title: Intravenous cysteamine therapy for nephropathic cystinosis.
abstract: A 4-y-old boy with nephropathic cystinosis and gastrointestinal dysmotility of unknown etiology was treated with i.v. cysteamine over a period of 10 mo. Thirty minutes after a dose of 10 mg/kg cysteamine free base, the leukocyte cystine value had fallen from 11.9 to 4.9 nmol of half-cystine/mg of protein. When cysteamine was given every 6 h, the leukocyte cystine concentration, measured 5-7 h after a dose, decreased with increasing cysteamine doses up to 17 mg/kg; at this dose the cystine value was 1.1 nmol of half-cystine/mg of protein, or 9% of the untreated value. Oral administration of approximately 16 mg/kg per dose every 6 h to this patient over the previous 3 y achieved similar leukocyte cystine depletion, to 1.2 nmol of half-cystine/mg of protein. The plasma cysteamine concentration 30 min after a dose of 10 mg/kg was 71 microM; 5-7 h after a dose of up to 20 mg/kg, the concentration was below 5 microM. Dimethylsulfide was elevated in the breath and urine of this boy after, but not before, the initiation of i.v. cysteamine therapy. Ten months after the start of therapy, the patient tolerated 250 mg (14 mg/kg) every 8 h. Adverse effects of this treatment included lethargy and increased nausea and vomiting when a schedule of therapy every 6 h was attempted. This investigation demonstrates that cysteamine given through a central venous catheter is effective in reducing leukocyte cystine levels.
authors.affiliation: Section on Human Biochemical Genetics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1830, USA.
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Gahl
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ingelfinger
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mohan
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bernardini
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Hyman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tangerman
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003543:Cysteamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003553:Cystine / Q000097:blood; D003554:Cystinosis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D013440:Sulfides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D013440:Sulfides; D003553:Cystine; D003543:Cysteamine; C004784:dimethyl sulfide