Chondroitin-6-Sulfaturia, Defective Cellular Immunity, Nephrotic Syndrome

Schimke et al. (1971) described a girl who excreted about 100 mg of acid mucopolysaccharide daily, and showed a nonprogressive form of nephrotic syndrome with proteinuria and a defect of cellular immunity. Clinical features included short stature, low birth weight, disseminated herpetic infection, truncal shortening, corneal opacities, and demineralization of bones. Erickson (1977) studied a similar patient. The product of a first-cousin marriage, the patient had 4 sibs who died within the first 2 years of life of apparently related symptoms. The patient survived to her late teens with severe chronic pulmonary disease and cor pulmonale secondary to IgA deficiency. At autopsy, macronodular cirrhosis was found. A first cousin had no immunodeficiency, but showed a mucolipidosis-like phenotype.