[Reye syndrome and sudden death symptoms after oral administration of nimesulide due to upper respiratory tract infection in a boy]

A boy aged 6 years and 3 months developed upper respiratory tract infection and pyrexia 2 months ago and was given oral administration of nimesulide by his parents according to directions. Half an hour later, the boy experienced convulsions and cardiopulmonary arrest, and emergency examination found hypoketotic hypoglycemia, metabolic acidosis, significant increases in serum aminotransferases and creatine kinase, and renal damage. Recovery of consciousness and vital signs was achieved after cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but severe mental and movement regression was observed. The boy had a significant reduction in free carnitine in blood and significant increases in medium- and long-chain fatty acyl carnitine, urinary glutaric acid, 3-hydroxy glutaric acid, isovalerylglycine, and ethylmalonic acid, suggesting the possibility of multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency. After the treatment with vitamin B2, L-carnitine, and bezafibrate, the boy gradually improved, and reexamination after 3 months showed normal biochemical parameters. The boy had compound heterozygous mutations in the ETFDH gene, i.e., a known mutation, c.341G>A (p.R114H), from his mother and a novel mutation, c.1484C>G (p.P495R), from his father. Finally, he was diagnosed with multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency. Reye syndrome and sudden death symptoms were caused by nimesulide-induced acute metabolic crisis. It is concluded that inherited metabolic diseases may be main causes of Reye syndrome and sudden death, and biochemical and genetic analyses are the key to identifying underlying diseases.

[Reye syndrome and sudden death symptoms after oral administration of nimesulide due to upper respiratory tract infection in a boy]

A boy aged 6 years and 3 months developed upper respiratory tract infection and pyrexia 2 months ago and was given oral administration of nimesulide by his parents according to directions. Half an hour later, the boy experienced convulsions and cardiopulmonary arrest, and emergency examination found hypoketotic hypoglycemia, metabolic acidosis, significant increases in serum aminotransferases and creatine kinase, and renal damage. Recovery of consciousness and vital signs was achieved after cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but severe mental and movement regression was observed. The boy had a significant reduction in free carnitine in blood and significant increases in medium- and long-chain fatty acyl carnitine, urinary glutaric acid, 3-hydroxy glutaric acid, isovalerylglycine, and ethylmalonic acid, suggesting the possibility of multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency. After the treatment with vitamin B2, L-carnitine, and bezafibrate, the boy gradually improved, and reexamination after 3 months showed normal biochemical parameters. The boy had compound heterozygous mutations in the ETFDH gene, i.e., a known mutation, c.341G>A (p.R114H), from his mother and a novel mutation, c.1484C>G (p.P495R), from his father. Finally, he was diagnosed with multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency. Reye syndrome and sudden death symptoms were caused by nimesulide-induced acute metabolic crisis. It is concluded that inherited metabolic diseases may be main causes of Reye syndrome and sudden death, and biochemical and genetic analyses are the key to identifying underlying diseases.

ETFDH mutations, CoQ10 levels, and respiratory chain activities in patients with riboflavin-responsive multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency

Multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MADD) is a metabolic disorder due to dysfunction of electron transfer flavoprotein (ETF) or ETF-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (ETF-QO). Mutations in ETFDH, encoding ETF-QO have been associated with both riboflavin-responsive and non-responsive MADD as well as a myopathic form of CoQ(10) deficiency, although pathomechanisms responsible for these different phenotypes are not well-defined. We performed mutation analysis in four Taiwanese MADD patients. Three novel ETFDH mutations were identified in four patients and all harbored the p.A84T mutation. Muscle CoQ(10) levels and respiratory chain activities measured in two patients were normal. Three patients improved on riboflavin together with carnitine. Our results show that not all MADD patients have CoQ(10) deficiency. Based upon our data, riboflavin and carnitine may be the first-line treatment for MADD.