biochem q metab problem 18 - eb222

[ArchivalUser]

An alarmed mother rushes her 3-week-old infant to the Emergency Room after she discovers that the inside of the baby™s diaper is bright blue. The mother denies feeding the baby anything blue. The infant is otherwise well and has no other medical problems. Based on these findings, which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A. Copper poisoning
B. Hartnup disease
C. Ingestion of food coloring
D. Pseudomonas infection of the urinary tract
E. Tryptophan malabsorption

[ArchivalUser]

B. Hartnup disease

[ArchivalUser]

E. Tryptophan malabsorption.. this could also be the answer???

both dieases have high tryptophans in colon

[ArchivalUser]

i wana add one thing here. with most of the malabsorptive disease conditions and protein breakdown problems (achlorhydria, pancratic insuff), if the diet tryptophan which can not absorbed in such states get degraded by colonic bacteria and the indole ring of this amino acid is released and it is easily reabsorbed in colon and in the liver and blood it get converted to indoxyl. indoxyl is easily excreted in urine and it easily oxidized to indigo blue dye (indican dye) giving blue color to the diaper or toilet basin.
guys, if u have blue color in toilet, watch carefully, u peeed one important aminoacid out )