Mucolipidosis I: studies of sialidase activity and a prenatal diagnosis.

The characteristics of the sialidase (N-acetyl-alpha-neuraminidase) of human leukocytes, fibroblasts and amniotic fluid cell cultures were determined with a radioactive assay method utilizing neuramin-[3H]lactitol as the enzyme substrate. Fibroblast cultures from patients with the inherited sialidase deficiency diseases including mucolipidosis I, sialidosis I and sialidosis II, juvenile type have less than 10% of normal sialidase activity using either this substrate, 2-(3'-methoxyphenyl)-N-acetyl-alpha-neuraminic acid, or 2'-(4-methylumbelliferyl)-N-acetyl-alpha-neuraminic acid. The total sialic acid content of fibroblasts and leukocytes from mucolipidosis I and sialidosis I patients is greatly elevated; this parameter is useful in establishing a diagnosis of sialidase deficiency. The sialic acid content of sialidosis II, juvenile type, with coexistent sialidase and beta-galactosidase deficiencies, is only slightly elevated above normal levels. A patient with mucolipidosis I has 16% of normal neuramin-[3H]lactitol sialidase activity in his peripheral leukocytes. His parents were clearly distinguished from the normal range using leukocyte enzyme levels and a maternal aunt was identified as a possible carrier. The presence of this enzyme in amniotic fluid cell cultures, both fibroblastic and mixed cell type, makes possible the prenatal detection of these diseases. A pregnancy from a family at risk for having a child with mucolipidosis I was monitored by amniocentesis and subsequent sialidase measurement of the amniotic fluid cell cultures.