Urinary sediment dolichol excretion in patients with Batten disease and other neurodegenerative and storage disorders

Nonesterified dolichols have been measured in the urinary sediment of 20 patients with the late infantile and juvenile forms of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (Batten disease), in 15 patients with other storage and neurodegenerative disorders and in 10 control subjects. Dolichols were measured by a high performance liquid chromatographic method and were related to urinary creatinine concentration. The levels of dolichols in Batten disease were not significantly elevated when compared to the normal subjects or to patients with other neurodegenerative disorders. The highest levels seen were in two patients with mucopolysaccharidosis types II and IV, respectively. Measurement of dolichols in urinary sediment is of little value in the diagnosis of Batten disease or in furthering our understanding of the underlying primary defect.