Skip to main content
Log in

Highly increased CSF concentrations of cholesterol precursors in Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome

  • Published:
Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease

Abstract

The Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome is a genetic disorder characterized by typical clinical features including reduced myelination of both brain and peripheral nervous system and defective cholesterol biosynthesis. In patients this results in very low cholesterol concentrations and accumulation of cholesterol precursors in plasma, tissues, cultured cells and faeces. We now show that the cholesterol concentration in CSF of Smith-Lemli-Opitz patients is markedly decreased and that 7- and 8-dehydrocholesterol concentrations are highly increased in comparison to controls. Moreover, dietary treatment of patients with cholesterol seems not to affect CSF cholesterol concentration.

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

  • Alley TL, Gray BA, Lee S-H, et al (1995) Identification of a yeast artificial chromosome clone spanning a translocation breakpoint at 7q/32.1 in a Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome patient. Am J Hum Genet 56: 1411–1416.

    Google Scholar 

  • Batta AK, Tint GS, Shefer S, Abuelo D, Salen G (1995) Identification of 8-dehydrocholesterol (cholesta-5,8-dien-3β-ol) in patients with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome. J Lipid Res 36: 705–713.

    Google Scholar 

  • Honda A, Tint GS, Salen G, Batta AK, Chen TS, Shefer S (1995) Defective conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol to cholesterol in cultured skin fibroblasts from Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome homozygotes. J Lipid Res 36: 1595–1601.

    Google Scholar 

  • Irons M, Elias ER, Salen G, Tint GS, Batta AK (1993) Defective cholesterol biosynthesis in Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome. Lancet 341: 1414.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelley RI (1995) Diagnosis of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of 7-dehydrocholesterol in plasma, amniotic fluid and cultured skin fibroblasts. Clin Chim Acta 236: 45–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mills K, Mandel H, Montemagno R, Soothil P, Gershoni-Baruch R, Clayton PT (1996) First trimester prenatal diagnosis of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (7-dehydrocholesterol reductase deficiency). Pediatr Res 39: 816–819.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith DW, Lemli L, Opitz JM (1964) A newly recognized syndrome of multiple congenital anomalies. J Pediatr 64: 210–217.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tint GS, Irons M, Elias ER, et al (1994) Defective cholesterol biosynthesis associated with the Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome. N Engl J Med 330: 107–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tint GS, Salen G, Batta AK, et al (1995) Correlation of severity and outcome with plasma sterol levels in variants of the Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome. J Pediatr 127: 82–87.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

van Rooij, A., Nijenhuis, A.A., Wijburg, F.A. et al. Highly increased CSF concentrations of cholesterol precursors in Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome. J Inherit Metab Dis 20, 578–580 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005355026186

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005355026186

Keywords

Navigation