Brain MR patterns in inherited disorders of monoamine neurotransmitters: An analysis of 70 patients.

Inherited monoamine neurotransmitter disorders (iMNDs) are rare disorders with clinical manifestations ranging from mild infantile hypotonia, movement disorders to early infantile severe encephalopathy. Neuroimaging has been reported as non-specific. We systematically analyzed brain MRIs in order to characterize and better understand neuroimaging changes and to re-evaluate the diagnostic role of brain MRI in iMNDs. 81 MRIs of 70 patients (0.1-52.9 years, 39 patients with tetrahydrobiopterin deficiencies, 31 with primary disorders of monoamine metabolism) were retrospectively analyzed and clinical records reviewed. 33/70 patients had MRI changes, most commonly atrophy (n = 24). Eight patients, six with dihydropteridine reductase deficiency (DHPR), had a common pattern of bilateral parieto-occipital and to a lesser extent frontal and/or cerebellar changes in arterial watershed zones. Two patients imaged after acute severe encephalopathy had signs of profound hypoxic-ischemic injury and a combination of deep gray matter and watershed injury (aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADCD), tyrosine hydroxylase deficiency (THD)). Four patients had myelination delay (AADCD; THD); two had changes characteristic of post-infantile onset neuronal disease (AADCD, monoamine oxidase A deficiency), and nine T2-hyperintensity of central tegmental tracts. iMNDs are associated with MRI patterns consistent with chronic effects of a neuronal disorder and signs of repetitive injury to cerebral and cerebellar watershed areas, in particular in DHPRD. These will be helpful in the (neuroradiological) differential diagnosis of children with unknown disorders and monitoring of iMNDs. We hypothesize that deficiency of catecholamines and/or tetrahydrobiopterin increase the incidence of and the CNS susceptibility to vascular dysfunction.

Celia's encephalopathy and c.974dupG in BSCL2 gene: a hidden change in a known variant.

Celia's encephalopathy (progressive encephalopathy with/without lipodystrophy (PELD)) is a childhood neurodegenerative disorder with a fatal prognosis before the age of 10, due to the variant c.985C>T in the BSCL2 gene that causes a cryptic splicing site leading to skipping of exon 7. For years, different authors have reported cases of congenital generalized lipodystrophy due to the variant c.974dupG in BSCL2 associated with neurological manifestations of variable severity, although some of them clearly superimposable to PELD. To identify the molecular mechanisms responsible for these neurological alterations in two patients with c.974dupG. Clinical characterization, biochemistry, and neuroimaging studies of two girls carrying this variant. In silico analysis, PCR amplification, and BSCL2 cDNA sequencing. BSCL2-201 transcript expression, which lacks exon 7, by qPCR in fibroblasts from the index case, from a healthy child as a control and from two patients with PELD, and in leukocytes from the index case and her parents. One with a severe encephalopathy including a picture of intellectual deficiency, severe language impairment, myoclonic epilepsy, and lipodystrophy as described in PELD, dying at 9 years and 9 months of age. The other 2-year-old patient showed incipient signs of neurological involvement. In silico and cDNA sequencing studies showed that variant c.974dupG gives rise to skipping of exon 7. The expression of BSCL2-201 in fibroblasts was significantly higher in the index case than in the healthy child, although less than in the case with homozygous PELD due to c.985C>T variant. The expression of this transcript was approximately half in the healthy carrier parents of this patient. The c.974dupG variant leads to the skipping of exon 7 of the BSCL2 gene and is responsible for a variant of Celia's encephalopathy, with variable phenotypic expression.

Larger aggregates of mutant seipin in Celia's Encephalopathy, a new protein misfolding neurodegenerative disease.

Celia's Encephalopathy (MIM #615924) is a recently discovered fatal neurodegenerative syndrome associated with a new BSCL2 mutation (c.985C>T) that results in an aberrant isoform of seipin (Celia seipin). This mutation is lethal in both homozygosity and compounded heterozygosity with a lipodystrophic BSCL2 mutation, resulting in a progressive encephalopathy with fatal outcomes at ages 6-8. Strikingly, heterozygous carriers are asymptomatic, conflicting with the gain of toxic function attributed to this mutation. Here we report new key insights about the molecular pathogenic mechanism of this new syndrome. Intranuclear inclusions containing mutant seipin were found in brain tissue from a homozygous patient suggesting a pathogenic mechanism similar to other neurodegenerative diseases featuring brain accumulation of aggregated, misfolded proteins. Sucrose gradient distribution showed that mutant seipin forms much larger aggregates as compared with wild type (wt) seipin, indicating an impaired oligomerization. On the other hand, the interaction between wt and Celia seipin confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation (CoIP) assays, together with the identification of mixed oligomers in sucrose gradient fractionation experiments can explain the lack of symptoms in heterozygous carriers. We propose that the increased aggregation and subsequent impaired oligomerization of Celia seipin leads to cell death. In heterozygous carriers, wt seipin might prevent the damage caused by mutant seipin through its sequestration into harmless mixed oligomers.

Array CGH detection of a novel cryptic deletion at 3q13 in a complex chromosome rearrangement.

Complex chromosome rearrangements (CCRs) are extremely rare in humans. About 20% of the apparently balanced CCRs have an abnormal phenotype and the degree of severity correlates with a higher number of breakpoints. Several studies using FISH and microarray technologies have shown that deletions in the breakpoints are common although duplications, insertions and inversions have also been detected. We report a patient with two simultaneous reciprocal translocations, t(3;4) and t(2;14;18), involving five chromosomes and six breakpoints. He showed dysmorphic features, preaxial polydactyly in the left hand, brachydactyly, postnatal growth retardation and developmental delay. The rearrangement was characterized by FISH analysis which detected an interstitial segment from chromosome 14 inserted in the derivative chromosome 2, and by whole genome array which revealed an interstitial deletion of approximately 4.5 Mb at the breakpoint site on chromosome 3. To our knowledge this microdeletion has not been previously reported and includes ~12 genes. The haploinsufficiency of one or several of these genes is likely to have contributed to the clinical phenotype of the patient.

A new seipin-associated neurodegenerative syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Seipin/BSCL2 mutations can cause type 2 congenital generalised lipodystrophy (BSCL) or dominant motor neurone diseases. Type 2 BSCL is frequently associated with some degree of intellectual impairment, but not to fatal neurodegeneration. In order to unveil the aetiology and pathogenetic mechanisms of a new neurodegenerative syndrome associated with a novel BSCL2 mutation, six children, four of them showing the BSCL features, were studied. METHODS: Mutational and splicing analyses of BSCL2 were performed. The brain of two of these children was examined postmortem. Relative expression of BSCL2 transcripts was analysed by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in different tissues of the index case and controls. Overexpressed mutated seipin in HeLa cells was analysed by immunofluorescence and western blotting. RESULTS: Two patients carried a novel homozygous c.985C>T mutation, which appeared in the other four patients in compound heterozygosity. Splicing analysis showed that the c.985C>T mutation causes an aberrant splicing site leading to skipping of exon 7. Expression of exon 7-skipping transcripts was very high with respect to that of the non-skipped transcripts in all the analysed tissues of the index case. Neuropathological studies showed severe neurone loss, astrogliosis and intranuclear ubiquitin(+) aggregates in neurones from multiple cortical regions and in the caudate nucleus. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that exon 7 skipping in the BSCL2 gene due to the c.985C>T mutation is responsible for a novel early onset, fatal neurodegenerative syndrome involving cerebral cortex and basal ganglia.

iPSC-based modeling of THD recapitulates disease phenotypes and reveals neuronal malformation.

Tyrosine hydroxylase deficiency (THD) is a rare genetic disorder leading to dopaminergic depletion and early-onset Parkinsonism. Affected children present with either a severe form that does not respond to L-Dopa treatment (THD-B) or a milder L-Dopa responsive form (THD-A). We generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from THD patients that were differentiated into dopaminergic neurons (DAn) and compared with control-DAn from healthy individuals and gene-corrected isogenic controls. Consistent with patients, THD iPSC-DAn displayed lower levels of DA metabolites and reduced TH expression, when compared to controls. Moreover, THD iPSC-DAn showed abnormal morphology, including reduced total neurite length and neurite arborization defects, which were not evident in DAn differentiated from control-iPSC. Treatment of THD-iPSC-DAn with L-Dopa rescued the neuronal defects and disease phenotype only in THDA-DAn. Interestingly, L-Dopa treatment at the stage of neuronal precursors could prevent the alterations in THDB-iPSC-DAn, thus suggesting the existence of a critical developmental window in THD. Our iPSC-based model recapitulates THD disease phenotypes and response to treatment, representing a promising tool for investigating pathogenic mechanisms, drug screening, and personalized management.

Juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis: clinical course and genetic studies in Spanish patients.

BACKGROUND: Juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL, NCL3, Batten disease) is usually caused by a 1.02-kb deletion in the CLN3 gene. Mutations in the CLN1 gene may be associated with a variant form of JNCL (vJNCL). We report the clinical course and molecular studies in 24 patients with JNCL collected from 1975 to 2010 with the aim of assessing the natural history of the disorder and phenotype/genotype correlations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were classified into the groups of vJNCL with mutations in the CLN1 gene and/or granular osmiophilic deposit (GROD) inclusion bodies (n = 11) and classic JNCL (cJNCL) with mutations in the CLN3 gene and/or fingerprint (FP) profiles (n = 13). Psychomotor impairment included regression of acquired skills, cognitive decline, and clinical manifestations of the disease. We used Kaplan-Meier analyses to estimate the age of onset of psychomotor impairment. RESULTS: Patients with vJNCL showed learning delay at an earlier age (median 4 years, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.1-4.8) than those in the cJNCL group (median 8 years, 95% CI 6.2-9.7) (P = 0.001) and regression of acquired skills at a younger age. Patients with vJNCL showed a more severe and progressive clinical course than those with cJNCL. There may be a Gypsy ancestry for V181L missense mutation in the CLN1 gene. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of disease progression may be useful to diagnose vJNCL or cJNCL, which should be confirmed by molecular studies in CLN1/CLN3 genes. Further studies of genotype/phenotype correlation will be helpful for understanding the pathogenesis of this disease.

Celia's Encephalopathy (BSCL2-Gene-Related): Current Understanding.

Seipin, encoded by the BSCL2 gene, is a protein that in humans is expressed mainly in the central nervous system. Uniquely, certain variants in BSCL2 can cause both generalized congenital lipodystrophy type 2, upper and/or lower motor neuron diseases, or progressive encephalopathy, with a poor prognosis during childhood. The latter, Celia's encephalopathy, which may or may not be associated with generalized lipodystrophy, is caused by the c.985C >T variant. This cytosine to thymine transition creates a cryptic splicing zone that leads to intronization of exon 7, resulting in an aberrant form of seipin, Celia seipin. It has been proposed that the accumulation of this protein, both in the endoplasmic reticulum and in the nucleus of neurons, might be the pathogenetic mechanism of this neurodegenerative condition. In recent years, other variants in BSCL2 associated with generalized lipodystrophy and progressive epileptic encephalopathy have been reported. Interestingly, most of these variants could also lead to the loss of exon 7. In this review, we analyzed the molecular bases of Celia's encephalopathy and its pathogenic mechanisms, the clinical features of the different variants, and a therapeutic approach in order to slow down the progression of this fatal neurological disorder.

Association of metreleptin treatment and dietary intervention with neurological outcomes in Celia's encephalopathy.

Celia's encephalopathy (progressive encephalopathy with/without lipodystrophy, PELD) is a recessive neurodegenerative disease that is fatal in childhood. It is caused by a c.985C>T variant in the BSCL2/seipin gene that results in an aberrant seipin protein. We evaluated neurological development before and during treatment with human recombinant leptin (metreleptin) plus a dietary intervention rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the only living patient. A 7 years and 10 months old girl affected by PELD was treated at age 3 years with metreleptin, adding at age 6 omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. Her mental age was evaluated using the Battelle Developmental Inventory Screening Test (BDI), and brain PET/MRI was performed before treatment and at age 5, 6.5, and 7.5 years. At age 7.5 years, the girl remains alive and leads a normal life for her mental age of 30 months, which increased by 4 months over the last 18 months according to BDI. PET images showed improved glucose uptake in the thalami, cerebellum, and brainstem. This patient showed a clear slowdown in neurological regression during leptin replacement plus a high PUFA diet. The aberrant BSCL2 transcript was overexpressed in SH-SY5Y cells and was treated with docosahexaenoic acid (200 µM) plus leptin (0.001 mg/ml) for 24 h. The relative expression of aberrant BSCL2 transcript was measured by qPCR. In vitro studies showed significant reduction (32%) in aberrant transcript expression. This therapeutic approach should be further studied in this devastating disease.

[Level of training in autistic spectrum disorders among hospital paediatricians]. / Nivel formativo sobre trastornos del espectro autista (TEA) entre los pediatras de atención hospitalaria.

BACKGROUND: Training in autistic spectrum disorders is crucial in order to achieve an early diagnosis. However, the number of papers describing this training is limited. This study describes this level of knowledge among paediatricians from tertiary care hospitals in different regions of Spain and detects areas that need improvement. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A total of one hundred and fifty-seven (157) paediatricians working in tertiary healthcare hospitals located in three different regions in Spain consented to complete an online questionnaire divided in three sections (socio-demographic, knowledge about childhood autism, and opinion). Data were analysed using SPSS version 15. RESULTS: The total mean score of participating paediatricians in the questionnaire was 20.34 (± 2.43 SD) out of a total possible score of 23. Approximately two-thirds (65%) of paediatricians scored more or equal to the mean score. The knowledge gap was found to be higher with symptoms of repetitive behaviour patterns, concept of autism, and comorbidity, with no statistical significance. There were no differences in paediatrician scores within different socio-demographic groups. Just under two-thirds (64%) of paediatricians subscribed to the opinion that their own knowledge about autism is limited, and there is a significant lack of knowledge about facilities in every region. CONCLUSIONS: There is a sufficient level of knowledge about autism among paediatricians in tertiary healthcare, although a lack of awareness about the management of these patients, with poor coordination between the different specialists that are involved in their treatment. Efforts should focus on achieving a better coordination between these specialists, and update the knowledge gaps identified.

Skipped BSCL2 Transcript in Celia's Encephalopathy (PELD): New Insights on Fatty Acids Involvement, Senescence and Adipogenesis.

OBJECTIVE: PELD (Progressive Encephalopathy with or without Lipodystrophy or Celia's Encephalopathy) is a fatal and rare neurodegenerative syndrome associated with the BSCL2 mutation c.985C>T, that results in an aberrant transcript without the exon 7 (Celia seipin). The aim of this study was to evaluate both the process of cellular senescence and the effect of unsaturated fatty acids on preadipocytes from a homozygous c.985C>T patient. Also, the role of aberrant seipin isoform on adipogenesis was studied in adipose-derived human mesenchymal stem cells. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cellular senescence was evaluated using ß-galactosidase staining of preadipocytes obtained from a homozygous c.985C>T patient. Moreover, these cells were cultured during 24 hours with Intralipid, a soybean oil-based commercial lipid emulsion. The expression of the different BSCL2 transcripts was measured by qPCR. Adipose-derived human mesenchymal stem cells were differentiated to a fat lineage using StemPRO adipogenesis kit, and the expression of BSCL2 transcripts and several adipogenesis-related genes was measured by qPCR. RESULTS: the treatment of preadipocytes with unsaturated fatty acids significantly reduced the expression of the BSCL2 transcript without exon 7 by 34 to 63%. On the other hand, at least in preadipocytes, this mutation does not disturb cellular senescence rate. Finally, during adipocyte differentiation of adipose-derived human mesenchymal stem cells, the expression of adipogenic genes (PPARG, LPIN1, and LPL) increased significantly over 14 days, and noteworthy is that the BSCL2 transcript without exon 7 was differentially expressed by 332 to 723% when compared to day 0, suggesting an underlying role in adipogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: our results suggest that Celia seipin is probably playing an underestimated role in adipocyte maturation, but not in senescence, and its expression can be modified by exogenous factors as fatty acids.

[Neurological complications in the population of children with leukaemia]. / Complicaciones neurológicas en población infantil con leucemia.

INTRODUCTION: Leukaemia is the most frequent type of cancer at the paediatric age. The cure rate is 80% with intensive chemotherapy, which improves survival but also often increases the frequency of adverse side effects, including those of a neurological nature. AIMS: To describe the frequency and characteristics of the neurological complications (NC) in patients with acute lymphoid leukaemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), as well as to identify factors associated to their presence, neurological morbidity and survival rate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted of the NC present in patients with ALL and AML between 1997 and 2012 treated and followed up by the child onco-haematology unit. The following variables were analysed: demographic data, oncological diagnosis, treatment and NC. RESULTS: Altogether 157 patients were included, 145 without infiltration of the central nervous system at diagnosis and eight with infiltration (rate of NC of 14% and 12%, respectively). The most frequent NC were: neuropathies (31%), altered levels of consciousness (27%), convulsions (22%) and headache (12%). Forty per cent of the patients with NC presented sequelae but none of them died as a consequence of the NC. More NC were detected in the age group of children aged under 6 years with high-degree ALL, at higher levels of severity and in patients who had received a haematopoietic stem-cell transplant, all of them with statistically significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Neurological complications are common in patients with acute leukaemia, especially in those at a high-risk stage (above all if they are under the age of 6 years) and with haematopoietic stem-cell transplant. The associated mortality rate is low.

TITLE: Complicaciones neurologicas en poblacion infantil con leucemia.Introduccion. La leucemia es el cancer mas frecuente en edad pediatrica. Su tasa de curacion es del 80% con quimioterapia intensiva, que mejora la supervivencia, pero que tambien aumenta la frecuencia de efectos adversos, incluyendo los neurologicos. Objetivos. Describir la frecuencia y caracteristicas de las complicaciones neurologicas (CN) en pacientes con leucemia aguda linfoide (LAL) y leucemia aguda mieloide (LAM), e identificar los factores asociados a su presencia, la tasa de morbilidad neurologica y la supervivencia. Pacientes y metodos. Estudio retrospectivo de las CN presentes durante el tratamiento y seguimiento de los pacientes con LAL y LAM entre 1997 y 2012 por la unidad de oncohematologia infantil. Variables analizadas: datos demograficos, diagnostico oncologico, tratamiento y CN. Resultados. Se incluyo un total de 157 pacientes, 145 sin infiltracion de sistema nervioso central al diagnostico y ocho con infiltracion (tasa de CN del 14 y 12%, respectivamente). Las CN mas frecuentes fueron: neuropatias (31%), alteracion del nivel de conciencia (27%), convulsiones (22%) y cefalea (12%). Un 40% de los pacientes con CN ha presentado secuelas, pero ninguno ha fallecido como consecuencia de la CN. Se han detectado mas CN en el grupo de edad menor de 6 años con LAL de alto grado, en niveles de gravedad mas altos y en pacientes que habian recibido trasplante de precursores hematopoyeticos, todas ellas con diferencias estadisticamente significativas. Conclusiones. Las complicaciones neurologicas son frecuentes en los pacientes con leucemia aguda, en especial en aquellos con estadio de riesgo alto (sobre todo si son menores de 6 años) y trasplante de precursores hematopoyeticos. La mortalidad asociada es baja.

[Hirayama disease in paediatrics: a clinical case report and review of the literature]. / Enfermedad de Hirayama en pediatría: aportación de un caso clínico y revisión de la bibliografía.

INTRODUCTION: Hirayama disease is a rare children's muscular atrophy that affects young Asian males, with muscular atrophy usually in one of the upper limbs that progresses slowly and later stabilises. It is diagnosed by means of electromyographic/electroneurographic with conduction speed studies (EMG/ENG-CS) and by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spinal cord in a neutral position and with cervical flexion. Treatment is based on the cervical collar and surgery (severe cases). Very few studies have been conducted on patients at the paediatric age. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 7-year-old girl with atrophy of the muscles of the left hand and forearm, and a disease history of two years. The EMG/ENG-CS scans presented signs of very severe chronic denervation in the myotomes of C7, C8 and T1 on the left side, with conservation of the amplitudes of sensory evoked potentials, consistent with cervical myelopathy. Results of an MRI scan of the cervical spinal cord in a neutral position were normal at that level. Later, owing to suspicions pointing towards Hirayama disease, a new MRI scan of the cervical spinal cord was performed in a neutral position and in flexion. This second scan showed asymmetry in the size and morphology of the anterior funiculi of the spinal cord at C6/C7, hypersignal in the homolateral anterior horn and ingurgitation of the posterior epidural venous plexus. With a diagnosis of Hirayama disease, treatment is started with a cervical collar in order to prevent the damage from getting worse. CONCLUSIONS: This case of Hirayama disease is peculiar due to its epidemiological characteristics and is presented here with the aim of making this entity more widely known in our milieu. If diagnosed at an early stage, treatment is effective, and the studies conducted on children at the paediatric age are reviewed.

TITLE: Enfermedad de Hirayama en pediatria: aportacion de un caso clinico y revision de la bibliografia.Introduccion. La enfermedad de Hirayama es una rara atrofia muscular juvenil que afecta a varones jovenes de origen asiatico, con atrofia muscular habitualmente de una de las extremidades superiores de progresion lenta con estabilizacion posterior. Se diagnostica por estudios electromiograficos/electroneurograficos con velocidad de conduccion (EMG/ENG-VC), y por resonancia magnetica (RM) medular en posicion neutra y en flexion cervical. El tratamiento se basa en el collarin cervical y cirugia (casos graves). Son muy pocos los estudios realizados en edad pediatrica. Caso clinico. Niña de 7 años, con atrofia de la musculatura de la mano y el antebrazo izquierdos, de dos años de evolucion. En EMG/ENG-VC presenta signos de denervacion cronica muy grave en los miotomos correspondientes a C7, C8 y D1 izquierdos, con conservacion de amplitudes de potenciales sensitivos evocados, congruentes con mielopatia cervical. La RM medular cervical en posicion neutra muestra un resultado normal en ese nivel. Posteriormente, por la sospecha dirigida de enfermedad de Hirayama, se realiza una nueva RM medular cervical en posicion neutra y en flexion, que muestra asimetria en el tamaño y morfologia de los cordones anteriores medulares en C6/C7, hiperseñal en el asta anterior homolateral e ingurgitacion del plexo venoso epidural posterior. Con el diagnostico de enfermedad de Hirayama se inicia tratamiento con collarin cervical para evitar la progresion del daño. Conclusiones. Se presenta un caso de enfermedad de Hirayama peculiar por las caracteristicas epidemiologicas, con la finalidad de difundir esta entidad en nuestro medio, cuyo diagnostico precoz permite un tratamiento eficaz, y se revisan los estudios realizados en edad pediatrica.

Recombinant human leptin treatment in genetic lipodystrophic syndromes: the long-term Spanish experience.

Lipodystrophies are a group of diseases mainly characterized by a loss of adipose tissue and frequently associated with insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridemia, and hepatic steatosis. In uncommon lipodystrophies, these complications frequently are difficult to control with conventional therapeutic approaches. This retrospective study addressed the effectiveness of recombinant methionyl leptin (metreleptin) for improving glucose metabolism, lipid profile, and hepatic steatosis in patients with genetic lipodystrophic syndromes. We studied nine patients (five females and four males) with genetic lipodystrophies [seven with Berardinelli-Seip syndrome, one with atypical progeroid syndrome, and one with type 2 familial partial lipodystrophy (FPLD)]. Six patients were children under age 9 years, and all patients had baseline triglycerides levels >2.26 mmol/L and hepatic steatosis; six had poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. Metreleptin was self-administered subcutaneously daily at a final dose that ranged between 0.05 and 0.24 mg/(kg day) [median: 0.08 mg/(kg day)] according to the body weight. The duration of treatment ranged from 9 months to 5 years, 9 months (median: 3 years). Plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1c (Hb A1c), lipid profile, plasma insulin and leptin, and hepatic enzymes were evaluated at baseline and at least every 6 months. Except for the patient with FPLD, metreleptin replacement significantly improved metabolic control (Hb A1c: from 10.4 to 7.1 %, p < 0.05). Plasma triglycerides were reduced 76 % on average, and hepatic enzymes decreased more than 65 %. This study extends knowledge about metreleptin replacement in genetic lipodystrophies, bearing out its effectiveness for long periods of time.

Pseudodominant inheritance of Langer mesomelic dysplasia caused by a SHOX homeobox missense mutation.

We report the clinical and molecular analysis in a consanguineous family in which the skeletal dysplasias Léri-Weill dyschondrosteosis (LWD) and Langer mesomelic dysplasia (LMD) both segregate. A newborn male and his mother, both with Langer mesomelic dysplasia, are described. A homozygous SHOX homeobox point mutation, C517T, was identified by direct sequencing in the proband and his mother. The same mutation was present in the heterozygous state in the proband's father and in the maternal grandmother, both of whom had features of LWD. This C to T transition is predicted to cause an arginine to cysteine amino acid change in a highly conserved region of the recognition helix of the homeodomain, which may reduce the stability of the interaction between the SHOX protein and its target DNA. In addition, the mutation may disrupt a nuclear localization signal in SHOX. This is the first SHOX point mutation identified in a case of LMD, and the first case in which parent to child transmission of LMD has been described.

Infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis: follow-up on a Spanish series.

Infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (INCL; NCL1, Haltia-Santavuori disease) is caused by mutations in the CLN1/PPT gene which are associated with an early onset INCL phenotype. The most detailed descriptions of INCL have come from Finland and a few series have been reported from southern European countries. Clinical course and follow-up of six Spanish patients with INCL are reported with the aim of assessing the chronological evolution and severity of this disease. The age at disease onset ranged from 8 to 15 months. Delayed motor skills were the initial symptom when the disease began before 12 months of age, and ataxia was the first sign when the disease began later. Cognitive decline, which is described between 12 and 18 months of age, occurred from 16 to 20 months of age. In our series early stage is characterized by motor impairment, cognitive decline and autistic features. Visual failure may appear simultaneously with the neurological symptoms, leading quickly to blindness. As reported, psychomotor regression appeared between 2 and 3 years of age. Myoclonic jerks occurred after 24 months of age and epilepsy was the last symptom of the disease. We report two novel mutations in a patient without epilepsy to date and describe the features of two siblings homozygous for the V181M (c.541G>A) mutation, associated with the most severe INCL phenotype. The clinical evolution might be helpful to identify patients affected by this rare disease. Early diagnosis is essential in order to provide genetic counselling to affected families. Our series may contribute to the study of the genotype-phenotype INCL correlation in the Mediterranean countries.