Biochemical studies on a lysosomal storage disease in Abyssinian cats

Blood lipid analysis was performed on the serum of 2 normal kittens and 1 adult cat and on serum from 3 affected kittens. Thin layer chromatography was done on tissue extracts of various organs from clinically affected kittens and unaffected unrelated kittens of a similar age, and on serum from carrier cats, affected kittens, related unaffected kittens and unrelated kittens. Spleen and lymph node cell cultures were prepared from 1 affected kitten and the growth medium and cell cultures were analysed for lipids. A lecithin-like phospholipid was identified in the serum of an affected kitten, a carrier cat and a related unaffected kitten. This substance was produced by the liver of affected kittens and also by macrophage-like cells in spleen cell cultures prepared from the spleen of a kitten with signs of the disease.