scholarly journals PEHO syndrome: the endpoint of different genetic epilepsies

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (12) ◽  
pp. 803-813 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manali Chitre ◽  
Michael S Nahorski ◽  
Kaitlin Stouffer ◽  
Bryony Dunning-Davies ◽  
Hamish Houston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autosomal Recessive ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Genetic Variant ◽  
Single Gene ◽  
Epileptic Encephalopathy ◽  
Pathogenic Variants ◽  
Progressive Encephalopathy ◽  
Mri Scans ◽  
Autosomal Recessive Condition ◽  
Genetic Epilepsies

BackgroundProgressive encephalopathy, hypsarrhythmia and optic atrophy (PEHO) has been described as a clinically distinct syndrome. It has been postulated that it is an autosomal recessive condition. However, the aetiology is poorly understood, and the genetic basis of the condition has not been fully elucidated. Our objective was to discover if PEHO syndrome is a single gene disorder.MethodChildren with PEHO and PEHO-like syndrome were recruited. Clinical, neurological and dysmorphic features were recorded; EEG reports and MRI scans were reviewed. Where possible, exome sequencing was carried out first to seek mutations in known early infantile developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE) genes and then to use an agnostic approach to seek novel candidate genes. We sought intra–interfamilial phenotypic correlations and genotype–phenotype correlations when pathological mutations were identified.ResultsTwenty-three children were recruited from a diverse ethnic background, 19 of which were suitable for inclusion. They were similar in many of the core and the supporting features of PEHO, but there was significant variation in MRI and ophthalmological findings, even between siblings with the same mutation. A pathogenic genetic variant was identified in 15 of the 19 children. One further girl’s DNA failed analysis, but her two affected sisters shared confirmed variants. Pathogenic variants were identified in seven different genes.ConclusionsWe found significant clinical and genetic heterogeneity. Given the intrafamily variation demonstrated, we question whether the diagnostic criteria for MRI and ophthalmic findings should be altered. We also question whether PEHO and PEHO-like syndrome represent differing points on a clinical spectrum of the DEE. We conclude that PEHO and PEHO-like syndrome are clinically and genetically diverse entities—and are phenotypic endpoints of many severe genetic encephalopathies.

SCN8A and Its Related Epileptic Phenotypes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Praticò ◽  
Carmela Gulizia ◽  
Gloria Gangi ◽  
Claudia Oliva ◽  
Catia Romano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
De Novo ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Single Gene ◽  
Great Majority ◽  
Epileptic Encephalopathy ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Channel Blockers ◽  
Germline Mosaicism ◽  
Pathogenic Variants ◽  
Genetic Epilepsies

AbstractSodium channelopathies are among the most common single-gene causes of epilepsy and have been considered model disorders for the study of genetic epilepsies. Epilepsies due to SCN8A pathogenic variants can present with a broad range of phenotypes varying from a severe epileptic encephalopathy with multiple types of drug-resistant seizure to neurodevelopmental delay, mental retardation, and electroencephalogram (EEG) findings of multifocal spike and waves (mostly in the temporal/parietal/occipital areas). In rare cases, benign familial infantile seizures and developmental delay with/without ataxia have been reported. A first-level, specific SCN8A Sanger's sequencing, although available, is rarely performed because the clinical phenotype is not strictly characteristic and several overlaps with other genetic epilepsies may occur. Given its indistinctive phenotype, diagnosis is usually performed through a specific gene panel for epileptic encephalopathies, early epilepsies, or genetic epilepsy in general, or through whole exome sequencing (WES) and more rarely through whole genome sequencing (WGS). Mutations in SCN8A occur as an autosomal dominant trait. The great majority of individuals diagnosed with SCN8A epilepsy do not have an affected parent, because usually SCN8A patients do not reproduce, and mutations are inherited as a “de novo” trait. In rare cases, SCN8A mutations may be inherited in the setting of parental germline mosaicism. SCN8A-related epilepsies have not shown a clear genotype–phenotype correlation, the same variants have been described with different clinical expressivity and this could be due to other genetic factors or to interacting environmental factors. There is no standardized treatment for SCN8A-related epilepsy because of the rarity of the disease and the unavailability of specific, targeted drugs. Treatment is based mainly on antiepileptic drugs which include classic wide-spectrum drugs such as valproic acid, levetiracetam, and lamotrigine. Sodium-channel blockers (phenytoin, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, and lamotrigine) have shown appreciable results in terms of seizure reduction, in particular, in patients presenting gain-of-function mutations. Nowadays, new potentially transformative gene therapy treatment approaches are currently being explored, allowing in the next future, a precision-based treatment directed against the gene defect and protein alterations.

Atypical Presentation of Aromatic L-Amino Acid Decarboxylase (AADC) Deficiency with Developmental Epileptic Encephalopathy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Marchese ◽  
Elena Faedo ◽  
Maria Stella Vari ◽  
Patrizia Bergonzini ◽  
Michele Iacomino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Autosomal Recessive ◽  
Epileptic Encephalopathy ◽  
Dopa Decarboxylase ◽  
Acid Decarboxylase ◽  
Homozygous Mutation ◽  
Amino Acid Decarboxylase ◽  
Pathogenic Variants ◽  
Neurological Features ◽  
Decarboxylase Deficiency

AbstractAromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency is an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder resulting from disease-causing pathogenic variants of the dopa decarboxylase (DDC) gene. The neurological features of AADC deficiency include early-onset hypotonia, oculogyric crises, ptosis, dystonia, hypokinesia, impaired development, and autonomic dysfunction. We report a patient with genetically confirmed AADC deficiency presenting with developmental epileptic encephalopathy (DEE). We report a boy with severe intractable epileptic spasms and DEE. The patient was evaluated for cognitive and neurologic impairment. Exome sequencing revealed a homozygous mutation (NM_000790.4:c.121C > A; p.Leu41Met) in the DDC gene. This case expands the clinical spectrum of AADC deficiency and strengthens the association between dopa decarboxylase deficiency and epilepsy. Additional studies are warranted to clarify the mechanisms linking dopa decarboxylase dysfunction to DEE.

scholarly journals The genetic basis of classical galactosaemia in Polish patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Jezela-Stanek ◽  
Anna Bauer ◽  
Katarzyna Wertheim-Tysarowska ◽  
Jerzy Bal ◽  
Agnieszka Magdalena Rygiel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autosomal Recessive ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Dna Analysis ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Autosomal Recessive Disorder ◽  
Molecular Characteristics ◽  
Compound Heterozygous ◽  
Classic Galactosemia ◽  
Pathogenic Variants ◽  
Molecular Etiology

AbstractClassic galactosemia (OMIM #230400) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous pathogenic variants in the galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase gene (GALT; 606999) on chromosome 9p13. Its diagnosis is established by detecting elevated erythrocyte galactose-1-phosphate concentration, reduced erythrocyte galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase (GALT) enzyme activity. Biallelic pathogenic variants in the GALT gene is confirmed by DNA analysis. Our paper presents molecular characteristics of 195 Polish patients diagnosed with galactosemia I, intending to expand the current knowledge of this rare disease's molecular etiology. To the best of our knowledge, the described cohort of galactosemia patients is the largest single-center cohort presented so far.

scholarly journals Genomic Investigation of Infantile and Childhood Epileptic Encephalopathies in Kazakhstan: An Urgent Priority

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Altynshash Jaxybayeva ◽  
Alissa Nauryzbayeva ◽  
Assem Khamzina ◽  
Meruert Takhanova ◽  
Assel Abilhadirova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Testing ◽  
Intellectual Development ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Communication Disorders ◽  
Epileptic Encephalopathy ◽  
Epileptic Encephalopathies ◽  
Pathogenic Variants ◽  
Genetic Epilepsies ◽  
First Year Of Life ◽  
Genetically Determined

Objectives: Infantile and childhood epileptic encephalopathies are a group of severe epilepsies that begin within the first year of life and often portend increased morbidity. Many of them are genetically determined. The medical strategy for their management depends on the genetic cause. There are no facilities for genetic testing of children in Kazakhstan but we have a collection of data with already defined genes responsible for clinical presentations.Methods: We analyzed children with epileptic encephalopathies that began in the first 3 years of life and were accompanied by a delay/arrest of intellectual development, in the absence of structural changes in the brain. Such patients were recommended to undergo genetic testing using epileptic genetic panels in laboratories in different countries.Results: We observed 350 infants with clinical presentation of epileptic encephalopathies. 4.3% of them followed our recommendations and underwent genetic testing privately. In total 12/15 children became eligible for targeted treatment, 3/15 were likely to have non-epileptic stereotypies/movements, 2/15 were unlikely to respond to any therapy and all had a high chance of intellectual disability, behavioral and social communication disorders.Conclusion: The genetic results of 15/350 (4.3% of patients) have demonstrated the potential and enormous impact from gene panel analysis in management of epileptic encephalopathy. Availability of genetic testing within the country will improve management of children with genetic epilepsies and help to create a local database of pathogenic variants.

scholarly journals Neurological Disorders Associated with WWOX Germline Mutations—A Comprehensive Overview

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 824
Author(s):  
Ehud Banne ◽  
Baraa Abudiab ◽  
Sara Abu-Swai ◽  
Srinivasa Rao Repudi ◽  
Daniel J. Steinberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autosomal Recessive ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Epileptic Encephalopathy ◽  
Global Developmental Delay ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Pathogenic Variants ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Underlying Pathophysiology ◽  
Wwox Gene ◽  
Cross Reference

The transcriptional regulator WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) is a key player in a number of cellular and biological processes including tumor suppression. Recent evidence has emerged associating WWOX with non-cancer disorders. Patients harboring pathogenic germline bi-allelic WWOX variants have been described with the rare devastating neurological syndromes autosomal recessive spinocerebellar ataxia 12 (SCAR12) (6 patients) and WWOX-related epileptic encephalopathy (DEE28 or WOREE syndrome) (56 patients). Individuals with these syndromes present with a highly heterogenous clinical spectrum, the most common clinical symptoms being severe epileptic encephalopathy and profound global developmental delay. Knowledge of the underlying pathophysiology of these syndromes, the range of variants of the WWOX gene and its genotype-phenotype correlations is limited, hampering therapeutic efforts. Therefore, there is a critical need to identify and consolidate all the reported variants in WWOX to distinguish between disease-causing alleles and their associated severity, and benign variants, with the aim of improving diagnosis and increasing therapeutic efforts. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the literature on WWOX, and analyze the pathogenic variants from published and unpublished reports by collecting entries from the ClinVar, DECIPHER, VarSome, and PubMed databases to generate the largest dataset of WWOX pathogenic variants. We estimate the correlation between variant type and patient phenotype, and delineate the impact of each variant, and used GnomAD to cross reference these variants found in the general population. From these searches, we generated the largest published cohort of WWOX individuals. We conclude with a discussion on potential personalized medicine approaches to tackle the devastating disorders associated with WWOX mutations.

scholarly journals Classical Xanthinuria in Nine Israeli Families and Two Isolated Cases from Germany: Molecular, Biochemical and Population Genetics Aspects

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 788
Author(s):  
Hava Peretz ◽  
Ayala Lagziel ◽  
Florian Bittner ◽  
Mustafa Kabha ◽  
Meirav Shtauber-Naamati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autosomal Recessive ◽  
Heterologous Protein ◽  
Heterologous Protein Expression ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
Cysteine Desulfurase ◽  
Cofactor Binding ◽  
Pathogenic Variants ◽  
Expression Studies

Classical xanthinuria is a rare autosomal recessive metabolic disorder caused by variants in the XDH (type I) or MOCOS (type II) genes. Thirteen Israeli kindred (five Jewish and eight Arab) and two isolated cases from Germany were studied between the years 1997 and 2013. Four and a branch of a fifth of these families were previously described. Here, we reported the demographic, clinical, molecular and biochemical characterizations of the remaining cases. Seven out of 20 affected individuals (35%) presented with xanthinuria-related symptoms of varied severity. Among the 10 distinct variants identified, six were novel: c.449G>T (p.(Cys150Phe)), c.1434G>A (p.(Trp478*)), c.1871C>G (p.(Ser624*)) and c.913del (p.(Leu305fs*1)) in the XDH gene and c.1046C>T (p.(Thr349Ileu)) and c.1771C>T (p.(Pro591Ser)) in the MOCOS gene. Heterologous protein expression studies revealed that the p.Cys150Phe variant within the Fe/S-I cluster-binding site impairs XDH biogenesis, the p.Thr349Ileu variant in the NifS-like domain of MOCOS affects protein stability and cysteine desulfurase activity, while the p.Pro591Ser and a previously described p.Arg776Cys variant in the C-terminal domain affect Molybdenum cofactor binding. Based on the results of haplotype analyses and historical genealogy findings, the potential dispersion of the identified variants is discussed. As far as we are aware, this is the largest cohort of xanthinuria cases described so far, substantially expanding the repertoire of pathogenic variants, characterizing structurally and functionally essential amino acid residues in the XDH and MOCOS proteins and addressing the population genetic aspects of classical xanthinuria.

scholarly journals Diagnostic exome-based preconception carrier testing in consanguineous couples: results from the first 100 couples in clinical practice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne C. E. H. Sallevelt ◽  
Alexander P. A. Stegmann ◽  
Bart de Koning ◽  
Crool Velter ◽  
Anja Steyls ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autosomal Recessive ◽  
Rare Variants ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Carrier Testing ◽  
Carrier Status ◽  
Routine Diagnostics ◽  
Affected Offspring ◽  
Pathogenic Variants ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Genetics And Genomics

Abstract Purpose Consanguineous couples are at increased risk of being heterozygous for the same autosomal recessive (AR) disorder(s), with a 25% risk of affected offspring as a consequence. Until recently, comprehensive preconception carrier testing (PCT) for AR disorders was unavailable in routine diagnostics. Here we developed and implemented such a test in routine clinical care. Methods We performed exome sequencing (ES) for 100 consanguineous couples. For each couple, rare variants that could give rise to biallelic variants in offspring were selected. These variants were subsequently filtered against a gene panel consisting of ~2,000 genes associated with known AR disorders (OMIM-based). Remaining variants were classified according to American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics/Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG/AMP) guidelines, after which only likely pathogenic and pathogenic (class IV/V) variants, present in both partners, were reported. Results In 28 of 100 tested consanguineous couples (28%), likely pathogenic and pathogenic variants not previously known in the couple or their family were reported conferring 25% risk of affected offspring. Conclusion ES-based PCT provides a powerful diagnostic tool to identify AR disease carrier status in consanguineous couples. Outcomes provided significant reproductive choices for a higher proportion of these couples than previous tests.

scholarly journals A Novel Intronic Pathogenic Variant in STAR With a Dominant Negative Mechanism Causes Attenuated Lipoid Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 232470962110146
Author(s):  
Erin Finn ◽  
Kimberly Kripps ◽  
Christina Chambers ◽  
Michele Rapp ◽  
Naomi J. L. Meeks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia ◽  
Autosomal Recessive ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Dominant Negative ◽  
Adrenal Hyperplasia ◽  
Primary Adrenal Insufficiency ◽  
Heterozygous Variant ◽  
Novel Variant ◽  
Autosomal Recessive Condition ◽  
Clinically Significant

Lipoid congenital adrenal hyperplasia (LCAH) is typically inherited as an autosomal recessive condition. There are 3 reports of individuals with a dominantly acting heterozygous variant leading to a clinically significant phenotype. We report a 46,XY child with a novel heterozygous intronic variant in STAR resulting in LCAH with an attenuated genital phenotype. The patient presented with neonatal hypoglycemia and had descended testes with a fused scrotum and small phallus. Evaluation revealed primary adrenal insufficiency with deficiencies of cortisol, aldosterone, and androgens. He was found to have a de novo heterozygous novel variant in STAR: c.65-2A>C. We report a case of a novel variant and review of other dominant mutations at the same position in the literature. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of attenuated genital phenotypes of LCAH and the contribution of de novo variants in STAR at c.65-2 to the pathogenesis of that phenotype.

scholarly journals Refining Genotypes and Phenotypes in KCNA2-Related Neurological Disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 2824
Author(s):  
Jan H. Döring ◽  
Julian Schröter ◽  
Jerome Jüngling ◽  
Saskia Biskup ◽  
Kerstin A. Klotz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Transmembrane Domain ◽  
Potassium Conductance ◽  
Epileptic Encephalopathy ◽  
Clinical Spectrum ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Developmental Abnormalities ◽  
Pathogenic Variants ◽  
Infantile Seizures ◽  
Early Developmental

Pathogenic variants in KCNA2, encoding for the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.2, have been identified as the cause for an evolving spectrum of neurological disorders. Affected individuals show early-onset developmental and epileptic encephalopathy, intellectual disability, and movement disorders resulting from cerebellar dysfunction. In addition, individuals with a milder course of epilepsy, complicated hereditary spastic paraplegia, and episodic ataxia have been reported. By analyzing phenotypic, functional, and genetic data from published reports and novel cases, we refine and further delineate phenotypic as well as functional subgroups of KCNA2-associated disorders. Carriers of variants, leading to complex and mixed channel dysfunction that are associated with a gain- and loss-of-potassium conductance, more often show early developmental abnormalities and an earlier onset of epilepsy compared to individuals with variants resulting in loss- or gain-of-function. We describe seven additional individuals harboring three known and the novel KCNA2 variants p.(Pro407Ala) and p.(Tyr417Cys). The location of variants reported here highlights the importance of the proline(405)–valine(406)–proline(407) (PVP) motif in transmembrane domain S6 as a mutational hotspot. A novel case of self-limited infantile seizures suggests a continuous clinical spectrum of KCNA2-related disorders. Our study provides further insights into the clinical spectrum, genotype–phenotype correlation, variability, and predicted functional impact of KCNA2 variants.

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