Skip to content

IEMbase 0004: PTS-related 6-pyruvoyl-tetrahydropterin synthase deficiency

Scope

Field Value
IEMbase ID 4
Nosology 21.1.04.01
Gene PTS
External IDs OMIM:261640
Generated mapping MAPPED by alias_exact:6 pyruvoyl tetrahydropterin synthase deficiency
DisMech target kb/disorders/Tetrahydrobiopterin_Deficiency.yaml#PTPS Deficiency
Review date 2026-07-07

IEMbase phenotype signal

IEMbase lists low/normal birth weight, dystonia, limb hypertonia, axial hypotonia, intellectual disability, eyelid ptosis, and swallowing difficulty as characteristic. Additional features include choreoathetosis, cortical and subcortical atrophy, drooling, abnormal EEG, hypopigmented hair, microcephaly, pneumonia, psychomotor delay, eczematous rash, myoclonic and tonic-clonic seizures, self-mutilation, sudden death, temperature instability, and tremor.

The biochemical pattern is specific: increased plasma phenylalanine, low CSF 5-HIAA and homovanillic acid, reduced PTPS activity in fibroblasts/RBCs, positive BH4 loading test, low biopterin, high neopterin, and increased prolactin.

Treatments include sapropterin/BH4, phenylalanine-reduced diet, levodopa/carbidopa, 5-hydroxytryptophan, and folinic acid.

DisMech phenotype coverage

DisMech maps this correctly to the PTPS subtype of Tetrahydrobiopterin Deficiency. The umbrella captures hyperphenylalaninemia, developmental delay, intellectual disability, generalized hypotonia, dystonia, parkinsonism, oculogyric crisis, seizures, speech delay, gait ataxia, hyperprolactinemia, urinary pterin profile, CSF neurotransmitter metabolites, and the expected treatments.

Concordance and completeness

Judgement: correct mapping with good umbrella-level concordance and partial subtype-level completeness.

The main gap is subtype resolution. IEMbase distinguishes PTPS-specific biopterin/neopterin directionality and enzyme testing, while DisMech currently models these as broad urinary pterin and CSF neurotransmitter profile entries. Several secondary clinical signs in IEMbase are also not explicit in DisMech: ptosis, swallowing difficulty, choreoathetosis, brain atrophy, abnormal EEG, hypopigmented hair, pneumonia, temperature instability, and sudden death.

Curation actions

  • Keep the mapping.
  • Consider adding subtype-specific biochemical detail for PTPS activity, low biopterin, high neopterin, and BH4 loading response.
  • Add secondary neurologic/imaging features only with independent phenotype evidence.