Clinical features and blood iron metabolism markers in children with beta-propeller protein associated neurodegeneration.

BACKGROUND: Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation constitutes a group of rare progressive movement disorders sharing intellectual disability and neuroimaging findings as common denominators. Beta-propeller protein-associated neurodegeneration (BPAN) represents approximately 7% of the cases, and its first signs are typically epilepsy and developmental delay. We aimed to describe in detail the phenotype of BPAN with a special focus on iron metabolism. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We present a cohort of paediatric patients with pathogenic variants of WD-Repeat Domain 45 gene (WDR45). The diagnosis was established by targeted panel sequencing of genes associated with epileptic encephalopathies (n = 9) or by Sanger sequencing of WDR45 (n = 1). Data on clinical characteristics, molecular-genetic findings and other performed investigations were gathered from all participating centres. Markers of iron metabolism were analysed in 6 patients. RESULTS: Ten children (3 males, 7 females, median age 8.4 years) from five centres (Prague, Berlin, Vogtareuth, Tubingen and Cologne) were enrolled in the study. All patients manifested first symptoms (e.g. epilepsy, developmental delay) between 2 and 31 months (median 16 months). Seven patients were seizure-free (6 on antiepileptic medication, one drug-free) at the time of data collection. Neurological findings were non-specific with deep tendon hyperreflexia (n = 4) and orofacial dystonia (n = 3) being the most common. Soluble transferrin receptor/log ferritin ratio was elevated in 5/6 examined subjects; other parameters of iron metabolism were normal. CONCLUSION: Severity of epilepsy often gradually decreases in BPAN patients. Elevation of soluble transferrin receptor/log ferritin ratio could be another biochemical marker of the disease and should be explored by further studies.

Identification of ten novel mutations in patients with eIF2B-related disorders.

Autosomal recessive inherited mutations in each of the five eukaryotic initiation factor 2B (eIF2B) subunits are known to cause white matter abnormalities with a wide continuum of clinical signs and severity leading to the concept of eIF2B-related disorders. The clinical spectrum extends from fatal infantile forms to adult forms with slow or absent neurological deterioration. In this study 15 well-characterised patients with the classical form of leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter (VWM) or with phenotypic variants like ovarioleukodystrophy were investigated for mutations in the genes EIF2B1, EIF2B2, EIF2B3, EIF2B4, and EIF2B5 encoding eIF2B. We identified one novel nonsense mutation (EIF2B4, c.625C>T, p.Arg209X), one novel frameshift mutation (EIF2B5, c.453_454del, p.Tyr152fsX12), eight novel missense muations (EIF2B1, c.547G>T, p.Val183Phe; EIF2B2, c. 586C>T, p.Pro196Ser; EIF2B4, c.806T>G, p.Leu269Arg; EIF2B5, c.203T>C, p.Leu68Ser; EIF2B5, c.220G>A, p.Ala74Thr; EIF2B5, c.805C>G, p.Arg269Gly; EIF2B5, c.929G>T, p.Cys310Phe; EIF2B5, c.1003T>C, p.Cys335Arg), and eight previously described alterations.