La rehabilitación en la enfermedad de Tay-Sachs: a propósito de un caso / Rehabilitation in Tay-Sachs disease: A case report

La enfermedad de Tay-Sachs o gangliosidosis GM2 es una enfermedad congénita y neurodegenerativa, causada por la ausencia o déficit de la enzima esencial B-hexoaminadasa. Dependiendo de la mutación, los años de evolución de la enfermedad y las características del paciente, las manifestaciones neurológicas serán más o menos precoces y más o menos severas. La enfermedad supone una disminución de la calidad de vida y un aumento de la mortalidad, siendo la esperanza de vida de 3años en las formas más agresivas.A pesar de diversos ensayos clínicos y de investigaciones en curso, actualmente no existe ninguna cura para la enfermedad de Tay-Sachs.El tratamiento se centra en el control de los síntomas y en garantizar el mayor bienestar del paciente. Por ello, la rehabilitación desempeña papel fundamental en el manejo de estos pacientes y en la mejora de su calidad de vida.(AU)

Tay-Sachs disease, or GM2 gangliosidosis, is a congenital and neurodegenerative disease caused by the absence or deficiency of the essential enzyme B-hexosaminidase. The timing of the development of neurological manifestations and their severity depend on the mutation, time since disease onset and the patient's characteristics. The disease impairs quality of life and increases mortality. In the most aggressive forms, life expectancy is 3 years.Despite various clinical trials and ongoing research, there is currently no cure for Tay-Sachs disease.Treatment focuses on symptom control and ensuring greater patient wellbeing. Consequently, rehabilitation plays a fundamental role in the management of these patients and in enhancing their quality of life.(AU)

CSF N-glycan profile reveals sialylation deficiency in a patient with GM2 gangliosidosis presenting as childhood disintegrative disorder.

Protein N-glycosylation consists in the synthesis and processing of the oligosaccharide moiety (N-glycan) linked to a protein and it serves several functions for the proper central nervous system (CNS) development and function. Previous experimental and clinical studies have shown the importance of proper glycoprotein sialylation for the synaptic function and the occurrence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the presence of sialylation deficiency in the CNS. Late-onset Tay Sachs disease (LOTSD) is a lysosomal disorder caused by mutations in the HEXA gene resulting in GM2-ganglioside storage in the CNS. It is characterized by progressive neurological impairment and high co-occurrence of psychiatric disturbances. We studied the N-glycome profile of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in a 14 year-old patient with GM2-gangliosidosis (LOTSD). At the age of 4, the patient presented regressive autism fulfilling criteria for childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD). A CSF sample was obtained in the course of diagnostic work-up for the suspicion of an underlying neurodegenerative disorder. We found definite changes of CSF N-glycans due to a dramatic decrease of sialylated biantennary and triantennary structures and an increase of asialo-core fucosylated bisected N-glycans. No changes of total plasma N-glycans were found. Herein findings highlight possible relationships between the early onset psychiatric disturbance featuring CDD in the patient and defective protein sialylation in the CNS. In conclusion, the study first shows aberrant N-glycan structures of CSF proteins in LOTSD; unveils possible pathomechanisms of GM2-gangliosidosis; supports existing relationships between neuropsychiatric disorders and unproper protein glycosylation in the CNS.

Late onset GM2 gangliosidosis presenting with motor neuron disease: an autopsy case.

Adult-onset GM2 gangliosidosis is very rare and only three autopsy cases have been reported up to now. We report herein an autopsy case of adult-onset GM2 gangliosidosis. The patient developed slowly progressive motor neuron disease-like symptoms after longstanding mood disorder and cognitive dysfunction. He developed gait disturbance and weakness of lower limbs at age 52 years. Because of progressive muscle weakness and atrophy, he became bed-ridden at age 65. At age of 68, he died. His neurological findings presented slight cognitive disturbance, slight manic state, severe muscle weakness, atrophy of four limbs and no extrapyramidal signs and symptoms, and cerebellar ataxia. Neuropathologically, mild neuronal loss and abundant lipid deposits were noted in the neuronal cytoplasm throughout the nervous system, including peripheral autonomic neurons. The most outstanding findings were marked neuronal loss and distended neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord, which supports his clinical symptomatology of lower motor neuron disease in this case. The presence of lipofuscin, zebra bodies and membranous cytoplasmic bodies (MCB) and the increase of GM2 ganglioside by biochemistry led to diagnosis of GM2 gangliosidosis.

GM2 gangliosidosis in a UK study of children with progressive neurodegeneration: 73 cases reviewed.

AIM: To report the demographic, phenotypic, and time-to-diagnosis characteristics of children with GM2 gangliosidosis referred to the UK study of Progressive Intellectual and Neurological Deterioration. METHOD: Case notification is made via monthly surveillance card, administered by the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit to all UK-based paediatricians; children with GM2 gangliosidosis were identified from cases satisfying inclusion in the UK study of Progressive Intellectual and Neurological Deterioration and analysed according to phenotypic and biochemical categories. RESULTS: Between May 1997 and January 2010, 73 individuals with GM2 gangliosidoses were reported: 40 with Tay-Sachs disease, 31 with Sandhoff disease, and two with GM2 activator protein deficiency. Together they account for 6% (73/1164) of all diagnosed cases of progressive intellectual and neurological deterioration. The majority (62/73) were sporadic index cases with no family history. Children of Pakistani ancestry were overrepresented in all subtypes, particularly juvenile Sandhoff disease, accounting for 10 of 11 notified cases. Infantile-onset variants predominated (55/73); the mean age at onset of symptoms was 6.2 and 4.7 months for infantile-onset Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff disease respectively, and 26.2 and 34.7 months for the corresponding juvenile-onset variants. Time to diagnosis averaged 7.4 months and 28.0 months in infantile- and juvenile-onset disease respectively. INTERPRETATION: GM2 gangliosidosis is a significant cause of childhood neurodegenerative disease; timely diagnosis relies upon improved clinical recognition, which may be increasingly important as specific therapies become available. There is a potential benefit from the introduction of screening programmes for high-risk ethnic groups.

[A patient with GM2 gangliosidosis presenting with motor neuron disease symptom in his forties].

Here, we report a Japanese man with adult Sandhoff disease who presented with a motor neuron disease phenotype with slow progression. At the age of 42, he noticed weakness in his legs. At the age of 46, he was admitted to our hospital. Neurological examination revealed muscle weakness and atrophy of the upper and lower extremities, and hyperreflexia of the upper extremities. Magnetic resonance imaging showed very mild cerebellar atrophy. We diagnosed him as having atypical amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Because of the atypical course of motor neuron disease, hexosaminidase activity in peripheral leukocytes was indicated. Asseys of hexosaminidase A and hexosaminidase B showed low activities, and we found a membranous cytoplasmic body in the submucosal nerve, leading to the diagnosis of Sandhoff disease. This is the second case of a Japanese adult with Sandhoff disease presenting with a motor neuron disease phenotype, and to our knowledge, this is the latest age of onset in Japan.

Unusual presentation of GM2 gangliosidosis mimicking a brain stem tumor in a 3-year-old girl.

We report a case of GM2 gangliosidosis revealed by MR imaging of an isolated brain stem abnormality in a 3-year-old girl referred for gait difficulties related to ataxia and pyramidal signs. Brain MR imaging displayed a brain stem lesion with high signal intensity on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery and T2-weighted images, suggesting either a tumor or an inflammatory process. Stereotactic biopsy findings showed the presence of swollen neurons with storage material in lysosomes. Enzyme study revealed deficiency of hexosaminidase A, variant B1. Gangliosidoses should be considered in the differential diagnosis of isolated infiltrating brain stem lesions in childhood.

[Adult GM2 gangliosidosis: improvement of ataxia with GABAergic drugs]. / Gangliosidosis GM2 del adulto: mejoría de la ataxia con fármacos GABAérgicos.

The authors present a case of adult GM2 gangliosidosis, B1 enzymatic type. The main clinical features found were cerebellar ataxia, proximal lower limb weakness and myokymia. The neurological examination, and the biochemical, electrophysiologic and imaging studies are all described. Decreased activity of the enzyme beta-hexosaminidase A in the metabolism of the sulfate substrate 4-MU-NAGS was found in serum. Global cerebellar atrophy was observed in a cranial nuclear magnetic resonance. The electrophysiologic study showed continuous spontaneous activity integrated by myokymia and neuromyotonic discharges in addition to signs of acute and chronic denervation. Disappearance of the myokymia and improvement in the ataxia were attained with the use of the GABAergic drugs gabapentin and tiagabine. The authors try to explain the clinical improvement obtained with the drugs by relating their mechanisms of action to the central nervous system neurotransmitter alterations proposed for this disease.

Late-onset GM2 gangliosidosis presenting as burning dysesthesias.

Two brothers with a painful neuropathy as a component of late-onset GM2 gangliosidosis of the Sandhoff type are presented. A dramatic response of the severe dysesthesias to amitriptyline and gabapentin is described. Symptomatic sensory neuropathy may be a component of late-onset GM2 gangliosidosis.