Type A & B
Niemann-Pick disease Type A and B occur when cells in the body lack an enzyme called acid sphingomyelinase (ASM). ASM helps break down (metabolize) a fatty substance called sphingomyelin, which is found in every cell of the body. If ASM is missing or does not work properly, sphingomyelin builds up inside cells. This leads to cell death and makes it hard for organs to work properly. Though children suffering from Type A can be found in all races and ethnicities, but higher rates are seen in the Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jew population.
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