Arylsulfatase A and B activities were assayed in leucocytes of 43 controls, 11 cases of Metachromatic Leucodystrophy and 7 parents or siblings of patients, using a new technique implying specific inhibitors for leucocyte enzymes. Heterozygotes can be determined, with a 50% value compared to the control, in variant B. Electrophoresis of leucocytes after enzymatic staining for arylsulfatase, is a complementary technique which allowed the detection of a new form of metachromatic leucodystrophy.

Adult↗

PubMed1975

Metachromatic leukodystrophy. Ultrastructural and enzymatic study of a case of variant O form.

A variant of metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), Austin disease, is characterized by a multiple isozyme deficiency of arylsulfatase. A 3 1/2-year-old girl with progressive mental and physical deterioration had decreased activities of arylsulfatases A and B in the leukocytes, shown by acylamide gel electrophoresis. Under the electron microscope, biopsy specimens of the brain and the peripheral nerve showed lamellar structures with socalled zebra bodies in the cytoplasmic processes of glial cells, granulo-membranous inclusions with fingerprint configurations in neurons, and myelinlike material in Schwann cells. Results from our study suggest an intricate nature of this dysmetabolic disorder, which shows ultrastructural changes usually seen in classic MLD, a deficiency of arylsulfatase A only, concomitant with those seen in mucopolysaccharidoses such as Hurler and Sanfilippo syndromes.

Cerebroside-Sulfatase↗

PubMed1975

[Responsibility in the matter of vaccination].

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France↗

PubMed1975

[Subacute spongiform encephalopathy and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Apropos of 1 case].

The authors describe a case of sub-acute spongiform encephalopathy with an ultrastructural study in a man of 65 with associated dementia, extra-pyramidal syndrome, myoclonia, optical disorders, pyramidal syndrome and speech disorders, rapidly leading to death one and a half months later. Electroencephalograms were at first disorganized with persistent delta and theta activity and only in the last record did short runs of repetitive activity appear. Histologically, there was severe status spongiosus, a moderate degree of neuronal depopulation with a noticeable astrocytary gliosis. Under the electron microscope, the neuropile in the astrocytes was found to be pitted with numerous cavities and so were, to a lesser extent, the axonal projections. The vessels were normal. Nothing was found to indicate viral structures. Attention is drawn to the nosological connection between this type of observation and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Aged↗

PubMed1974