Urinary oligosaccharide screening in patients with beta-galactosidase deficiency.

Following ion-exchange chromatography and subsequent thin-layer chromatography, 3 peculiar oligosaccharide excretion patterns were distinguished in 3 patients with beta-galactosidase deficiency. Each patient differed clinically and it is proposed that this method may be of use in characterizing various forms of beta-galactosidase deficiency.