Mucolipidosis II Alpha/Beta—Metabolic Disorders

Metabolism is the process your body uses to get or make energy from the food you eat. Food is made up of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Chemicals in your digestive system break the food parts down into sugars and acids, your body’s fuel. Your body can use this fuel right away, or it can store the energy in your body tissues, such as your liver, muscles, and body fat.

A metabolic disorder occurs when abnormal chemical reactions in your body disrupt this process. When this happens, you might have too much of some substances or too little of other ones that you need to stay healthy. There are different groups of disorders. Some affect the breakdown of amino acids, carbohydrates, or lipids. Another group, mitochondrial diseases, affects the parts of the cells that produce the energy.

You can develop a metabolic disorder when some organs, such as your liver or pancreas, become diseased or do not function normally. Diabetes is an example.

• Acidosis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Alkalosis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Lactic acid test (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Metabolic acidosis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Metabolic neuropathies (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Pseudohypoparathyroidism (Medical Encyclopedia)

Mucolipidosis II alpha/beta (also known as I-cell disease) is a progressively debilitating disorder that affects many parts of the body. Most affected individuals do not survive past early childhood.At birth, children with mucolipidosis II alpha/beta are small and have weak muscle tone (hypotonia) and a weak cry. Affected individuals grow slowly after birth and usually stop growing during the second year of life. Development is delayed, particularly the development of speech and motor skills such as sitting and standing.Children with mucolipidosis II alpha/beta typically have several bone abnormalities, many of which are present at birth. Affected individuals may have an abnormally rounded upper back (kyphosis), feet that are abnormally rotated (clubfeet), dislocated hips, unusually shaped long bones, and short hands and fingers. People with this condition also have joint deformities (contractures) that significantly affect mobility. Most children with mucolipidosis II alpha/beta do not develop the ability to walk independently. Affected individuals have dysostosis multiplex, which refers to multiple skeletal abnormalities seen on x-ray.Other features of mucolipidosis II alpha/beta include a soft out-pouching around the belly-button (umbilical hernia) or lower abdomen (inguinal hernia), heart valve abnormalities, distinctive-looking facial features that are described as “coarse,” and overgrowth of the gums (gingival hypertrophy). Vocal cords can stiffen, resulting in a hoarse voice. The airway is narrow, which can contribute to prolonged or recurrent respiratory infections. Affected individuals may also have recurrent ear infections, which can lead to hearing loss.