TY - JOUR U1 - Zeitschriftenartikel, wissenschaftlich - begutachtet (reviewed) A1 - Grünert, Sarah C. A1 - Villavicencio-Lorini, Pablo A1 - Wermuth, Bendicht A1 - Lehnert, Willy A1 - Sass, Jörn Oliver A1 - Schwab, K. Otfried T1 - Ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency combined with type 1 diabetes mellitus - a challenge in clinical and dietary management JF - Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders N2 - Ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency is the most common urea cycle defect. The clinical presentation in female manifesting carriers varies both in onset and severity. We report on a female with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and recurrent episodes of hyperammonemia. Since OTC activity measured in a liver biopsy sample was within normal limits, OTC deficiency was initially excluded from the differential diagnoses of hyperammonemia. Due to moderately elevated homocitrulline excretion, hyperornithinemia-hyperammonemia-homocitrullinuria-syndrome was suggested, but further assays in fibroblasts showed normal ornithine utilization. Later, when mutation analysis of the OTC gene became available, a known pathogenic missense mutation (c.533C>T) in exon 5 leading to an exchange of threonine-178 by methionine (p.Thr178Met) was detected. Skewed X-inactivation was demonstrated in leukocyte DNA. In the further clinical course the girl developed marked obesity. By initiating physical activities twice a week, therapeutic control of both diabetes and OTC deficiency improved, but obesity persisted. In conclusion, our case confirms that normal hepatic OTC enzyme activity measured in a single liver biopsy sample does not exclude a clinical relevant mosaic of OTC deficiency because of skewed X-inactivation. Mutation analysis of the OTC gene in whole blood may be a simple way to establish the diagnosis of OTC deficiency. The joint occurrence of OTC deficiency and diabetes in a patient has not been reported before. SN - 2251-6581 SS - 2251-6581 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/2251-6581-12-37 DO - https://doi.org/10.1186/2251-6581-12-37 PM - 23829977 N1 - © 2013 Grünert et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. VL - 12 IS - 1 SP - 37 PB - BioMed Central ER -