Phospholipidosis Explained

Phospholipidosis is a lysosomal storage disorder characterized by the excess accumulation of phospholipids in tissues.^{[1] [2] [3]} Certain cases may be triggered by medications.^[4]

The traditional method to evaluate drug-induced phospholipidosis (DIPL) is visual confirmation of myeloid bodies in tissues by electron microscopy. Electron microscopy has limited utility to monitor DIPL in humans because of the invasive nature of acquiring patient tissue biopsy samples. A qualified biomarker of DIPL in the blood or urine is needed to provide a more routine, non-invasive, and cost effective means to monitor DIPL in the clinic.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Anderson N, Borlak J . Drug-induced phospholipidosis . FEBS Letters . 580 . 23 . 5533–40 . October 2006 . 16979167 . 10.1016/j.febslet.2006.08.061 . 39498487 . free .
2. Reasor MJ, Hastings KL, Ulrich RG . Drug-induced phospholipidosis: issues and future directions . Expert Opinion on Drug Safety . 5 . 4 . 567–83 . July 2006 . 16774494 . 10.1517/14740338.5.4.567 . 28228669 .
3. Nonoyama T, Fukuda R . Drug induced phospholipidosis pathological aspects and its prediction . J Toxicol Pathol . 21 . 9–24 . 2008 . 10.1293/tox.21.9 . free .
4. Shayman JA, Abe A . Drug induced phospholipidosis: an acquired lysosomal storage disorder . Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids . 1831 . 3 . 602–11 . March 2013 . 22960355 . 10.1016/j.bbalip.2012.08.013 . 3528828 .
5. Tengstrand EA, Miwa GT, Hsieh FY . Bis(monoacylglycerol)phosphate as a non-invasive biomarker to monitor the onset and time-course of phospholipidosis with drug-induced toxicities . Expert Opinion on Drug Metabolism & Toxicology . 6 . 5 . 555–70 . May 2010 . 20370598 . 10.1517/17425251003601961 . 207490774 .