Cardiomyopathies in propionic aciduria are reversible after liver transplantation

Stéphane Romano1, Vassili Valayannopoulos, Guy Touati

  • 1Metabolic Unit and Reference Center of Metabolic Diseases, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|October 13, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Propionic acidemia (PA) can lead to dilated cardiomyopathy, a frequent complication. This heart condition may reverse after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), suggesting a potential treatment pathway.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Metabolic Disorders
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Propionic acidemia (PA) is an inherited metabolic disorder.
  • Cardiomyopathy is a known potential complication of PA.

Observation:

  • A retrospective study compared patients with PA and cardiomyopathy to those without.
  • Dilated cardiomyopathy developed in 6 of 26 surviving PA patients.

Findings:

  • Cardiomyopathy in PA patients occurred independently of metabolic profiles.
  • Two patients experienced cardiomyopathy reversal post-orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT).
  • Two patients had OLT contraindicated due to severe heart disease.

Implications:

  • Dilated cardiomyopathy is a significant complication of PA.
  • Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) may reverse cardiomyopathy in PA patients.
  • Early OLT may be crucial for managing cardiac complications in PA.
Abstract

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