses     Country:  Scotland    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  96-100     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Acute Disease
Adult
Fatty Liver / enzymology*,  genetics*
Female
Genetic Predisposition to Disease / genetics
HELLP Syndrome / enzymology*,  genetics*
Heterozygote
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Male
Maternal-Fetal Exchange / genetics*
Multienzyme Complexes / genetics*
Mutation
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications / enzymology
Risk Assessment / methods*
Risk Factors
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
DK 56345/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Multienzyme Complexes; 0/fatty acid beta-oxidation multienzyme complex

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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