• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.118-126
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• 2015

Background and objectives: A deficiency of BH4 (tetrahydrobiopterin) not only causes the classical phenylketonuric phenotype, but also is the source of neurological signs and symptoms due to impaired syntheses of L-Dopa and serotonin. The treatment of BH4 deficiency usually consists of replacement with BH4 and the neurotransmitters. We performed this study to finding out long-term follow-up clinical symptoms and prognosis of BH4 deficiency. Methods: Clinical and biochemical, genetic analysis were done retrospectively from January 1999 to July 2015 in Soonchunhyang University Hospital. Results: In our study, total 207 patients were confirmed to hyperphenylalaninemia. Among them, 10 patients were BH4 deficiency. 9 patients were 6-pyruvoyl-tetrahydropterin (PTPS) deficiency and one patient was dihydropteridine reductase (DHPR) deficiency. The patients who received delayed treatment, most of our patients suffered from severe psychomotor retardation, hypotonia and seizure. c.259C>T mutation was identified most commonly in PTPS gene analysis. A patient with DHPR deficiency had a mental retardation, dystonia, seizure. His seizure semiology was dialeptic feature. His EEG showed generalized spike wave patterns. All patients had treated with tolerate L-Dopa, BH4 and 5-hydroxytryptophan. Most of the early treated patients have a good tolerance for drugs well. But some patients had neurologic symptoms, despite early detection and treatment. Conclusion: BH4 deficiency patients who had delayed treatment tend to have severe psychomotor problem and neurologic deficits.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.170-174
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• 2009

Tetrahydrobiopterin ($BH_4$) deficiency is caused by mutations in genes encoding enzymes involved in the synthesis and regeneration of $BH_4$. The condition is usually accompanied by hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA) and deficiency of neurotransmitter precursors L-dopa and 5-hydroxytryptophan. $BH_4$ deficiency is much rarer than classical phenylketonuria. Dihydropteridine reductase (DHPR) deficiency, an autosomal recessive genetic disorder, is a cause of malignant hyperphenylalaninemia due to $BH_4$ deficiency. When left untreated, DHPR deficiency leads to neurologic deterioration at the age of 4 or 5 months, including psychomotor retardation, tonicity disorders, drowsiness, irritability, abnormal movements, hyperthermia, hypersalivation, and difficulty swallowing. Treatment of DHPR deficiency should be initiated as early as possible with $BH_4$ supplementation and replacement of the neurotransmitter precursors L-dopa and 5-hydroxytryptophan. We report the first case of DHPR deficiency in Korea, a child diagnosed at 9 years of age by genetic testing.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.30-36
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• 2013

6-pyruvoyltetrahydropterin synthase (PTPS) deficiency is autosomal recessive disorder and the most common type of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) deficiency. It is caused by deficiency of PTPS, a cofactor involved in the biosynthesis of BH4 from guanosine triphosphate (GTP). Unlike classical phenylketonuria, which needs restriction of dietary phenylalanine for whole life, BH4 deficiency is treated by tetrahydrobiopterin, levodopa, and 5-hydroxytryptophan replacement. So it is important to make accurate diagnosis and initiate treatment as soon as possible for a better prognosis. There is no retrospective study of Korean patients undergoing long-term treatment for PTPS deficiency. We report 9 Korean patients with PTPS deficiency and their laboratory findings including BH4 loading tests, urine pterin tests, genotypes, dihydropteridine reductase (DHPR) activities and clinical manifestations including medication and developmental delay existence.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.55-58
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• 2015

Tetrahydrobiopterin ($BH_4$) can normalize blood phenylalanine (Phe) levels in $BH_4$ deficiency, but typically not in phenylketonuria (PKU). In 1999, Kure et al. reported that some PKU patients showed decreased blood Phe levels after $BH_4$ loading, and thereafter, those PKU patients were identified by neonatal PKU screening. A natural cofactor for phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) is a 6R-isomer of $BH_4$, which is first synthesized in Japan as Sapropterin dihydrochloride (Biopten$^{(R)}$) in 1982. In Japan, Biopten$^{(R)}$ is first approved for the treatment of $BH_4$ deficiency in 1992, and then for $BH_4$-responsive PAH deficiency (BPKU) in 2008. The discovery of BPKU has vast clinical implications. After Biopten$^{(R)}$ (Kuvan$^{(R)}$) is available for the treatment of BPKU, the QOL of both patients and their families were improved very much, since the serum phenylalanine levels were controlled within 4 mg/dL by $BH_4$ mono-therapy with a normal diet or $BH_4$ combined use of mild phenylalanine-restricted diet. Biopten$^{(R)}$ therapy in patients with BPKU is highly efficacious (70%) at maintaining serum Phe levels within recommended control range and provides excellent safety at least average use period of 10 years (range, 1-17 years) with no unwarranted side effects in Japan. In addition it has been confirmed that sapropterin therapy initiated before 4 years of age was very effective to maintain plasma Phe levels within the favorable range and was safe in Japanese patients with BPKU.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.110-117
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• 2015

All infants should be screened for phenylketonuria (PKU) within the three days of life, in order to allow timely dietary intervention to protect children with PKU from neurologic damage in Korea. A commonly used cut-off level for diagnosis of PKU is $240{\mu}mol/L$ (4 mg/dL). Up to 2% of cases of hyperphenylalaninemias (HPA) detected by the screening test will account for a disorder of $BH_4$ metabolism. Therefore, analysis of blood or urinary pterins is essential, backed up with measurement of DHPR activity, as this allows differentiation of $BH_4$ disorders. A $BH_4$ loading test and measurement of neurotransmitters in CSF provide further important information to the severity of $BH_4$ deficiency and $BH_4$ loading test can detect patients with $BH_4$ deficiency and $BH_4$ responsive PKU. Several protocols for $BH_4$ loading test have been described, involving treatment with $BH_4$ for periods ranging from 1 day to 1 month, and using doses of $BH_4$ of 10-20 mg/kg. There is general agreement that a reduction on blood phenylalanine of at least 30% in response to $BH_4$ loading indicates a clinically significant effect, although in some tests a lower cut-off value may be defined for individual patients, or no specific cut-off value is proposed. The frequency of $BH_4$ responsiveness is highest in patients with mild HPA and mild to moderate PKU resulting from PAH mutations with residual activity.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Biotechnology Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.55-55
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• 2004

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.53-63
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• 2007

Purpose : Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is effective screening test for inherited metabolic diseases. In this study, we estimate potential costs and benefits of using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) to screen new borns for inherited metabolic diseases (phenylketonuria, BH4 deficiency, citrullinemia, maple syrup urine disease, propionic aciduria, isovaleric aciduria, glutaric aciduria type 1, LCHAD deficiency) in Korea. Methods : From April 2001 to March 2004, 79,179 new borns were screened for amino acid disorders, organic acid disorders, and fatty acid oxidative disorders. Twenty-eight new borns were diagnosed with one of the metabolic disorder and the collective estimated prevalence amounted to 1 in 2,800 with a sensitivity of 97.67%, a specificity of 99.28%, a recall rate of 0.05%, and a positive preditive value of 6.38%. We calculated and compared the total costs in case when neonatal screening on pheny lketonuria, BH4 deficiency, citrullinemia, maple syrup urine disease, propionic aciduria, isovaleric aciduria, glutaric aciduria type 1, LCHAD deficiency is implemented, and when not. Results : If the neonatal screening on pheny lketonuria, BH4 deficiency, citrullinemia, maple syrup urine disease, propionic aciduria, isovaleric aciduria, glutaric aciduria type 1, LCHAD deficiency is implemented, total benefits far exceed costs at a ratio of 1.40:1. Conclusion : Although, this study only concerns the monetary aspects of the neonatal screening, tandem mass spcetrometry for neonatal screening is cost-effective compared with not screening. The study appears to support the introduction of tandem mass spectrometry into a Korea neonatal screening programme for inherited metabolic diseases.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.86-92
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• 2016

Purpose: The $BH_4$ loading test is an important test that distinguishes PKU from $BH_4$ deficiency and identifies the $BH_4$ reactivity of PKU patients. Phenylalanine and $BH_4$ loading tests are useful methods that can shorten the length of hospital stay while improving patients' convenience. However, sufficient research on the dose of phenylalanine loading and $BH_4$ administration time after the loading has not been carried out. The present study investigates the effectiveness of the existing phenylalanine loading method by analyzing the medical records of six patients who underwent the $BH_4$ loading test after taking 100 mg/kg of phenylalanine patients. Methods: The medical records of six patients who underwent the $BH_4$ load test after taking 100 mg/kg of phenylalanine were examined out of 207 patients who were followed up in the Genetic Metabolic Clinic in Soonchunhyang University Hospital. All of the six patients had a low phenylalanine diet. First, they were taking 100 mg/kg of phenylalanine. 3 hours later, 20 mg/kg of $BH_4$ were loaded. The phenylalanine levels in the blood were continuously measured at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hours by setting the time the $BH_4$ was loaded as the basal. Results: The average of the highest phenylalanine concentrations of six patients was $20.0{\pm}11.70mg/dL$. One reached the highest concentration seven hours after taking phenylalanine; another reached it five hours after that, and the remaining three reached it four hours after that. Only one patient reached the highest concentration within three hours. The phenylalanine levels of four out of six patients (66%) rose above $400{\mu}mol/L$ after being loaded with phenylalanine. The phenylalanine levels of the remaining two were 6.1 mg/dL ($366{\mu}mol/L$) and 5 mg/dL ($300{\mu}mol/L$), respectively. Conclusion: One of six patients (16%) reached the highest concentration three hours after taking 100 mg/kg of phenylalanine and four patients (66%) reached $400{\mu}mol/L$ or higher phenylalanine levels. There were patients whose phenylalanine levels did not rise above $400{\mu}mol/L$ using a commonly known test method; moreover, this method had the disadvantage of reaching the highest concentration after more than three hours. Therefore, it is considered that taking 200 mg/kg or more of phenylalanine and performing $BH_4$ loading four to six hours after taking phenylalanine are helpful in proper diagnosis.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.14-22
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• 2012

Objectives: This study was performed to review clinical manifestations of hyperphenylalaninemia patients in Korean. Methods: 178 cases of hyperphenyalaninemia were diagnosed at department of pediatrics, Soonchunhyang University Hospital from January, 1983 to August. We reviewed DNA analysis, MR imaging, EEG, radiography of the left hand and wrist, bone densitometry (BMD), IQ test of hyperphenyalaninemia patients. Results: Out of 178 cases, 161 cases were diagnosed classic phenylketonuria and 17 cases were diagnosed BH4 deficiency. 122 cases performed DNA analysis. R243Q (10.3%), Y204C (9.9%), and IVS4-1G>A (8.1%) mutations were predominant. 22 cases underwent MR imaging. Varying degrees of symmetrical high signal intensity were noted on T2-weighted sequences in the periventricular deep white matter of 15 cases. 23 cases were performed EEG. 12 cases (52.3%) showed abnormal pattern. EEG abnormalities showed in 11 cases. On lumbar BMD four of 11 cases (36%) showed reduced bone density of more than 1 S.D. in four of 11 cases, bone age was less than chronological age by at least one year. 18 cases were performed IQ test. Mean IQ scores was $84{\pm}21.6$. Among older than 15 years (9 cases), Mean IQ scores was $72{\pm}21.2$. PTPS deficiency was 14 cases, DHPR deficiency was 2 cases, and GTPCH deficiency was 1 case. Conclusion: We confirmed there were varieties of DNA mutations. And MR imaging and EEG were nonspecific in PKU patients. Older children showed lower IQ score. Low phenylalanine diet prevents brain damage in PKU patient. Not only first few years of life but also lifetime, Keeping low phenylalanine diet is important.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.26-33
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• 2008

Purpose : Phenylketonuria(PKU) is an inborn error of metabolism and a genetic disorder resulting from a deficiency of phenylalanine hydroxylase(PAH) and decreased activity of tetrahydrobiopterin(BH4).In this study the correlation between the DNA mutation and clinical manifestations was investigated and PAH DNA mutations were compared bewteen Asian and Caucasian populations. Methods : DNA was isolated from peripheral leukocytes. The PAH gene was amplified by Polymerase Chain Reaction(PCR) and the sequence was analyzed with Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification(MLPA). Results : We characterized the PAH gene of 102 independent Korean patients with PKU. PAH nucleotide sequence analysis revealed 44 different mutations, including 10 novel mutations comprising 9 missense mutations(N207D, K95del, A447P, G344D, P69S, S391I, A202T, G103S, and I306L) and 1 novel splice-site variant mutation(IVS10-3C>G). R243Q was the most prevalent mutation in this study. A259T has not previously been reported in Asian populations, but we found that this mutation had a frequency of 10.1% in our study. Furthermore, the genotypes of $BH_4$ responsive patients were analyzed and were divided into two groups: $BH_4$ medication-only group and $BH_4$ medication with diet therapy group. In the $BH_4$ medication-only group and $BH_4$ medication with diet therapy group, R241C was the most common mutation. Conclusion : Novel mutations in the PAH gene of PKU patients are still being discovered. Additional information as to the frequency of mutations in the tetrahydrobiopterine responsive gene is also accumulating. We anticipate that knowledge of these PKU gene mutations will assist the diagnosis, genetic counseling, and therapeutic treatment of PKU patients in future.