Prenatal diagnosis and fetal pathology of aspartylglucosaminuria

The prenatal diagnosis of aspartylglucosaminuria (AGU), a lysosomal storage disorder of glycoprotein degradation, was made by demonstrating the deficiency of N-aspartylglucosaminidase on cultured cells from a midterm amniotic fluid sample. Four other amniotic fluid studies from at-risk pregnancies gave a normal or a heterozygote level of enzyme activity. These pregnancies have gone to term and the delivery of healthy babies. The pregnancy with the affected fetus was terminated and the prenatal diagnosis was verified by enzyme assays on cord blood lymphocytes, cultured cells from skin biopsy, and from placental villi. Electron microscopic evidence of lysosomal storage was seen in several organs of the fetus with the notable exception of the central nervous system. The undifferentiated mesenchymal fibroblasts particularly were heavily loaded with cytoplasmic inclusions in skin, liver, kidney, and placenta.