[Congenital erythropoietic porphyria]

Congenital erythropoietic porphyria (CEP, Günther's disease) is an extremely rare autosomal recessive disease (There have been only 33 case reports in Japan to date.), characterized by mutilating cutaneous photosensitivity and abnormal haem synthesis in the bone marrow. Reduced activity of uroporphyrinogen III synthase (UROIIIS), the fourth enzyme of haem biosynthetic pathway causes this disease. Recent progresses of molecular biology enable us to analyze genetic defect at the molecular level of porphyrias. Also in CEP, it has been reported several reports of mutations of the UROIIIS gene since isolation of a full-length human cDNA encoding UROIIIS by Desnick et al. Here we report about epidemiology, signs and symptoms, laboratory findings and therapies of CEP.