Recurrent "outsider" intronic variation in the SLC5A6 gene causes severe mixed axonal and demyelinating neuropathy, cyclic vomiting and optic atrophy in 3 families from Maghreb.

Sodium dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT) deficiency is a very rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by multisystemic clinical manifestations due to combined biotin, panthotenic acid and lipoic acid deficiency. About 10 families have been described so far. Accurate diagnosis is crucial because of the possibility of a supplementation treatment with proven efficacy. Here we describe 4 new patients (3 additional families) originating from the same world region (Algeria, Maghreb). All patients, born form consanguineous parents, were homozygous carriers of the same intronic variation, outside of canonical sites, in the SLC5A6 gene encoding SMVT. RNA study in one family allowed confirming the pathogenic effect of the variation and re-classifying this variant of uncertain significance as pathogenic, opening the possibility of genetic counseling and treatment. The identification of the same variation in three distinct and apparently unrelated families is suggestive of a founder effect. The phenotype of all patients was very similar, with systematic optic atrophy (initially considered as a very rare sign), severe cyclic vomiting, and rapidly progressive mixed axonal and demyelinating sensory motor neuropathy.

Inherited or acquired modifiers of iron status may dramatically affect the phenotype in dehydrated hereditary stomatocytosis.

Severe iron overload is frequent in dehydrated hereditary stomatocytosis (DHSt) despite well-compensated hemolysis and no or little transfusion requirement. We investigated 4 patients with proven DHSt, in whom the degree of hemolysis was closely related to iron status. Genetic modifiers increasing iron stores (HFE:pCys282Tyr, HAMP:c-153C>T mutations) were accompanied with high liver iron concentrations and increased hemolysis, whereas therapeutic phlebotomies alleviated the hemolytic phenotype. There were no manifestations of hemolysis in one patient with low iron stores. Hemolysis reappeared when iron supplementation was given. The search for genetic or acquired modifiers of iron status and the modulation of iron stores may help in the management of these patients.

Fanconi syndrome and severe polyuria: an uncommon clinicobiological presentation of a Gitelman syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Gitelman syndrome is an autosomal recessive tubulopathy characterized by hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, metabolic alkalosis and hypocalciuria. The majority of patients do not present with symptoms until late childhood or adulthood, and the symptoms are generally mild. We report here the first case of Gitelman syndrome presenting with the biological features of Fanconi syndrome and an early polyuria since the neonatal period. We discuss in this article the atypical electrolytes losses found in our patient, as well as the possible mechanisms of severe polyuria. CASE PRESENTATION: A 6-year-old Caucasian girl was admitted via the Emergency department for vomiting, and initial laboratory investigations found hyponatremia, hypokalemia, metabolic acidosis with normal anion gap, hypophosphatemia, and hypouricemia. Urinalysis revealed Na, K, Ph and uric acid losses. Thus, the initial biological profile was in favor of a proximal tubular defect. However, etiological investigations were inconclusive and the patient was discharged with potassium chloride and phosphorus supplementation. Three weeks later, further laboratory analysis indicated persistent hypokalemia, a metabolic alkalosis, hypomagnesemia, and hypocalciuria. We therefore sequenced the SLC12A3 gene and found a compound heterozygosity for 2 known missense mutations. CONCLUSIONS: Gitelman syndrome can have varying and sometimes atypical presentations, and should be suspected in case of hypokalemic tubular disorders that do not belong to any obvious syndromic entity. In this case, the proximal tubular dysfunction could be secondary to the severe hypokalemia. This report emphasizes the need for clinicians to repeat laboratory tests in undiagnosed tubular disorders, especially not during decompensation episodes.