Assessment of the Phenylketonuria (PKU)-Associated Mutation p.R155H Biochemical Manifestations by Mass Spectrometry-Based Blood Metabolite Profiling

Abstract

Homozygous siblings with different treatment histories represent an excellent model to study both the phenotypic manifestation of mutations and the efficacy of therapy. We compared phenylketonuria (PKU) manifestations in two different gender siblings who were homozygous carriers of a rare phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) mutation, p.R155H, subjected to different treatments. PKU caused by mild mutations may be easily underdiagnosed if the diagnosis is based solely on the phenylalanine (Phe) blood concentration. One of the described patients is an example of this diagnostic error. For reducing diagnostic errors, we suggest the use of more elaborate methods in screening practice, in particular mass spectrometric analysis of blood metabolites, the efficiency of which is demonstrated in the present study.