Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0023890 (cirrhosis)
 42,195 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Two adults were seen with cirrhosis caused by different lipid storage diseases. A 42-yr-old woman with Niemann-Pick disease type B had marked hepatomegaly, ascites and recent variceal bleeding. Her evaluation showed chronic bilateral pulmonary infiltrates, multiple stigmata of chronic liver disease including the recent cessation of menses, diuretic-resistant sterile ascites, hepatic encephalopathy and variceal bleeding. Five percent of normal sphingomyelinase activity was measured in peripheral leukocytes. A 42-yr-old man with Gaucher's disease and a history of bilateral hip replacements presented with hepatomegaly, jaundice, refractory ascites and renal insufficiency. His evaluation showed 20% to 23% of normal glucocerebrosidase activity in peripheral leukocytes. Both patients underwent orthotopic liver transplantation with resolution of all aspects of decompensated liver function. Assessment of the underlying metabolic defect before and 6 to 14 mo after transplantation showed that after transplantation the patient with Niemann-Pick disease had above normal hepatic sphingomyelinase activity, a less-marked increase in peripheral leukocyte enzyme activity and lower than normal hepatic sphingomyelin and cholesterol content. In contrast, the patient with Gaucher's disease had only a 61% increase in hepatic glucocerebrosidase activity but had an elevated hepatic glucocerebroside content that was only 15% of the pretransplant level and decreased peripheral leukocyte enzyme levels. These findings suggest that variable relationships may exist between posttransplant hepatic and peripheral leukocyte enzyme activities in the different lipidoses, which may have implications for recurrence of glycolipid-induced liver damage.
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PMID:Orthotopic liver transplantation in two adults with Niemann-Pick and Gaucher's diseases: implications for the treatment of inherited metabolic disease. 842 40

Diagnostic difficulties of Gaucher disease, a disorder resulted from a deficient activity of glucocerebrosidase is reported. Gaucher disease was described in the 16 year old male, 5 years after manifestation of the very first symptoms (fracture and osteomyelitis). At the age of 14, the cirrhosis due to viral hepatitis accompanied with splenomegaly was diagnosed. This findings was not associated with the earlier osseous disorders. Histopathologic examination of the removed spleen facilitate the diagnosis. The second case refers to 20 year old female. Clinical symptoms and additional test pointed to malignant neoplasm of thyroid, the reproductive organs or cancer of indistinguishable primary focus with metastases in the liver. Trepanobiopsy of bone marrow had made an accurate diagnosis possible, while determination of beta-glucosidase activity in peripheral white blood cells, chitotriosidase activity, and molecular investigations of gene specific to beta-glucocerebrosidase proved it.
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PMID:[Diagnostic difficulties in Gaucher disease: report of two cases]. 1033 43

Gaucher disease (GD), a rare lysosomal storage disorder caused by deficient glucocerebrosidase activity and consequent accumulation of glycosphingolipids in the mononuclear phagocyte system, may progress to disabling and potentially life-threatening complications when left undiagnosed and untreated. Unfortunately, because of non-specific signs and symptoms and lack of awareness, patients with type 1 GD, the most common non-neuropathic variant, frequently experience diagnostic delays. Since splenomegaly and thrombocytopenia are the dominant clinical features in many GD patients leading to first medical contact, the hepatologist and the gastroenterologist need to be aware of this condition. Liver involvement has been reported in the majority of GD patients, and comprises hepatomegaly, with or without liver enzymes alteration, fibrosis/cirrhosis, portal hypertension, focal liver lesions, and cholelithiasis. Moreover, GD is associated with several biochemical alterations of potential interest for the hepatologist and the gastroenterologist, including hypergammaglobulinemia, hyperferritinemia and metabolic abnormalities, that may lead to misdiagnoses with chronic liver diseases of common etiology, such as primary hemochromatosis, autoimmune liver diseases or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. This comprehensive review, based on the collaborative experience of physicians managing patients with GD, provides practical information on the clinical, histological and radiological hepatic manifestations of GD aiming at facilitating the diagnosis of GD for the hepatologist and the gastroenterologist.
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PMID:Liver involvement in Gaucher disease: A practical review for the hepatologist and the gastroenterologist. 3205 84