Screening for inborn errors of metabolism in high-risk children from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

From 1988 to 1995, our laboratory at the Institute of Chemistry of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, in Rio de Janeiro, screened 2650 samples from 2000 high-risk patients (mostly children) for Inborn Errors of Metabolism (IEM). Chemical tests, various chromatographic techniques and enzyme assays were performed on urine, plasma and in some cases, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). A total of 145 cases of IEM (7.2%) was identified. These were related to: the metabolism of amino acids (41) and carbohydrates (17), organic acids (7), lysosomal enzymes (61), membrane transport system (16), metals (2), intestinal disaccharidases (1) and porphyrin metabolism (3). Furthermore, a relevant number of patients with abnormal findings is still under investigation. Biochemical results and clinical symptoms are presented and the importance of reference laboratories for the detection of IEM is stressed.

Adsorption of phenylalanine from casein hydrolysates.

The specific diet therapy for phenylalaninemies requires special hydrolysates of proteins where phenylalanine content is reduced to approx 0.53% of the amino acids present. In previous work, Amberlite XAD-4 resin was used to retain phenylalanine from an acid hydrolysate of casein. It was also observed that the adsorption isotherm of phenylalanine on the resin showed a convex pattern that allowed a frontal chromatography. In the present study, this technique was improved, aiming at the processing of larger hydrolysates volumes. This was achieved with the use of two sequential columns (50 x 1 cm), each containing 34 cm3 of the resin, and joined through a 1-cm long tygon, tube 1 mm diameter. This system was used to process 100 mL of casein acid hydrolysate containing 12 g of free amino acid and allowed the reduction of phenylalanine content from 4.39 to 0.14% of the total amino acids present, within 1 h. It was also observed that this technique could not be directly applied to enzymatic hydrolysates of casein unless they were especially produced for this purpose, which means that in this kind of hydrolysate, phenylalanine should be free or linked in small adsorptive peptides.

Structural studies on allergen RC-13 from Ricinus communis L.: isolation and characterization of a major glycopeptide.

A glycoprotein, RC-13, isolated from Ricinus communis seeds was reduced, S-alkylated and cleaved by trypsin. The tryptic digest was fractionated by ion-exchange chromatography and a glycopeptide was isolated and purified by high-voltage paper electrophoresis. When submitted to amino acid and carbohydrate analyses this major glycopeptide showed the following chemical composition: Lys1, Asp1, Thr2, Ser4, Glu1, Pro2, Gly2, Ala2, Val2, GlcN6, Man6 and Gal8. Hydrazynolysis positioned Ser as the C-terminal residue. It is postulated that this glycopeptide belongs to the C-terminal region of the allergen.

Structural studies on allergen RC-13 from Ricinus communis L.: isolation and characterization of a major glycopeptide

A glycoprotein, RC-13, isolated from Ricinus communis seeds was reduced, S-alkylated and cleaved by trypsin. The tryptic digest was fractionated by ion-exchange chromatography and a glycopeptide was isolated and purified by high-voltage paper electrophoresis. When submitted to amino acid and carbohydrate analyses this major glycopeptide showed the following chemical composition: Lys1, Asp1, Thr2, Ser4, Glu1, Pro2, Gly2, Ala2, Val2, GlcN6, Man6 and Gal8. Hydrazynolysis positioned Ser as the C-terminal residue. It is postulated that this glycopeptide belongs to the C-terminal region of the allergen