#278000 ICD+
  • SNOMEDCT: 50622004
SNOMEDCT: 50622004
LYSOSOMAL ACID LIPASE DEFICIENCY

Alternative titles; symbols
CHOLESTERYL ESTER STORAGE DISEASE; CESD
LIPA DEFICIENCY
LAL DEFICIENCY CHOLESTEROL ESTER HYDROLASE DEFICIENCY

Other entities represented in this entry:
WOLMAN DISEASE, INCLUDED

Phenotype Gene Relationships
Location Phenotype Phenotype
MIM number
Gene/Locus Gene/Locus
MIM number
10q23.31 Cholesteryl ester storage disease 278000 LIPA 613497
10q23.31 Wolman disease 278000 LIPA 613497


TEXT
A number sign (#) is used with this entry because lysosomal acid lipase deficiency is caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous mutation in the LIPA gene (613497) on chromosome 10q24-q25.

Description
Deficiency of lysosomal acid lipase causes 2 distinct phenotypes in humans: Wolman disease and cholesteryl ester storage disease (CESD) (summarized by Du et al., 2001). Wolman disease is an early-onset fulminant disorder of infancy with massive infiltration of the liver, spleen, and other organs by macrophages filled with cholesteryl esters and triglycerides. Death occurs early in life. Wolman disease is very rare, with an incidence of less than one in 100,000 live births. CESD is a milder, later-onset disorder with primary hepatic involvement by macrophages engorged with cholesteryl esters. This slowly progressive visceral disease has a very wide spectrum of involvement ranging from early onset with severe cirrhosis to later onset of more slowly progressive hepatic disease with survival into adulthood.

Clinical Features
Wolman Disease

Wolman et al. (1961) described 3 sibs in whom involvement of the viscera was an important feature and death occurred at the age of about 3 months. Xanthomatous changes were observed in the liver, adrenal, spleen, lymph nodes, bone marrow, small intestine, lungs, and thymus, and slight changes were found in the skin, retina, and central nervous system. The adrenals were calcified. Death was thought to be due to intestinal malabsorption resulting from involvement of the gut. The parents, Persian Jews, were cousins. Lipids in the plasma were normal or moderately elevated. Several features suggested that the entity is distinct from hypercholesterolemia and the hyperlipidemias.

Three cases, the first from the United States, were reported by Crocker et al. (1965), who gave no information on ethnicity. The relatively nonspecific clinical picture includes poor weight gain, vomiting, diarrhea, increasing hepatosplenomegaly with abdominal protuberance, and death by nutritional failure by 2 to 4 months of age. Foam cells are found in bone marrow and vacuolated lymphocytes in peripheral blood, as in Niemann-Pick disease (257200). Diffuse punctate calcification of the adrenals is typical. Disseminated foam cell infiltration is found in many organs. Great increases in cholesterol are found in the organs.

Konno et al. (1966) reported a Japanese family with 3 affected sibs. Spiegel-Adolf et al. (1966) reported 3 affected sibs in an American family.

Lough et al. (1970) described an affected infant of Greek ancestry in whom calcified adrenals were demonstrated on the 5th day of life.

Roytta et al. (1992) reported the case of an affected 1-month-old girl on the Aland Islands, the first published Scandinavian example of Wolman disease. Skin biopsy showed cytoplasmic accumulations identical to those noted in 2 Aland Islander sibs who died at the age of about 3 months during the 1950s. Genealogic analyses showed that the 2 families had ancestors from the same restricted area as well as common ancestors during the 17th century. The parents of the 2 affected sibs were born on a small island and were related to each other 'in many different ways.'

Cholesteryl Ester Storage Disease

Schiff et al. (1968) described cholesterol ester storage disease of the liver in teenage brother and sister whose livers were orange in color. Four younger sibs showed milder changes. The parents were not known to be related. Tissue accumulation of cholesterol esters and triglycerides occurs in both this disease and Wolman disease. The chemical and enzymatic abnormalities are similar. The marked difference in phenotypic expression is unexplained but is comparable to the difference between Hurler (607014) and Scheie (607016) syndromes, the late infantile and adult forms of metachromatic leukodystrophy (see also 607015), and the classic and visceral forms, A and B (607616), respectively, of Niemann-Pick disease. In contrast to Wolman disease, cholesterol ester storage disease is relatively benign; however, in 1 sibship 3 sisters died of acute hepatic failure at the ages of 7, 9, and 17 years (Beaudet et al., 1977). Accumulation of neutral fats and cholesterol esters in the arteries predispose affected persons to atherosclerosis. Hypercholesterolemia is common. Massive hepatomegaly and hepatic fibrosis may lead to esophageal varices. Lysosomal acid lipase A, the enzyme deficient in both Wolman disease and cholesterol ester storage disease, is one of 3 acid lipase isozymes. See lipase B (LIPB; 247980) and C (LIPC; 151670).

Young and Patrick (1970) commented on the existence of cases with the same biochemical and histologic changes as in the acute infantile form (Wolman disease) but with later onset and a much less fulminant course. One of their cases was alive and well at age 8 years, showing no clinical abnormality other than moderate hepatomegaly. The same enzyme is deficient in all these cases. Hence, they suggested the term 'acid lipase deficiency' for the whole group, with Wolman disease as the designation for the acute infantile form.

Besley et al. (1984) reported the first patient observed in Ireland. Then aged 39, with hepatomegaly and sea-blue histiocytes in the bone marrow, the patient had suffered from recurring periods of general malaise and diarrhea since age 21.

Cagle et al. (1986) concluded that patients with CESD are at risk for the development of pulmonary hypertension. Such was recognized in a 15-year-old patient who died at age 18.

Biochemical Features
Patrick and Lake (1969) demonstrated deficiency of an acid lipase (cholesteryl ester hydrolase; EC 3.1.1.13) which apparently leads to the progressive accumulation of triglycerides and cholesterol esters in lysosomes in the tissues of affected persons.

Burton and Reed (1981) demonstrated material crossreacting with antibodies to acid lipase in fibroblasts of 3 patients with Wolman disease and 3 with cholesterol ester storage disease. Quantitation of the CRM showed normal levels in both cell types. Enzyme activity was reduced about 200-fold in Wolman disease fibroblasts and 50- to 100-fold in cholesterol ester storage disease cells. Cholesterol ester storage disease was proposed to be a disorder allelic to Wolman disease (Assmann and Fredrickson, 1983). Supporting the allelic nature of Wolman and cholesteryl ester storage diseases is the occurrence of possible genetic compounds, i.e., cases of intermediate severity (Schmitz and Assmann, 1989). In both Wolman disease and cholesteryl ester storage disease, Chatterjee et al. (1986) demonstrated that renal tubular cells shed in the urine are laden with cholesteryl esters and triacylglycerol and that LIPA is lacking in these cells.

Diagnosis
Desai et al. (1987) made the prenatal diagnosis of CESD by demonstration of deficient lysosomal acid lipase activity in cultured amniocytes from an at-risk fetus. The findings in the affected fetus at 17 weeks were described. Massive lysosomal cholesterol and lipid accumulation was demonstrated in fetal hepatocytes, adrenal cells, and syncytiotrophoblasts. Of particular note was the finding of extensive necrosis in the fetal adrenal glands. Necrosis of the adrenal may precede the calcification observed later in these patients.

Clinical Management
Di Bisceglie et al. (1990) could demonstrate no significant changes in serum lipoprotein concentrations or liver histopathology after 12 months or more of treatment with lovastatin, a cholesterol-lowering agent. Yokoyama and McCoy (1992) observed some improvement with combined cholestyramine and lovastatin therapy.

Molecular Genetics
In a 12-year-old patient with cholesteryl ester storage disease from a nonconsanguineous Polish-German family, Klima et al. (1993) detected compound heterozygosity for mutations in the LIPA gene, a splice site mutation resulting in exon skipping (613497.0002) and a null allele. Aslanidis et al. (1996) determined that the null LIPA allele of this patient carried a premature termination mutation (613497.0003).

In a proband with Wolman disease, the child of unrelated parents, who had 2 older affected sibs, Anderson et al. (1994) found compound heterozygosity for mutations in the LIPA gene, a 1-bp insertion (613497.0004) and a missense mutation (L179P; 613497.0001).

Aslanidis et al. (1996) reported mutations in 1 CESD and 2 Wolman disease patients and demonstrated that the functionally relevant genetic difference between the phenotypes is that the splice site mutation detected in the Wolman disease patient (613497.0005) permitted no correct splicing, whereas the defect observed in CESD (613497.0002) allowed some correct splicing (3% of total mRNA), and therefore the synthesis of functional enzyme.

Animal Model
Yoshida and Kuriyama (1990) described lysosomal acid lipase deficiency in rats.

Du et al. (1998) produced a mouse model of lysosomal acid lipase deficiency by a null mutation produced by targeting disruption of the mouse gene. Homozygous knockout mice produced no Lip1 mRNA, protein, or enzyme activity. The homozygous deficient mice were born in mendelian ratios, were normal appearing at birth, and followed normal development into adulthood. However, massive accumulation of triglycerides and cholesteryl esters occurred in several organs. By 21 days, the liver developed a yellow-orange color and was up to 2 times larger than normal. The accumulated cholesteryl esters and triglycerides were approximately 30-fold greater than normal. The heterozygous mice had approximately 50% of normal enzyme activity and did not show lipid accumulation. Male and female homozygous deficient mice were fertile and could be bred to produce progeny. This mouse model is the phenotypic model of human CESD and a biochemical and histopathologic mimic of human Wolman disease.

Du et al. (2001) expressed mannose-terminated human LAL in Pichia pastoris (phLAL) and administered it by tail vein injections to lal -/- mice. Mannose receptor (153618)-dependent uptake and lysosomal targeting of phLAL were evidenced ex vivo using competitive assays with mannose receptor-positive J774E cells, a murine monocyte/macrophage line, immunofluorescence, and western blots. Following (bolus) IV injection, phLAL was detected in Kupffer cells, lung macrophages, and intestinal macrophages in lal -/- mice. Two-month-old lal -/- mice that received phLAL injections once every 3 days for 30 days (10 doses) showed nearly complete resolution of hepatic yellow coloration and a 36% decrease in hepatic weight. Histologic analyses of numerous tissues from phLAL-treated mice showed a reduction in macrophage lipid storage. Triglyceride and cholesterol levels decreased by 50% in liver, 69% in spleen, and 50% in small intestine. The authors proposed that therapy for human Wolman disease and cholesteryl ester storage disease using recombinant LAL enzyme replacement is feasible.

See Also:
Byrd and Powers (1979); Christomanou and Cap (1981); Coates et al. (1978); Hoeg et al. (1984); Kahana et al. (1968); Koch et al. (1981); Koch et al. (1979); Lake (1971); Lake and Patrick (1970); Marshall et al. (1969); Schaub et al. (1980); Sloan and Fredrickson (1972)

REFERENCES
1. Anderson, R. A., Byrum, R. S., Coates, P. M., Sando, G. N. Mutations at the lysosomal acid cholesteryl ester hydrolase gene locus in Wolman disease. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 91: 2718-2722, 1994. [PubMed: 8146180, related citations] [Full Text: HighWire Press, Pubget]

2. Aslanidis, C., Ries, S., Fehringer, P., Buchler, C., Klima, H., Schmitz, G. Genetic and biochemical evidence that CESD and Wolman disease are distinguished by residual lysosomal acid lipase activity. Genomics 33: 85-93, 1996. [PubMed: 8617513, related citations] [Full Text: Elsevier Science, Pubget]

3. Assmann, G., Fredrickson, D. S. Acid lipase deficiency (Wolman's disease and cholesteryl ester storage disease).In: Stanbury, J. B.; Wyngaarden, J. B.; Fredrickson, D. S.; Goldstein, J. L.; Brown, M. S. : Metabolic Basis of Inherited Disease. New York: McGraw-Hill (pub.) (5th ed.) : 1983. Pp. 803-819.

4. Beaudet, A. L., Ferry, G. D., Nichols, B. L., Jr., Rosenberg, H. S. Cholesterol ester storage disease: clinical, biochemical, and pathological studies. J. Pediat. 90: 910-914, 1977. [PubMed: 859064, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

5. Besley, G. T. N., Broadhead, D. M., Lawlor, E., McCann, S. R., Dempsey, J. D., Drury, M. I., Crowe, J. Cholesterol ester storage disease in an adult presenting with sea-blue histiocytosis. Clin. Genet. 26: 195-203, 1984. [PubMed: 6478639, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

6. Burton, B. K., Reed, S. P. Acid lipase cross-reacting material in Wolman disease and cholesterol ester storage disease. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 33: 203-208, 1981. [PubMed: 6782865, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

7. Byrd, J. C., III, Powers, J. M. Wolman's disease: ultrastructural evidence of lipid accumulation in central and peripheral nervous systems. Acta Neuropath. 45: 37-42, 1979. [PubMed: 216225, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

8. Cagle, P. T., Ferry, G. D., Beaudet, A. L., Hawkins, E. P. Pulmonary hypertension in an 18-year-old girl with cholesteryl ester storage disease (CESD). Am. J. Med. Genet. 24: 711-722, 1986. [PubMed: 3740103, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

9. Chatterjee, S., Castiglione, E., Kwiterovich, P. O., Jr., Hoeg, J. M., Brewer, H. B. Evaluation of urinary cells in acid cholesteryl ester hydrolase deficiency. Clin. Genet. 29: 360-368, 1986. [PubMed: 3742843, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

10. Christomanou, H., Cap, C. Prenatal monitoring for Wolman's disease in a pregnancy at risk: first case in the Federal Republic of Germany. Hum. Genet. 57: 440-441, 1981. [PubMed: 7286988, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

11. Coates, P. M., Cortner, J. A., Mennuti, M. T., Wheeler, J. E. Prenatal diagnosis of Wolman disease. Am. J. Med. Genet. 2: 397-407, 1978. [PubMed: 122435, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

12. Crocker, A. C., Vawter, G. F., Neuhauser, E. B. D., Rosowsky, A. Wolman's disease: three new patients with a recently described lipidosis. Pediatrics 35: 627-640, 1965. [PubMed: 14269714, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

13. Desai, P. K., Astrin, K. H., Thung, S. N., Gordon, R. E., Short, M. P., Coates, P. M., Desnick, R. J. Cholesteryl ester storage disease: pathologic changes in an affected fetus. Am. J. Med. Genet. 26: 689-698, 1987. [PubMed: 3565483, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

14. Di Bisceglie, A. M., Ishak, K. G., Rabin, L., Hoeg, J. M. Cholesteryl ester storage disease: hepatopathology and effects of therapy with lovastatin. Hepatology 11: 764-772, 1990. [PubMed: 2347551, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

15. Du, H., Duanmu, M., Witte, D., Grabowski, G. A. Targeted disruption of the mouse lysosomal acid lipase gene: long-term survival with massive cholesteryl ester and triglyceride storage. Hum. Molec. Genet. 7: 1347-1354, 1998. [PubMed: 9700186, related citations] [Full Text: HighWire Press, Pubget]

16. Du, H., Schiavi, S., Levine, M., Mishra, J., Heur, M., Grabowski, G. A. Enzyme therapy for lysosomal acid lipase deficiency in the mouse. Hum. Molec. Genet. 10: 1639-1648, 2001. [PubMed: 11487567, related citations] [Full Text: HighWire Press, Pubget]

17. Hoeg, J. M., Demosky, S. J., Jr., Pescovitz, O. H., Brewer, H. B., Jr. Cholesteryl ester storage disease and Wolman disease: phenotypic variants of lysosomal acid cholesteryl ester hydrolase deficiency. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 36: 1190-1203, 1984. [PubMed: 6097111, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

18. Kahana, D., Berant, M., Wolman, M. Primary familial xanthomatosis with adrenal involvement (Wolman's disease): report of a further case with nervous system involvement and pathogenetic considerations. Pediatrics 42: 70-76, 1968. [PubMed: 5657698, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

19. Klima, H., Ullrich, K., Aslanidis, C., Fehringer, P., Lackner, K. J., Schmitz, G. A splice junction mutation causes deletion of a 72-base exon from the mRNA for lysosomal acid lipase in a patient with cholesteryl ester storage disease. J. Clin. Invest. 92: 2713-2718, 1993. [PubMed: 8254026, related citations] [Full Text: Journal of Clinical Investigation, Pubget]

20. Koch, G., Lalley, P. A., McAvoy, M., Shows, T. B. Assignment of LIPA, associated with human acid lipase deficiency to human chromosome 10 and comparative assignment to mouse chromosome 19. Somat. Cell Genet. 7: 345-358, 1981. [PubMed: 7292252, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

21. Koch, G. A., McAvoy, M., Naylor, S. L., Byers, M. G., Haley, L. L., Eddy, R. L., Brown, J. A., Shows, T. B. Assignment of lipase A (LIPA) to human chromosome 10. (Abstract) Cytogenet. Cell Genet. 25: 174, 1979.

22. Konno, T., Fujii, M., Watanuki, T., Koizumi, K. Wolman's disease: the first case in Japan. Tohoku J. Exp. Med. 90: 375-389, 1966. [PubMed: 5972796, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

23. Lake, B. D. Histochemical detection of the enzyme deficiency in blood films in Wolman's disease. J. Clin. Path. 24: 617-620, 1971. [PubMed: 5118828, related citations] [Full Text: HighWire Press, Pubget]

24. Lake, B. D., Patrick, A. D. Wolman's disease: deficiency of E600-resistant acid esterase activity with storage of lipids in lysosomes. J. Pediat. 76: 262-266, 1970. [PubMed: 5410174, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

25. Lough, J., Fawcett, J. F., Wiegensberg, B. Wolman's disease: an electron microscopic, histochemical, and biochemical study. Arch. Path. 89: 103-110, 1970. [PubMed: 5412920, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

26. Marshall, W. C., Ockenden, B. G., Fosbrooke, A. S., Cumings, J. N. Wolman's disease: a rare lipidosis with adrenal calcification. Arch. Dis. Child. 44: 331-341, 1969. [PubMed: 5785183, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

27. Patrick, A. D., Lake, B. D. Deficiency of an acid lipase in Wolman's disease. Nature 222: 1067-1068, 1969. [PubMed: 5787090, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

28. Roytta, M., Fagerlund, A. S., Toikkanen, S., Salmi, T. T., Jorde, L. B., Forsius, H. R., Eriksson, A. W. Wolman disease: morphological, clinical and genetic studies on the first Scandinavian cases. Clin. Genet. 42: 1-7, 1992. [PubMed: 1516222, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

29. Schaub, J., Janka, G. E., Christomanou, H., Sandhoff, K., Permanetter, W., Hubner, G., Meister, P. Wolman's disease: clinical, biochemical and ultrastructural studies in an unusual case without striking adrenal calcification. Europ. J. Pediat. 135: 45-53, 1980. [PubMed: 7449788, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

30. Schiff, L., Schubert, W. K., McAdams, A. J., Spiegel, E. L., O'Donnell, J. F. Hepatic cholesterol ester storage disease, a familial disorder. I. Clinical aspects. Am. J. Med. 44: 538-546, 1968. [PubMed: 5642714, related citations] [Full Text: Elsevier Science, Pubget]

31. Schmitz, G., Assmann, G. Acid lipase deficiency: Wolman disease and cholesteryl ester storage disease.In: Scriver, C. R.; Beaudet, A. L.; Sly, W. S.; Valle, D. : The Metabolic Basis of Inherited Disease. New York: McGraw-Hill (pub.) (6th ed.) : 1989. Pp. 1623-1644.

32. Sloan, H. R., Fredrickson, D. S. Enzyme deficiency in cholesteryl ester storage disease. J. Clin. Invest. 51: 1923-1926, 1972. [PubMed: 5032533, related citations] [Full Text: Journal of Clinical Investigation, Pubget]

33. Spiegel-Adolf, M., Baird, H. W., McCafferty, M. Hematologic studies in Niemann-Pick and Wolman's disease (cytology and electrophoresis). Confin. Neurol. 28: 399-406, 1966.

34. Wolman, M., Sterk, V. V., Gatt, S., Frenkel, M. Primary family xanthomatosis with involvement and calcification of the adrenals: report of two more cases in siblings of a previously described infant. Pediatrics 28: 742-757, 1961. [PubMed: 14008104, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

35. Yokoyama, S., McCoy, E. Long-term treatment of a homozygous cholesteryl ester storage disease with combined cholestyramine and lovastatin. J. Inherit. Metab. Dis. 15: 291-292, 1992. [PubMed: 1528002, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

36. Yoshida, H., Kuriyama, M. Genetic lipid storage disease with lysosomal acid lipase deficiency in rats. Lab. Animal Sci. 40: 486-489, 1990.

37. Young, E. P., Patrick, A. D. Deficiency of acid esterase activity in Wolman's disease. Arch. Dis. Child. 45: 664-668, 1970. [PubMed: 5477680, related citations] [Full Text: Pubget]

Contributors: Anne M. Stumpf - reorganized : 7/28/2010
George E. Tiller - updated : 12/21/2001
Victor A. McKusick - updated : 9/17/1998
Creation Date: Victor A. McKusick : 6/24/1986
Edit History: alopez : 07/28/2010
alopez : 7/28/2010
alopez : 7/22/2010
wwang : 4/1/2009
alopez : 3/17/2004
cwells : 1/4/2002
cwells : 12/21/2001
cwells : 12/21/2001
carol : 10/9/1998
carol : 9/21/1998
terry : 9/17/1998
mark : 10/8/1997
jamie : 1/21/1997
mark : 1/16/1997
jamie : 1/15/1997
jamie : 1/8/1997
mark : 1/7/1997
mark : 4/22/1996
terry : 4/10/1996
mark : 2/16/1996
mark : 2/13/1996
terry : 5/25/1995
davew : 8/22/1994
carol : 7/29/1994
mimadm : 3/12/1994
carol : 10/18/1993
carol : 2/17/1993