Skip to main content
Log in

Central nervous system and renal investigations in patients with Lowe syndrome

  • Original Papers
  • Published:
Child's Nervous System Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We describe three patients with Lowe (oculocerebrorenal) syndrome, emphasizing primarily the central nervous system and renal pathology. Using magnetic resonance imaging, we noted diffuse high T2 signals periventricularly, indicating significant white matter destruction, which may be responsible in part for the mental retardation, seizure disorder, hypotonia, and areflexia observed in the patients. In contrast to previously published reports, there was minimal renal tubular dysfunction; however, proteinuria was significantly increased in all patients. We believe that the observed proteinuria is primarily the result of glomerular pathology rather than renal tubular dysfunction and may represent a net loss of negative charges within the glomerular filter. This loss of charge may be linked to the increased excretion of glycosaminoglycans in the urine.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Athreya BH, Schumacher HR, Getz HD, Norman ME, Borden S IV, Witzleben CL (1983) Arthropathy of Lowe's (oculocerebrorenal) syndrome. Arthritis Rheum 26: 728–735

    Google Scholar 

  2. Barnerjee AK, Allen IV, McKee P (1982) Oculo-cerebro-renal syndrome: failure to demonstrate specific neuropathological abnormalities in four cases. Ir J Med Sci 151:42–45

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bartsocas CS, Levy HL, Crawford JD, Thier SO (1969) A defect in intestinal amino acid transport in Lowe's syndrome. Am J Dis Child 117:93–95

    Google Scholar 

  4. Brodehl J (1978) The Fanconi syndrome. In: Edelmann CM (ed) Pediatric kidney disease. Little Brown & Co, Boston, pp 955–986

    Google Scholar 

  5. Charnas L, Berner J, Pezeshkpour GH, Dalakas M, Harper GS, Gahl WA (1988) MRI findings and peripheral neuropathy in Lowe syndrome. Neuropediatrics 19:7–9

    Google Scholar 

  6. Elliman D, Woodley A (1983) Tenosynovitis in Lowe syndrome. J Pediatr 103:1011

    Google Scholar 

  7. Gobernado JM, Lousa M, Gimeno A, Gonsalvez M (1984) Mitochondrial defects in Lowe's oculocerebrorenal syndrome. Arch Neurol 41:208–209

    Google Scholar 

  8. Habid R, Bargetyon E, Brissaud HE, Raynaud J, Ball JC de (1962) Constatations anatomiques chez un enfant atteint d'un syndrome de Lowe. Arch Fr Pediatr 19:945–960

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hambeaus L, Pallisgaard G, Kildeberg P (1970) The lowe syndrome: observations on the amino acid metabolism in a 2-year-old affected boy. Acta Pediatr Scand 59:631–636

    Google Scholar 

  10. Hayashi S, Nagata T, Kimura A, Tsurumi K (1978) Urinary excretion of acid glycosaminoglycans and hydroxyproline in a patient with oculo-cerebro-renal syndrome. Tohoku J Exp Med 126:215–223

    Google Scholar 

  11. Hayashi S, Nagata T, Kimura A, Tsurumi K (1978) Urinary acid glycosaminoglycans in a patient with oculo-cerebro-renal dyndrome. Tohoku J Exp Med 126:225–234

    Google Scholar 

  12. Hotgrewe JL, Kalen V (1986) Orthopedic manifestations of the Lowe (oculocerebrorenal) syndrome. J Pediatr Orthop 6:165–171

    Google Scholar 

  13. Jones KL (1988) Smith's recognizable patterns of human malformation, 4th edn. Saunders, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  14. Kieras FJ, Houck GE, French JH, Wisniewski K (1984) Low sulfated glycosaminoglycans are excreted in patients with the Lowe syndrome. Biochem Med 31:201–210

    Google Scholar 

  15. Lowe CU, Terrey M, MacLachlan EA (1952) Organic aciduria, decreased renal ammonia production, hydrophthalmos, and mental retardation. Am J Dis Child 83:164–184

    Google Scholar 

  16. Martin JJ, Schlote W (1972) Central nervous system lesions in disorders of amino acid metabolism. J Neurol Sci 15:29–76

    Google Scholar 

  17. McKusick VA (1988) Mendelian inheritance in man, 8th edn. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, pp 1335–1336

    Google Scholar 

  18. O'Tuama LA, Laster DW (1987) Oculocerebrrenal syndrome: case report with CT and MRI correlation. AJNR 8:555–557

    Google Scholar 

  19. Rosenblatt D, Holmes LB (1974) Development of arthritis in Lowe's syndrome. J Pediatr 84:924–925

    Google Scholar 

  20. Schwartz R, Hall PW, Gabuzda GJ (1964) Metabolism of ornithine and other amino acids in cerebral-oculo-renal syndrome. Am J Med 36:778–786

    Google Scholar 

  21. Silver DN, Lewis RA, Nussbaum RL (1987) Mapping the Lowe oculocerebrorenal syndrome to Xq24-q26 by use of restriction fragment length polymorphisms. J Clin Invest 79:282–285

    Google Scholar 

  22. Silver Reilly D, Lewis RA, Ledbetter DH, Nussbaum RL (1988) Tightly linked flanking markers for the Lowe oculocerebrorenal syndrome, with application to carrier assessment. Am J Hum Genet 42:748–755

    Google Scholar 

  23. Suschke J, Murken JD (1969) Über die Ausscheidung saurer Mucopolysacchariden bei einem Kind mit Lowe-Syndrom. Monatsschr Kinderheilkd 117:412–414

    Google Scholar 

  24. Van Acker KJ, Roels H, Beelaerts W, Pasternack A, Valcke R (1967) The histologic lesions of the kidney in the oculo-cerebrorenal syndrome of Lowe. Nephron 4: 193–214

    Google Scholar 

  25. Wadelius C, Fagerholm P, Pettersson U, Annerén G (1989) Lowe oculocerebrorenal syndrome: DNA-based linkage of the gene to Xq24-q26, using tightly linked flanking markers and the correlation to lens examination in carrier diagnosis. Am J Hum Genet 44:241–247

    Google Scholar 

  26. Wisniewski KE, Kieras FJ, French JH, Houck GE, Ramos PL (1984) Ultrastructural, neurological and glycosaminoglycan abnormalities in Lowe syndrome. Ann Neurol 16:40–49

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pueschel, S.M., Brem, A.S. & Nittoli, P. Central nervous system and renal investigations in patients with Lowe syndrome. Child's Nerv Syst 8, 45–48 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00316562

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00316562

Key words

Navigation