Expanded clinical phenotype and untargeted metabolomics analysis in RARS2-related mitochondrial disorder: a case report.

BACKGROUND: RARS2-related mitochondrial disorder is an autosomal recessive mitochondrial encephalopathy caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in the gene encoding the mitochondrial arginyl-transfer RNA synthetase 2 (RARS2, MIM *611524, NM_020320.5). RARS2 catalyzes the transfer of L-arginine to its cognate tRNA during the translation of mitochondrially-encoded proteins. The classical presentation of RARS2-related mitochondrial disorder includes pontocerebellar hypoplasia (PCH), progressive microcephaly, profound developmental delay, feeding difficulties, and hypotonia. Most patients also develop severe epilepsy by three months of age, which consists of focal or generalized seizures that frequently become pharmacoresistant and lead to developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE). CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we describe a six-year-old boy with developmental delay, hypotonia, and failure to thrive who developed an early-onset DEE consistent with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS), which has not previously been observed in this disorder. He had dysmorphic features including bilateral macrotia, overriding second toes, a depressed nasal bridge, retrognathia, and downslanting palpebral fissures, and he did not demonstrate progressive microcephaly. Whole genome sequencing identified two variants in RARS2, c.36 + 1G > T, a previously unpublished variant that is predicted to affect splicing and is, therefore, likely pathogenic and c.419 T > G (p.Phe140Cys), a known pathogenic variant. He exhibited significant, progressive generalized brain atrophy and ex vacuo dilation of the supratentorial ventricular system on brain MRI and did not demonstrate PCH. Treatment with a ketogenic diet (KD) reduced seizure frequency and enabled him to make developmental progress. Plasma untargeted metabolomics analysis showed increased levels of lysophospholipid and sphingomyelin-related metabolites. CONCLUSIONS: Our work expands the clinical spectrum of RARS2-related mitochondrial disorder, demonstrating that patients can present with dysmorphic features and an absence of progressive microcephaly, which can help guide the diagnosis of this condition. Our case highlights the importance of appropriate seizure phenotyping in this condition and indicates that patients can develop LGS, for which a KD may be a viable therapeutic option. Our work further suggests that analytes of phospholipid metabolism may serve as biomarkers of mitochondrial dysfunction.

Trichohepatoenteric syndrome type 1: expanding the clinical spectrum of THES type 1 due to a homozygous variant in the SKIC3 gene.

Trichohepatoenteric syndrome (THES), also known as phenotypic diarrhea or syndromic diarrhea, is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder caused by mutations in SKIC2 (THES-type 2) or SKIC3 (THES-type 1) and is characterized by early onset diarrhea, woolly brittle hair, facial dysmorphic features and liver disease. We report the case of a 24-month-old girl who presented with chronic diarrhea since the neonatal period along with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), developmental delay, dysmorphic features, congenital heart defects, liver disease, and recurrent infections. The diagnosis was made through whole-exome sequencing analysis, which detected a homozygous variant (c.4070del, p.Pro1357Leufs*10) in the SKIC3 gene. The patient required parenteral nutrition and was hospitalized for the first 10 months of life and then discharged on PN after showing improvement. She remained stable on PN after discharge despite a few admissions for central line infections. Recent follow-up at the age of 2 years revealed that she was stable on long-term parenteral nutrition and that she had advanced chronic liver disease.

Isocromosoma 18q en mosaico: caso clínico / Mosaic Isochromosome 18q: case-report

Background: The Isochromosome 18q and chromosome 18 short arm deletion (18p-) constitute structural anomalies that are reported with certain frequency in the literature. However, the association of both abnormalities in a patient is very uncommon. Objective: Description of a clinical case of Isochromosome 18 with emphasys in the few phenotypic manifestations. Case-report: Female infant 18 months-old, with short stature, minor dysmorphic features and a slight psychomotor developmental delay, whose chromosomal study in peripheral blood showed a chromosomal mosaicism with two cell lines: chromosome 18 long arm isochromosome and deletion of chromosome 18 short arm. The chromosomal analysis of both parents did not show numerical neither morphological alterations. Discussion: This case illustrates the importance of requesting a karyotype in patients with small stature, dysmorphic features and/or malformations. The patient clinical features are compared with other similar cases described in the literature. The coexistence of both structural abnormalities (mosaicism) is extremely uncommon.

Introducción: El Isocromoma 18q y la deleción del brazo corto del cromosoma 18 (18p-), son anomalías estructurales que se reportan con cierta frecuencia en la literatura. Sin embargo, la asociación de ambas alteraciones en una misma paciente es muy infrecuente. Objetivo: Descripción de un caso clínico de Isocromosoma 18 con énfasis en la escasas manifestaciones fenotípicas. Caso Clínico: Lactante femenino de 18 meses de edad portador de talla baja, dismorfias menores y un leve retraso del desarrollo sicomotor, cuyo estudio cromosómico en sangre periférica mostró un mosaico compuesto por un isocromosoma del brazo largo del cromosoma 18 y otro cromosoma 18 con deleción del brazo p. El análisis cromosómico de ambos padres no mostró alteraciones numéricas ni morfológicas. Discusión: Este caso ilustra la importancia de solicitar un cariograma en pacientes con talla baja, dismorfias y/o malformaciones. Se describen las malformaciones encontradas y se compara con otros casos similares descritos en la literatura. La alteración estructural en mosaico reportada es sumamente infrecuente.