Diagnosis and clinical management of enzymopathies

Abstract

At least 16 genetically determined conditions qualify as red blood cell enzymopathies. They range in frequency from ultrarare to rare, with the exception of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, which is very common. Nearly all these enzymopathies manifest as chronic hemolytic anemias, with an onset often in the neonatal period. The diagnosis can be quite easy, such as when a child presents with dark urine after eating fava beans, or it can be quite difficult, such as when an adult presents with mild anemia and gallstones. In general, 4 steps are recommended: (1) recognizing chronic hemolytic anemia; (2) excluding acquired causes; (3) excluding hemoglobinopathies and membranopathies; (4) pinpointing which red blood cell enzyme is deficient. Step 4 requires 1 or many enzyme assays; alternatively, DNA testing against an appropriate gene panel can combine steps 3 and 4. Most patients with a red blood cell enzymopathy can be managed by good supportive care, including blood transfusion, iron chelation when necessary, and splenectomy in selected cases; however, some patients have serious extraerythrocytic manifestations that are difficult to manage. In the absence of these, red blood cell enzymopathies are in principle amenable to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and gene therapy/gene editing.