Iminopeptiduria, skin ulcerations, and edema in a boy with prolidase deficiency

Abstract

A 12-year-old boy with recurrent skin ulceration, chronic generalized lymphedema, and mild mental retardation was found to excrete massive amounts of dipeptides, most (but not all) of which had proline or hydroxyproline as the carboxyl terminal residue. Glycylproline predominated. Prolidase deficiency was demonstrated in red blood cells and in fibroblastic cells. Prolidase activity was present in continuous lymphoid cell cultures at the same low level observed in control cells.