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Evidence-based guidelines for monitoring patients with disorders in fatty acid oxidation (FAO) are lacking, and most protocols are based on expert statements. Here, we describe our protocol for Danish patients. Clinical monitoring is the most important measure and has the main aims of checking growth, development and diet and of bringing families to the clinic regularly to remind them of their child's risk and review how they cope and adjust, e.g. to an acute intercurrent illness. Most of these measures are simple and can be carried out during a routine out-patient visit; we seldom do more complicated assessments by a neuropsychologist, speech therapist, or physical and occupational therapists. Paraclinical measurements are not used for short-chain and medium-chain disorders; electrocardiography (including 24 h monitoring) and echocardiography are done for most patients with long-chain and carnitine transporter deficiencies. Eye examination is done in all, and liver ultrasonography in some patients with long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase/tri-functional protein (LCHAD/TFP) deficiencies. Biochemical follow-up includes determination of free carnitine and acylcarnitines. Free carnitine is measured to monitor carnitine supplementation in patients with multiple acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency (MADD) and carnitine transporter deficiency (CTD) and to follow metabolic control and disclose deficiency states in other FAO disorders. We are evaluating long-chain acylcarnitines in patients with long-chain disorders; so far there does not seem to be any clear-cut benefit in following these levels. An erythrocyte fatty acid profile is done in patients with long-chain disorders to test for essential fatty acid and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) deficiencies. The measurement of creatine kinase is helpful in long-chain disorders. Ongoing follow-up and education of the patient is important throughout life to prevent disease morbidity or death from metabolic crises.

Objectives: Multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenation deficiency (MADD) is a clinically heterogeneous disorder of mitochondrial fatty acid, amino acid, and choline oxidation due to mutations in the genes encoding electron transfer flavoprotein (ETF) or ETF ubiquinone oxidoreductase (ETFQO). So far, prenatal diagnosis of MADD has relied mostly on second-trimester biochemical analyses of amniotic fluid or cultured amniocytes. We report here on an alternative DNA-based approach for prenatal diagnosis in pregnancies at risk of MADD., Methods: We used our knowledge of the mutational status in three unrelated families with a history of MADD to perform direct sequencing for the familial mutations using genomic DNA isolated from chorionic villus samples (CVS) at gestational week 10 to 11., Results: Within two days, we were able to carry out accurate DNA-based prenatal testing in one pregnancy at risk of severe MADD, and in two pregnancies at risk of variant forms of MADD., Conclusion: This is the first report of DNA-based prenatal diagnosis of MADD. Our molecular approach is suitable for fast and reliable first-trimester prenatal diagnosis in pregnancies at risk of severe and variant forms of MADD., (Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

In a family with recurrent osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) caused by paternal mosaicism, prenatal diagnosis was made using restriction enzyme analysis for a mutation in COL1A2. Parental mosaicism is important to consider in genetic counselling for OI. Prenatal diagnosis of OI is available currently by means of collagen or gene analyses in the first trimester or by ultrasonography in the second trimester.

Crouzon syndrome, one of the best known of many craniofacial syndromes, is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by craniosynostosis, prominent eyes, and midfacial hypoplasia due to abnormal development and premature fusion of the skull. Recently mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 gene (FGFR2) were found to cause Crouzon. We have identified the recurrent mutation C342Y in two unrelated patients with Crouzon syndrome. One patient (A) belongs to a family in which Crouzon could be followed in three generations, while the other patient (B) represents a sporadic case. The identification of the disease-causing mutation allowed first-trimester prenatal diagnosis as requested by both patients in their subsequent pregnancies. A chorionic villus biopsy was performed in the 11th gestational week of patient A's pregnancy. DNA isolated from the biopsy revealed a fetus heterozygous for the C342Y mutation, i.e., having Crouzon syndrome. The pregnancy was terminated and the molecular diagnosis was confirmed later by analysis of fetal and placental tissue. Patient B had a missed abortion before the scheduled chorionic villus biopsy was performed. Mutation analysis of the aborted fetal tissue did not show the C342Y mutation.