How to diagnose patients with lysosomal acid lipase deficiency – the added value of preschool screening for familial hypercholesterolemia – an expert opinion

Autori:

Željko Reiner, Danijela Petković Ramadža, Orjena Žaja, Jurica Vuković, Anna Mrzljak, Silvija Pušeljić, Mirna Natalija Aničić, Mia Šalamon Janičić, Goran Palčevski, Ivana Čulo Čagalj, Tajana Filipec Kanižaj, Davor Miličić, Ksenija Fumić, Iveta Merćep, Ivan Pećin

Sažetak
Manjak lizosomske kisele lipaze (LAL-D) je ultrarijetka nasljedna metabolička bolest koja dovodi do nakupljanja lipida u lizosomima. LAL-D je često neprepoznat zbog kliničkih znakova i simptoma bolesti koji se preklapaju s nekim čestim bolestima jetre i ne tako rijetkim dislipidemijama. Porodična hiperkolesterolemija (FH – od engl. Familial hypercholesterolemia) nasljedni je metabolički poremećaj kod kojega je značajno povišena koncentracija LDL-kolesterola u serumu. Posljedica je ateroskleroza koja u tih bolesnika preuranjeno nastaje pa je povećan rizik od kardiovaskularnih bolesti. U sklopu probira predškolske djece na FH koji se u Hrvatskoj provodi već tri godine postoji mogućnost otkrivanja bolesnika s LAL-D-om. Panel za dislipidemiju je genetički test u sklopu probira na FH u kojem se ispituje i LIPA gen odgovoran za lizosomsku kiselu lipazu. Stoga se predlaže da se počne određivati i aktivnost LAL-a djeci s povišenom koncentracijom LDL-kolesterola, a po potrebi i LIPA gen kako bi se otkrila djeca koja imaju LAL-D. U ovom se članku navode i znaci, odnosno simptomi koji bi trebali potaknuti liječnike na testiranje aktivnosti lizosomske kisele lipaze u djece koja neće biti genetički testirana i nemaju značajno povišene vrijednosti LDL-kolesterola. Glavni kriteriji prema kojima se LAL-D može klinički razlikovati od ostalih dislipidemija jesu povišene aktivnosti transaminaza.
Summary

Lysosomal acid lipase deficiency (LAL-D) is an ultra-rare inherited metabolic disease causing lipid accumulation in lysosomes. LAL-D is often unrecognized because clinical signs and symptoms of this disease overlap with some common liver diseases and not so rare dyslipidemias. Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an inherited metabolic disorder causing elevated serum LDL-cholesterol levels which cause premature atherosclerosis and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. As part of the universal screening of preschool children for FH which has been performed in Croatia for already three years, there is a possibility of detecting patients with LAL-D. The dyslipidemia panel is a genetic test which is a part of the screening for FH and which also tests the LIPA ene responsible for LAL-D. Therefore, the expert group proposes to determine also LAL activity in children with elevated levels of LDL-cholesterol and, if necessary, LIPA gene in the framework of FH screening to diagnose children with LAL-D. In this paper clinical signs and symptoms are described that should encourage physicians to test LAL activity in children who will not be genetically tested and do not have significantly elevated LDL-cholesterol values. The main criteria by which LAL-D can be clinically distinguished from other dyslipidemias are elevated activities of transaminases.