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OBJECTIVES: To investigate seizure characteristics, types, and define the etiology of epilepsy in children aged ≤2 years using the 2017 ILAE classification. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted at King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for children below 2 years of age diagnosed with epilepsy, and on anti-seizure medications from January 2017 - December 2018. The collected data involved detailed information on the patients' seizure, electroclinical, neuroimaging, laboratory evaluations, and underlying etiology. RESULTS: One- hundred and fifty patients were included in the study and classified according to etiology into: genetic (43, 28.7%), structural (41, 27.3%), metabolic (10, 6.7%), infectious (8, 5.3%), immune-mediated (1, 0.7%) and unknown (47, 31.3%) groups. The most common seizure types were generalized epilepsy, among which generalized tonic-clonic seizures occurred in 56 (37%) patients, followed by tonic seizures in 31 (21%), infantile spasm in 19 (13%), myoclonic seizures in 4 (2.7%), atonic seizures in 6 (4%), and focal seizures in 33 (22%) patients. Global developmental delay and abnormalities in both neurologic exam and neuroimaging were more common in the structural and genetic groups. Electroencephalography was abnormal in 82 (55%) patients, including the majority of the structural group (26, 63.4%). CONCLUSION: The etiology of epilepsy in this cohort remains undetermined (unknown) in a large proportion of cases, followed by genetic and structural causes. This result added to the published international data about epilepsy in the first 2-years of life.
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Epilepsias Mioclônicas , Epilepsia Generalizada , Epilepsia , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Eletroencefalografia , Epilepsias Mioclônicas/diagnóstico , Epilepsias Mioclônicas/tratamento farmacológico , Epilepsias Mioclônicas/genética , Epilepsia/epidemiologia , Epilepsia/etiologia , Humanos , Estudos Retrospectivos , Convulsões , Atenção Terciária à SaúdeRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To assess the neurodevelopmental and epilepsy outcomes in children with infantile spasms (IS). METHODS: A retrospective chart review of all patients with infantile spasms admitted to King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between January 2000 and December 2017. Infants who were diagnosed to have IS as per the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) definition were included in this study. Patients who lost follow-up and those who did not receive treatment at KKUH were excluded. RESULTS: Total of 53 patients were included and categorized into unknown, cryptogenic and symptomatic type of IS. The majority had symptomatic etiology (71.7%). Type of etiology and delay in initiation of treatment were significant predictors of motor and cognitive outcomes, but not seizure control. Patients with unknown IS, who were diagnosed earlier (0.72-month), had better neurodevelopmental outcomes. Vigabatrin in combination with either Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) or Prednisolone showed better seizure control in comparison to monotherapy and other combination modalities. CONCLUSION: Neurodevelopmental outcomes of IS are strongly associated with the underlying etiology. Early initiation of treatments had a favorable cognitive and motor outcome. Early response to combination therapy with resolution of spasms and hypsarrhythmia had better seizure outcomes. However, motor and cognitive outcomes were not affected by the response to the combination therapy.
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Hormônio Adrenocorticotrópico/uso terapêutico , Anticonvulsivantes/uso terapêutico , Prednisolona/uso terapêutico , Espasmos Infantis/tratamento farmacológico , Vigabatrina/uso terapêutico , Quimioterapia Combinada , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Masculino , Estudos Retrospectivos , Arábia Saudita , Centros de Atenção Terciária , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
PURPOSE: Congenital microcephaly (CM) is an important birth defect with long term neurological sequelae. We aimed to perform detailed phenotypic and genomic analysis of patients with Mendelian forms of CM. METHODS: Clinical phenotyping, targeted or exome sequencing, and autozygome analysis. RESULTS: We describe 150 patients (104 families) with 56 Mendelian forms of CM. Our data show little overlap with the genetic causes of postnatal microcephaly. We also show that a broad definition of primary microcephaly -as an autosomal recessive form of nonsyndromic CM with severe postnatal deceleration of occipitofrontal circumference-is highly sensitive but has a limited specificity. In addition, we expand the overlap between primary microcephaly and microcephalic primordial dwarfism both clinically (short stature in >52% of patients with primary microcephaly) and molecularly (e.g., we report the first instance of CEP135-related microcephalic primordial dwarfism). We expand the allelic and locus heterogeneity of CM by reporting 37 novel likely disease-causing variants in 27 disease genes, confirming the candidacy of ANKLE2, YARS, FRMD4A, and THG1L, and proposing the candidacy of BPTF, MAP1B, CCNH, and PPFIBP1. CONCLUSION: Our study refines the phenotype of CM, expands its genetics heterogeneity, and informs the workup of children born with this developmental brain defect.
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Microcefalia/genética , Microcefalia/fisiopatologia , Adulto , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Nanismo/genética , Feminino , Genômica/métodos , Genótipo , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Masculino , Mutação/genética , Linhagem , Fenótipo , Sequenciamento do Exoma/métodosRESUMO
PURPOSE: Establishing links between Mendelian phenotypes and genes enables the proper interpretation of variants therein. Autozygome, a rich source of homozygous variants, has been successfully utilized for the high throughput identification of novel autosomal recessive disease genes. Here, we highlight the utility of the autozygome for the high throughput confirmation of previously published tentative links to diseases. METHODS: Autozygome and exome analysis of patients with suspected Mendelian phenotypes. All variants were classified according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines. RESULTS: We highlight 30 published candidate genes (ACTL6B, ADAM22, AGTPBP1, APC, C12orf4, C3orf17 (NEPRO), CENPF, CNPY3, COL27A1, DMBX1, FUT8, GOLGA2, KIAA0556, LENG8, MCIDAS, MTMR9, MYH11, QRSL1, RUBCN, SLC25A42, SLC9A1, TBXT, TFG, THUMPD1, TRAF3IP2, UFC1, UFM1, WDR81, XRCC2, ZAK) in which we identified homozygous likely deleterious variants in patients with compatible phenotypes. We also identified homozygous likely deleterious variants in 18 published candidate genes (ABCA2, ARL6IP1, ATP8A2, CDK9, CNKSR1, DGAT1, DMXL2, GEMIN4, HCN2, HCRT, MYO9A, PARS2, PLOD3, PREPL, SCLT1, STX3, TXNRD2, WIPI2) although the associated phenotypes are sufficiently different from the original reports that they represent phenotypic expansion or potentially distinct allelic disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Our results should facilitate the timely relabeling of these candidate disease genes in relevant databases to improve the yield of clinical genomic sequencing.
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Doença/genética , Genômica/métodos , Análise de Sequência de DNA/métodos , Variação Biológica da População/genética , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Diagnóstico , Técnicas e Procedimentos Diagnósticos , Feminino , Testes Genéticos/normas , Variação Genética , Genótipo , Hereditariedade/genética , Sequenciamento de Nucleotídeos em Larga Escala/métodos , Homozigoto , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Masculino , Mutação , FenótipoRESUMO
Defects in the peroxisomes biogenesis and/or function result in peroxisomal disorders. In this study, we describe the largest Arab cohort to date (72 families) of clinically, biochemically and molecularly characterized patients with peroxisomal disorders. At the molecular level, we identified 43 disease-causing variants, half of which are novel. The founder nature of many of the variants allowed us to calculate the minimum disease burden for these disorders in our population ~1:30 000, which is much higher than previous estimates in other populations. Clinically, we found an interesting trend toward genotype/phenotype correlation in terms of long-term survival. Nearly half (40/75) of our peroxisomal disorders patients had documented survival beyond 1 year of age. Most unusual among the long-term survivors was a multiplex family in which the affected members presented as adults with non-specific intellectual disability and epilepsy. Other unusual presentations included the very recently described peroxisomal fatty acyl-CoA reductase 1 disorder as well as CRD, spastic paraparesis, white matter (CRSPW) syndrome. We conclude that peroxisomal disorders are highly heterogeneous in their clinical presentation. Our data also confirm the demonstration that milder forms of Zellweger spectrum disorders cannot be ruled out by the "gold standard" very long chain fatty acids assay, which highlights the value of a genomics-first approach in these cases.
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Árabes , Transtornos Peroxissômicos/epidemiologia , Transtornos Peroxissômicos/etiologia , Árabes/genética , Biomarcadores , Encéfalo/anormalidades , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagem , Estudos de Coortes , Consanguinidade , Efeitos Psicossociais da Doença , Gerenciamento Clínico , Suscetibilidade a Doenças , Fácies , Feminino , Estudos de Associação Genética , Predisposição Genética para Doença , Humanos , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Masculino , Mutação , Linhagem , Transtornos Peroxissômicos/diagnóstico , Transtornos Peroxissômicos/terapia , Fenótipo , Vigilância da População , PrognósticoRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To review the experience of 2 tertiary centers in Saudi Arabia with intracranial hypertension (IH) in the pediatric population. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed and analyzed pediatric patients diagnosed with IH from June 2002 to May 2017 in 2 institutes. RESULTS: We identified 53 patients (30 females and 23 males) with a mean age of 7 years at the time of presentation. Among them, 41 patients were younger than 12 years, and 12 were older. Obese and overweight patients constituted 27.00% (n = 14) of all cases, 8 (66.7%) of whom were older than 12 years. The most common presenting feature was papilledema followed by headache. Vitamin D deficiency, which constituted the most common associated condition, was identified in 12 (22.6%) patients. Acetazolamide was the treatment option in 98.11% of patients, and only 5.7% underwent surgical interventions. The length of follow-up ranged from 6 months to 8 years. CONCLUSION: Intracranial hypertension is rare in children and commonly seen in overweight females older than 12 years similar to adults. Patients younger than 12 years tend to develop secondary IH. More studies are needed to characterize the clinical presentation and guide the management plan.
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Cefaleia/epidemiologia , Hipertensão Intracraniana/complicações , Obesidade/epidemiologia , Papiledema/epidemiologia , Deficiência de Vitamina D/epidemiologia , Acetazolamida/uso terapêutico , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Diuréticos/uso terapêutico , Feminino , Hospitais Pediátricos/estatística & dados numéricos , Humanos , Lactente , Hipertensão Intracraniana/tratamento farmacológico , Hipertensão Intracraniana/epidemiologia , Hipertensão Intracraniana/patologia , Masculino , Arábia Saudita , Centros de Atenção Terciária/estatística & dados numéricosRESUMO
Myopathies are heterogeneous disorders characterized clinically by weakness and hypotonia, usually in the absence of gross dystrophic changes. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a frequent cause of myopathy. We report a simplex case born to consanguineous parents who presented with muscle weakness, lactic acidosis, and muscle changes suggestive of mitochondrial dysfunction. Combined autozygome and exome analysis revealed a missense variant in the SLC25A42 gene, which encodes an inner mitochondrial membrane protein that imports coenzyme A into the mitochondrial matrix. Zebrafish slc25a42 knockdown morphants display severe muscle disorganization and weakness. Importantly, these features are rescued by normal human SLC25A42 RNA, but not by RNA harboring the patient's variant. Our data support a potentially causal link between SLC25A42 mutation and mitochondrial myopathy in humans.
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Translocador 1 do Nucleotídeo Adenina/genética , Miopatias Mitocondriais/genética , Mutação , Adolescente , Animais , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Modelos Animais , Linhagem , RNA Mensageiro/genética , Peixe-ZebraRESUMO
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) describes a group of clinical entities in which the connective tissue, primarily that of the skin, joint and vessels, is abnormal, although the resulting clinical manifestations can vary widely between the different historical subtypes. Many cases of hereditary disorders of connective tissue that do not seem to fit these historical subtypes exist. The aim of this study is to describe a large series of patients with inherited connective tissue disorders evaluated by our clinical genetics service and for whom a likely causal variant was identified. In addition to clinical phenotyping, patients underwent various genetic tests including molecular karyotyping, candidate gene analysis, autozygome analysis, and whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing as appropriate. We describe a cohort of 69 individuals representing 40 families, all referred because of suspicion of an inherited connective tissue disorder by their primary physician. Molecular lesions included variants in the previously published disease genes B3GALT6, GORAB, ZNF469, B3GAT3, ALDH18A1, FKBP14, PYCR1, CHST14 and SPARC with interesting variations on the published clinical phenotypes. We also describe the first recessive EDS-like condition to be caused by a recessive COL1A1 variant. In addition, exome capture in a familial case identified a homozygous truncating variant in a novel and compelling candidate gene, AEBP1. Finally, we also describe a distinct novel clinical syndrome of cutis laxa and marked facial features and propose ATP6V1E1 and ATP6V0D2 (two subunits of vacuolar ATPase) as likely candidate genes based on whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing of the two families with this new clinical entity. Our study expands the clinical spectrum of hereditary disorders of connective tissue and adds three novel candidate genes including two that are associated with a highly distinct syndrome.
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Doenças do Tecido Conjuntivo/genética , Heterogeneidade Genética , Marcadores Genéticos/genética , Anormalidades da Pele/genética , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Estudos de Coortes , Doenças do Tecido Conjuntivo/patologia , Exoma/genética , Feminino , Sequenciamento de Nucleotídeos em Larga Escala , Humanos , Masculino , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Linhagem , Fenótipo , Homologia de Sequência de AminoácidosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Klippel-Feil anomaly (KFA) can be seen in a number of syndromes. We describe an apparently novel syndromic association with KFA. METHODS: Clinical phenotyping of two consanguineous families followed by combined autozygome/exome analysis. RESULTS: Two patients from two apparently unrelated families shared a strikingly similar phenotype characterised by KFA, myopathy, mild short stature, microcephaly, and distinctive facies. They shared a single founder autozygous interval in which whole exome sequencing revealed a truncating mutation in MYO18B. There was virtually complete loss of the transcript in peripheral blood, indicative of nonsense-mediated decay. Electron microscopy of muscle confirms abnormal myosin filaments with accompanying myopathic changes. CONCLUSIONS: Deficiency of MYO18B is linked to a novel developmental disorder which combines KFA with myopathy. This suggests a widespread developmental role for this gene in humans, as observed for its murine ortholog.
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Fácies , Síndrome de Klippel-Feil/diagnóstico , Síndrome de Klippel-Feil/genética , Doenças Musculares/diagnóstico , Doenças Musculares/genética , Mutação , Miosinas/genética , Proteínas Supressoras de Tumor/genética , Adolescente , Criança , Mapeamento Cromossômico , Consanguinidade , Análise Mutacional de DNA , Feminino , Homozigoto , Humanos , Masculino , Músculo Esquelético/patologia , Músculo Esquelético/ultraestrutura , Linhagem , Fenótipo , Coluna Vertebral/patologia , SíndromeRESUMO
PURPOSE: Molecular karyotyping has rapidly become the test of choice in patients with neurocognitive phenotypes, but studies of its clinical utility have largely been limited to outbred populations. In consanguineous populations, single-gene recessive causes of neurocognitive phenotypes are expected to account for a relatively high percentage of cases, thus diminishing the yield of molecular karyotyping. The aim of this study was to test the clinical yield of molecular karyotyping in the highly consanguineous population of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: We have reviewed the data of 584 patients with neurocognitive phenotypes (mainly referred from pediatric neurology clinics), all evaluated by a single clinical geneticist. RESULTS: At least 21% of tested cases had chromosomal aberrations that are likely disease-causing. These changes include both known and novel deletion syndromes. The higher yield of molecular karyotyping in this study as compared with the commonly cited 11% can be explained by our ability to efficiently identify single-gene disorders, thus enriching the samples that underwent molecular karyotyping for de novo chromosomal aberrations. We show that we were able to identify a causal mutation in 37% of cases on a clinical basis with the help of autozygome analysis, thus bypassing the need for molecular karyotyping. CONCLUSION: Our study confirms the clinical utility of molecular karyotyping even in highly consanguineous populations.
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Transtornos Cromossômicos/genética , Consanguinidade , Transtornos Neurocognitivos/genética , Adolescente , Adulto , Criança , Aberrações Cromossômicas , Transtornos Cromossômicos/diagnóstico , Transtornos Cromossômicos/epidemiologia , Variações do Número de Cópias de DNA , Deficiências do Desenvolvimento , Feminino , Estudos de Associação Genética , Humanos , Deficiência Intelectual/genética , Cariotipagem/métodos , Masculino , Transtornos Neurocognitivos/diagnóstico , Transtornos Neurocognitivos/epidemiologia , Fenótipo , Polimorfismo de Nucleotídeo Único , Estudos Retrospectivos , Arábia Saudita/epidemiologia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Epileptic encephalopathy is a broad clinical category that is highly heterogeneous genetically. OBJECTIVE: To describe a multiplex extended consanguineous family that defines a molecularly novel subtype of early infantile epileptic encephalopathy. METHODS: Autozygosity mapping and exome sequencing for the identification of the causal mutation. This was followed by expression analysis of the candidate gene. RESULTS: In an extended multigenerational family with six affected individuals, a single novel disease locus was identified on chromosome 12p13.31-p13.2. Within that locus, the only deleterious novel exomic variant was a homozygous truncating mutation in NECAP1, encoding a clathrin-accessory protein. The mutation was confirmed to trigger nonsense-mediated decay. Consistent with previous reports, we show that NECAP1 is highly enriched in the central nervous system. CONCLUSIONS: NECAP1 is known to regulate clathrin-mediated endocytosis in synapses. The mutation we report here links for the first time this trafficking pathway in early infantile epileptic encephalopathy.
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Subunidades alfa do Complexo de Proteínas Adaptadoras/genética , Proteínas de Membrana/genética , Mutação/genética , Espasmos Infantis/genética , Animais , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Encéfalo/patologia , Criança , Análise Mutacional de DNA , Família , Evolução Fatal , Feminino , Loci Gênicos/genética , Homozigoto , Humanos , Lactente , Masculino , Camundongos , LinhagemRESUMO
Genes disrupted in human microcephaly (meaning "small brain") define key regulators of neural progenitor proliferation and cell-fate specification. In comparison, genes mutated in human lissencephaly (lissos means smooth and cephalos means brain) highlight critical regulators of neuronal migration. Here, we report two families with extreme microcephaly and grossly simplified cortical gyral structure, a condition referred to as microlissencephaly, and show that they carry homozygous frameshift mutations in NDE1, which encodes a multidomain protein that localizes to the centrosome and mitotic spindle poles. Both human mutations in NDE1 truncate the C-terminal NDE1domains, which are essential for interactions with cytoplasmic dynein and thus for regulation of cytoskeletal dynamics in mitosis and for cell-cycle-dependent phosphorylation of NDE1 by Cdk1. We show that the patient NDE1 proteins are unstable, cannot bind cytoplasmic dynein, and do not localize properly to the centrosome. Additionally, we show that CDK1 phosphorylation at T246, which is within the C-terminal region disrupted by the mutations, is required for cell-cycle progression from the G2 to the M phase. The role of NDE1 in cell-cycle progression probably contributes to the profound neuronal proliferation defects evident in Nde1-null mice and patients with NDE1 mutations, demonstrating the essential role of NDE1 in human cerebral cortical neurogenesis.
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Mutação da Fase de Leitura , Lisencefalia/genética , Microcefalia/genética , Proteínas Associadas aos Microtúbulos/genética , Animais , Proteína Quinase CDC2/metabolismo , Diferenciação Celular , Linhagem Celular , Movimento Celular , Centrossomo/metabolismo , Córtex Cerebral/embriologia , Córtex Cerebral/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Ligação Genética , Homozigoto , Humanos , Lactente , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Knockout , Neurônios/citologia , Fosforilação , Estabilidade Proteica , Fuso Acromático/metabolismo , TransfecçãoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Intellectual disability (ID) is one of the most common forms of disability worldwide, displaying a wide range of aetiologies and affecting nearly 2% of the global population. OBJECTIVE: To describe a novel autosomal recessive form of ID with strabismus and its underlying aetiology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Autozygosity mapping, linkage analysis and exome sequencing were performed in a large multiplex consanguineous family that segregates ID and strabismus. Exome sequencing was independently performed in three other consanguineous families segregating the same disease. Direct sequencing of the resulting candidate gene was performed in four additional families with the same phenotype. RESULTS: A single missense mutation was identified in ADAT3 in all studied families on an ancient ancestral haplotype. This gene encodes one of two eukaryotic proteins that are necessary for the deamination of adenosine at position 34 to inosine in t-RNA. Our results show the first human mutation in the t-RNA editing machinery and expand the landscape of pathways involved in the pathogenesis of ID.
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Adenosina Desaminase/genética , Deficiência Intelectual/genética , RNA de Transferência/genética , Estrabismo/genética , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Sequência de Bases , Estudos de Coortes , Consanguinidade , Exoma/genética , Feminino , Genes Recessivos , Ligação Genética , Haplótipos , Homozigoto , Humanos , Masculino , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Mutação , Linhagem , RNA de Transferência/metabolismoRESUMO
Background: Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere (BVVL) syndrome is an extremely rare autosomal recessive progressive motoneuron disease that is caused by a defect in the riboflavin transporter genes SLC52A2 and SLC52A3. BVVL syndrome has a variable age of presentation, and it is characterized by progressive auditory neuropathy, bulbar palsy, stridor, muscle weakness, and respiratory compromise secondary to diaphragmatic and vocal cord paralysis. BVVL syndrome has a poor prognosis in the absence of treatment, including morbidity with quadriparesis and sensorineural hearing loss, with mortality in the younger age group. Early administration of riboflavin is associated with prolonged survival, low morbidity, and reversal of some clinical manifestations. Case presentation: We describe an 18-month-old male infant with progressive pontobulbar palsy, loss of developmental milestones, and a clinical picture suggestive of chronic inflammatory demyelinating neuropathy. A nerve conduction study revealed axonal neuropathy, while molecular analysis revealed a homozygous mutation in one of the riboflavin transporter genes, SLC52A3, confirming BVVL syndrome. The patient needed long-term respiratory support and a gastrostomy tube to support feeding. With high-dose riboflavin supplementation, he experienced moderate recovery of motor function. Conclusion: This report highlights the importance of considering BVVL syndrome in any patient who presents with the clinical phenotype of pontobulbar palsy and peripheral axonal neuropathy, as early riboflavin treatment may improve or halt disease progression, thus reducing the associated mortality and morbidity.
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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the utility of autozygome analysis and exome sequencing in a cohort of patients with suspected or confirmed mitochondrial encephalomyopathy. METHODS: Autozygome was used to highlight candidate genes for direct sequencing in 10 probands, all born to consanguineous parents. Autozygome was also used to filter the variants from exome sequencing of four probands. RESULTS: In addition to revealing mutations in known mitochondrial genes, the analysis revealed the identification of two novel candidate disease genes: MFF and FARS2, encoding the mitochondrial fission factor and phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase, respectively. INTERPRETATION: These findings expand the repertoire of genes that are mutated in patients with mitochondrial disorders and highlight the value of integrating genomic approaches in the evaluation of these patients.
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Genômica , Doenças Mitocondriais/genética , Encéfalo/patologia , Consanguinidade , Exoma , Feminino , Genótipo , Humanos , Masculino , Proteínas de Membrana/genética , Mitocôndrias/patologia , Mitocôndrias/ultraestrutura , Doenças Mitocondriais/diagnóstico , Encefalomiopatias Mitocondriais/genética , Encefalomiopatias Mitocondriais/patologia , Proteínas Mitocondriais/genética , Mutação , Linhagem , Fenótipo , Análise de Sequência de DNARESUMO
BACKGROUND: Despite the high consanguinity rates, data on genetic epilepsy in Saudi Arabia is limited. The objective of the current study was to characterize genetic mutations associated with epilepsy in pediatric patients and describe their phenotypic presentations. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted among children presented with epilepsy in one center in Saudi Arabia between 2015 and 2018. Only those who had undergone genetic testing were included. RESULTS: A total of 45 patients had positive whole-exome sequencing (WES) genetic testing with 37 mutations. Six mutations (SCN1A, DENND5A, KCNQ2, ACY1, SCN2A, and PCDH19) were repeated in 15 patients, with largely heterogeneous phenotypic presentations in patients with the same mutation. Several mutations are reported for the first time in Saudi Arabia. The median age at epilepsy onset was four months. Consanguineous parents and family history of epilepsy were frequent (31.8% and 33.3%, respectively). Developmental delay (44.4%), cognitive delay (42.2%), language delay (40.0%), behavioral features (28.9%), and microcephaly (20.0%) were frequent presentations. At initial diagnosis, 68.9% of EEG and 48.9% of brain MRI were abnormal. The most currently used antiseizure medications (ASMs) were levetiracetam (48.9%), topiramate (28.9%), and valproic acid (20.0%). Approximately 60% of the patients were controlled with (47.6%) or without (11.9%) ASMs, and three (7.1%) patients died. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple mutations among children with epilepsy are reported in one hospital in Saudi Arabia, with the majority reported for the first time. The current findings highlight the importance of doing genetic testing for the evaluation of childhood epilepsy.
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OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical features of developmental and/or epileptic encephalopathy with spike-and-wave activation in sleep (D/EE-SWAS), its electrographic characteristics, and etiology and to compare the effects of different treatment strategies on the outcomes using a Saudi Arabian database. METHODS: This multicenter study included children with D/EE-SWAS who were evaluated between 2010 and 2020 at 11 tertiary centers. Data were collected on their baseline clinical features, etiologies, and treatment modalities. Seizure reduction, spike-wave index, and cognitive state were examined as potential therapeutic outcomes. RESULTS: Ninety-one children were diagnosed with D/EE-SWAS, with a median age of 7 years (IQR: 3-5) and an almost equal sex distribution. The average age at which epilepsy was diagnosed was 3 years (IQR: 5-2). A genetic/metabolic etiology was found in 35.1% of the patients, and a structural etiology was found in 27.4%. Children with underlying genetic/metabolic diseases exhibited an earlier seizure onset (P = 0.001) than children with other etiologies. Benzodiazepines (76.6%) were the most common treatment, followed by steroids (51.9%). Sodium valproate (75%) was the most frequently used antiseizure medication, followed by levetiracetam (64.9%). Children with a later seizure onset were more likely to have better clinical responses (P = 0.046), EEG responses (P = 0.012), and cognitive outcomes (P = 0.006) than children with an earlier onset. Moreover, better seizure response and electrographic response were seen in patients with bilateral interictal discharges on the EEG than otherwise. Children had a higher likelihood of both clinical and electrographic improvement with combination therapy of benzodiazepines (P = 0.001) and steroids (P = 0.001) than with other therapies. SIGNIFICANCE: This study shows a higher prevalence of genetic/metabolic causes and suggests the superior efficacy of combination therapy with steroids and benzodiazepines in D/EE-SWAS. Prospective studies that strictly assess the treatment protocols and outcomes are needed.
Assuntos
Epilepsia Generalizada , Epilepsia , Criança , Humanos , Pré-Escolar , Arábia Saudita/epidemiologia , Estudos Prospectivos , Eletroencefalografia/métodos , Sono/fisiologia , Epilepsia/tratamento farmacológico , Epilepsia/epidemiologia , Epilepsia/etiologia , Convulsões , Benzodiazepinas , Esteroides , Estudos RetrospectivosRESUMO
Purpose and Background: To evaluate the electro-clinical manifestations and outcomes of children with absence epilepsy at a tertiary center in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This retrospective study reviewed the medical and EEG records of patients who were diagnosed to have CAE as per the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) definition for CAE. The study was conducted in the pediatric neurology clinic of King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between January 2000 and December 2019. Patients who did not meet (ILAE) criteria, lost follow-up, and those who did not receive treatment at KKUH were excluded. Data regarding the patient's disease, electro-clinical manifestations, anti-seizure medication response, and outcomes were collected. Results: A total of 35 patients, with an average age at diagnosis of 7 ± 2.1 y, were included in the study; among them, 51.4% were female and approximately 48.6% presented with a family history of epilepsy. Regarding clinical features, all patients experienced staring and altered awareness, 94.2% had less than 20 spells per day at the time of diagnosis, and 65.7% were provoked by the hyperventilation test. Regarding EEG findings, all patients had bilateral, symmetrical, and synchronous discharges in the form of regular 3 Hz spike-and-wave complexes, and 94.3% had a generalized initial ictal discharge. Also, 22.8% had eye fluttering with electrographic seizures. Ethosuximide (ESM) was used as the drug of choice in 45.7% of the patients. Regarding clinical outcomes, 94.3% had their disease clinically controlled, and 80% had a normalized EEG after few months of starting anti-seizure medication. Finally, 37.2% experienced complete remission of epilepsy after 3-5 y; however, one patient developed juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. Conclusion: This study described the electro-clinical manifestations of patients with childhood absence epilepsy and outcomes. Furthermore, early diagnosis and prompt treatment of childhood absence epilepsy improve treatment outcomes.
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IMPORTANCE: Hypermanganesemia with dystonia type 2 is a rare autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of previously acquired milestones, dystonia, parkinsonian features, a high serum manganese level, and characteristic neuroimaging findings such as bilateral and symmetrically increased T1 and decreased T2/fluid-attenuated inversion recovery signal intensity in the basal ganglia. This condition is secondary to a mutation in the SLC39A14 gene. OBJECTIVE: To present a series of three cases of hypermanganesemia with dystonia type 2, which was genetically confirmed secondary to a mutation in the SLC39A14 gene, and to describe the treatment and clinical course in these cases. DESIGN: A retrospective case series. SETTING: University, Tertiary hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Three unrelated pediatric patients with hypermanganesemia with dystonia type 2, genetically confirmed to be secondary to a mutation in the SLC39A14 gene. EXPOSURES: Chelation therapy using calcium disodium edetate. MAIN OUTCOME(S) AND MEASURE(S): The response to chelation therapy based on clinical improvements in motor and cognition developments. RESULTS: All three patients were started on chelation therapy using calcium disodium edetate, and two of them showed an improvement in their clinical course. The chelation therapy could alter the course of the disease and prevent deterioration in the clinical setting. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Early diagnosis and intervention with chelating agents, such as calcium disodium edetate, will help change the outcome in patients with hypermanganesemia with dystonia type 2. This finding highlights the importance of early diagnosis and treatment in improving the outcomes of patients with treatable neurodegenerative disorders.