• 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 36  (2) , 320-328
Abstract
The prenatal diagnosis of ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTCD) was made by using radioactive microassays for ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) and.sbd.as an internal control.sbd.carbamyl phosphate synthetase (CPS I) in [human] liver biopsy material from two 19-wk-old at-risk fetuses. In each case, no OTC activity could be detected, while CPS I activity was normal. Control fetuses of 17-21 wk gestation had OTC activities in the range of 10.7-19.4 .mu.mol/mg protein per h. The prenatal results were confirmed post abortum by the radiochemical assays and by an enzyme-specific cytochemical staining method.