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Abstract
A man with hyperasparaginemia, presumably due to chronic deficiency of asparaginase
activity, had been schizophrenic and unresponsive to antipsychotic drugs for at least
22 years. He was given repeated injections of bacterial l-asparaginase rendered relatively nonimmunugenic by covalent binding to polyethylene
glycol (PEG). PEG-aspraginase lowered plasma asparagine concentrations from 4 to 5
sd above normal down to undetectable levels, and eliminated asparagine from the cerebrospinal
fluid. Despite biochemical correction lasting at least 55 days, the patient did not
improve psychiatrically. Experience limited to this single patient suggests that PEG-asparaginase
therapy is relatively innocuous, but does not clarify whether there is an etiological
relationship between hyperasparaginemia and psychiatric illness.
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Article info
Publication history
Received in revised form:
April 12,
1985
Received:
February 23,
1985
Footnotes
☆Supported by the Medical Research Council of Canada.
Identification
Copyright
© 1985 Published by Elsevier Inc.
