Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0162671 (MELAS)
 587 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A case of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes, in which a pituitary growth hormone (GH) secretion deficiency of hypothalamic origin was revealed through neuro-endocrinological examinations, was described. The case was a 10-year-old girl, who had been suffering from generalized tonic seizures since age 5, four episodes of alternating hemiplegia since age 6, stunted growth since age 7, and simple partial motor seizures as well as gelastic seizures since age 8. Marked elevation of lactate and pyruvate in both serum and CSF, abundant ragged red fibers in biopsied muscle, and low density areas in the left occipital lobe and bilateral globus pallidus in addition to diffuse brain atrophy on CT scan and MRI of the head were demonstrated, although the activities of muscle enzymes complex I-IV were within normal ranges. Pituitary GH secretion was deficient under the loadings with insulin, L-DOPA, sleep, and a single growth hormone releasing factor (GRF) administration, but normal GH response was registered under the repetitive stimulation with GRF. Activities of other hormonal axes were normal. It is likely that short stature commonly observed in MELAS patients is due to hypothalamic dysfunction, which might be brought out by chronic ischemia and energy deficiency of the diencephalon based upon mitochondrial abnormality of that region. It is likely that gelastic seizure in this case is due to hypothalamic dysfunction.
 ...
PMID:[Hypothalamic GH Deficiency and gelastic seizures in a 10-year-old girl with MELAS]. 187 57

A mitochondrial A 3243 G mutation in the tRNA(Leu(UUR)) gene was first described as a common cause of MELAS syndrome (mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like syndrome). This same mutation is also the cause of a totally different disorder, a subtype of diabetes mellitus which is inherited maternally and often associated with sensorineural hearing loss. In this paper, we report on a Japanese boy with A 3243 G who developed a previously undescribed combination of symptoms, nephropathy and growth hormone deficiency. The patient first presented with short stature and moderate mental retardation. Growth hormone (GH) provocation tests showed deficient growth hormone secretion. During the course of follow up, he presented with progressive nephropathy followed by the development of diabetes mellitus. The results of laboratory tests and renal biopsy were against incidental association of known types of nephropathy. On PCR-RFLP analysis, the percentage of mutated mtDNA was higher in the renal biopsy specimen than 12 peripheral blood leucocytes. Our case suggests that mitochondrial diseases should be taken into account when there is nephropathy of unknown cause. In addition, the presence of growth hormone deficiency may account for part of the mechanism leading to short stature commonly seen in these patients.
 ...
PMID:Nephropathy and growth hormone deficiency in a patient with mitochondrial tRNA(Leu(UUR)) mutation. 881 55