STUDIES OF THE BIOCHEMICAL BASIS OF STEROID SULFATASE DEFICIENCY .2. A FINDING OF DECREASED PHOSPHOLIPID CONTENT IN SULFATASE DEFICIENT PLACENTAL MICROSOMES

The total phospholipid content, measured as lipid phosphorus, was determined for microsomal preparations from 11 normal pregnancies and for 6 pregnancies complicated by steroid sulfatase deficiency. The mean .+-. SD phospholipid content of the normal microsomes was 1.59 .+-. 0.25 .mu.mol P/mg protein. A significantly lower phospholipid content (P < 0.05) was found in the sulfatase deficient microsomes for which the mean .+-. SD was 0.80 .+-. 0.12 .mu.mol P/mg protein. The results are consistent with earlier reported findings suggesting that the biochemical cause of the enzyme defect involves a disorder of lipid metabolism.