MPS VI

MPS VI , also known as Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome, is one of the mucopolysaccharide disorders. It takes its name from two French Doctors, Dr. Maroteaux and Dr. Lamy, who first described the condition in 1963.
There is no magic cure for MPS disorders, but there are ways of managing and treating the problems they cause.

What causes this disorder?

mucopolysaccharides are long chains of sugar molecule used in the building of connective tissues in the body.
"saccharide" is a general term for a sugar molecule (think of saccharin)
"poly" means many
"muco" refers to the thick jelly-like consistency of the molecules
There is a continuous process in the body of replacing used materials and breaking them down for disposal. Children with Maroteaux-Lamy are missing an enzyme which is essential in cutting up the mucopolysaccharides called dermatan sulfate. The incompletely broken down mucopolysaccharides remain stored in cells in the body causing progressive damage. Babies may show little sign of the disorder, but as more and more cells become damaged, symptoms start to appear.

How common are these disorders?

It has been estimated that about 1 in 215,000 births are affected with MPS VI. There is an estimate in the United States that 1 in 25,000 births will result in some form of MPS.

How is the disorder inherited?

We all have genes inherited from our parents which control whether we are tall, short, fair, etc. Some genes we inherit are "recessive", that is to say we carry the gene but it does not have any affect on our development. MPS VI is caused by a recessive gene. If an adult carrying the abnormal gene marries another carrier there will be a one in four chance with every pregnancy that the child will inherit the defective gene from each parent and will be affected with the disorder. There is a two in three chance that unaffected brothers and sisters of MPS VI children will be carriers. They can be reassured; however, as the disorder is so rare, the chance of marrying another carrier is very slight provided they do not marry a cousin or