Jordans' anomaly (also known as Jordan anomaly and Jordans bodies) is a familial abnormality of

white blood cell White blood cells, also called leukocytes or leucocytes, are the cell (biology), cells of the immune system that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign invaders. All white blood cells are produced and de ...

morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines * Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts * Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies ...

. Individuals with this condition exhibit persistent

vacuolation A vacuole () is a membrane-bound organelle which is present in plant and fungal cells and some protist, animal, and bacterial cells. Vacuoles are essentially enclosed compartments which are filled with water containing inorganic and organic mo ...

granulocytes Granulocytes are cells in the innate immune system characterized by the presence of specific granules in their cytoplasm. Such granules distinguish them from the various agranulocytes. All myeloblastic granulocytes are polymorphonuclear. They ha ...

and

monocytes Monocytes are a type of leukocyte or white blood cell. They are the largest type of leukocyte in blood and can differentiate into macrophages and conventional dendritic cells. As a part of the vertebrate innate immune system monocytes also infl ...

in the

peripheral blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in the c ...

and

bone marrow Bone marrow is a semi-solid tissue found within the spongy (also known as cancellous) portions of bones. In birds and mammals, bone marrow is the primary site of new blood cell production (or haematopoiesis). It is composed of hematopoietic ce ...

. Jordans' anomaly is associated with

neutral lipid storage disease Neutral lipid storage disease (also known as Chanarin–Dorfman syndrome) is a congenital autosomal recessive disorder characterized by accumulation of triglycerides in the cytoplasm of leukocytes (Jordan’s Anomaly) muscle, liver, fibroblasts, ...

Genetics

Jordans' anomaly is a characteristic finding in Chanarin-Dorfman syndrome and other neutral lipid storage diseases. The anomaly is associated with mutations in the ''PNPLA2'' gene, which produces the enzyme

adipose triglyceride lipase Adipose triglyceride lipase, also known as patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 2 and ATGL, is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''PNPLA2'' gene. ATGL catalyses the first reaction of lipolysis, where triacylglycerols are ...

(ATGL), and the ''

ABHD5 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate O-acyltransferase ABHD5 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''ABHD5'' gene. Function The protein encoded by this gene belongs to a large family of proteins defined by an alpha/beta hydrolase fold, and conta ...

'' gene, which encodes a cofactor of ATGL. These mutations lead to defective

triglyceride A triglyceride (TG, triacylglycerol, TAG, or triacylglyceride) is an ester derived from glycerol and three fatty acids (from ''tri-'' and ''glyceride''). Triglycerides are the main constituents of body fat in humans and other vertebrates, as w ...

breakdown and accumulation of lipid droplets in cells throughout the body.

Histopathology

The vacuoles of Jordans' anomaly contain neutral lipids that stain positive with

Sudan stain Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

ing techniques.

History

The anomaly was first described in 1953, by Dr. G. H. Jordans, who identified abnormal

in the white blood cells of two brothers with

congenital muscular dystrophy Congenital muscular dystrophies are autosomal recessively-inherited muscle diseases. They are a group of heterogeneous disorders characterized by muscle weakness which is present at birth and the different changes on muscle biopsy that ranges fr ...

. Using special staining, Jordans demonstrated that the vacuoles contained

lipids Lipids are a broad group of naturally-occurring molecules which includes fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, and others. The functions of lipids include ...

. In 1966, two further cases of persistent lipid vacuoles were reported in sisters presenting with

ichthyosis Ichthyosis is a family of genetic skin disorders characterized by dry, thickened, scaly skin. The more than 20 types of ichthyosis range in severity of symptoms, outward appearance, underlying genetic cause and mode of inheritance (e.g., dominan ...

. The

Chanarin-Dorfman syndrome Neutral lipid storage disease (also known as Chanarin–Dorfman syndrome) is a congenital autosomal recessive disorder characterized by accumulation of triglycerides in the cytoplasm of leukocytes (Jordan’s Anomaly) muscle, liver, fibroblasts, ...

, comprising Jordans' anomaly, ichthyosis and lipid storage abnormalities, was defined in the 1970s, definitively connecting Jordans' anomaly to lipid storage disease. Jordans' anomaly was linked to

genetic mutations In biology, a mutation is an alteration in the nucleic acid sequence of the genome of an organism, virus, or extrachromosomal DNA. Viral genomes contain either DNA or RNA. Mutations result from errors during DNA or viral replication, mit ...

affecting

metabolism in 2006.

References

{{Abnormal clinical and laboratory findings for blood Hematology Hematopathology Histopathology Abnormal clinical and laboratory findings for blood Lipid storage disorders