Strategic validation of variants of uncertain significance in ECHS1 genetic testing.

BACKGROUND: Enoyl-CoA hydratase short-chain 1 (ECHS1) is an enzyme involved in the metabolism of branched chain amino acids and fatty acids. Mutations in the ECHS1 gene lead to mitochondrial short-chain enoyl-CoA hydratase 1 deficiency, resulting in the accumulation of intermediates of valine. This is one of the most common causative genes in mitochondrial diseases. While genetic analysis studies have diagnosed numerous cases with ECHS1 variants, the increasing number of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in genetic diagnosis is a major problem. METHODS: Here, we constructed an assay system to verify VUS function for ECHS1 gene. A high-throughput assay using ECHS1 knockout cells was performed to index these phenotypes by expressing cDNAs containing VUS. In parallel with the VUS validation system, a genetic analysis of samples from patients with mitochondrial disease was performed. The effect on gene expression in cases was verified by RNA-seq and proteome analysis. RESULTS: The functional validation of VUS identified novel variants causing loss of ECHS1 function. The VUS validation system also revealed the effect of the VUS in the compound heterozygous state and provided a new methodology for variant interpretation. Moreover, we performed multiomics analysis and identified a synonymous substitution p.P163= that results in splicing abnormality. The multiomics analysis complemented the diagnosis of some cases that could not be diagnosed by the VUS validation system. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, this study uncovered new ECHS1 cases based on VUS validation and omics analysis; these analyses are applicable to the functional evaluation of other genes associated with mitochondrial disease.

Impact of measuring heteroplasmy of a pathogenic mitochondrial DNA variant at the single-cell level in individuals with mitochondrial disease.

Pathogenic mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmy has mainly been assessed with bulk sequencing in individuals with mitochondrial disease. However, the distribution of heteroplasmy at the single-cell level in skin fibroblasts obtained from individuals, together with detailed clinical and biochemical information, remains to be investigated. We used the mitochondrial DNA single-cell assay for the transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing method. Skin fibroblasts were obtained from six individuals with mitochondrial disease and pathogenic m.3243A>G variants of differing severity. Different distributions of heteroplasmy at the single-cell level were identified in skin fibroblasts from all six individuals. Four individuals with different outcomes showed similar averaged heteroplasmy rates with normal mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme activity, while the distribution of single-cell heteroplasmy patterns differed among the individuals. This study showed different heteroplasmy distribution patterns at the single-cell level in individuals with the m.3243A>G variant, who had a similar averaged heteroplasmy rates with normal mitochondrial respiratory chain enzyme activity. Whether such different heteroplasmy distribution patterns explain the different clinical outcomes should be assessed further in future studies. Measuring heteroplasmy of pathogenic mitochondrial DNA variants at the single-cell level could be important in individuals with mitochondrial disease.

Robust growth hormone responses to GH-releasing peptide 2 in adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: GH-releasing peptide-2 (GHRP2) can be used for provocative growth hormone testing (GHT). Since it acts as a powerful stimulus for GH secretion, cut-off peak GH level in GHRP2 loading test (GHRP2T) is higher than in other GHT. Nevertheless, data on response at adolescents are limited. This report aimed to investigate peak GH levels in GHRP2T in adolescents. METHODS: Clinical data of adolescents after onset of puberty who underwent GHRP2T at our institution from May 2010 to March 2023 were collected retrospectively. Subjects were classified into three groups according to underlying diseases. RESULTS: A total of 23 patients were included: 12 in organic or genetic GHD (o/gGHD) group, three in idiopathic GHD (iGHD) group, and eight in short stature (SS) group. The median GH peak levels were 3.4 ng/mL in o/gGHD group, 88.9 ng/mL in iGHD group, and 90.1 ng/mL in SS group, indicating a robust response of GH peak levels in iGHD and SS groups. Two patients exceeded the cut-off for GHRP2T but below for other GHT, indicating the current cut-off for GHRP2T may miss some GHD patients. CONCLUSIONS: The GH response to GHRP2T in adolescents except the o/gGHD group may be robustly responsive. For the correct diagnosis of GHD, the cut-off peak GH levels in GHRP2T in adolescents may require revisiting.

A Study of Maternal Patients Diagnosed with Inborn Errors of Metabolism Due to Positive Newborn Mass Screening in Their Newborns.

BACKGROUND: There are reports of mothers being diagnosed with inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) via positive newborn screening (NBS) of their newborns. Mothers with IEM are often considered to have mild cases of little pathological significance. Based in Niigata Prefecture, this study aimed to investigate mothers newly diagnosed with IEM via positive NBS in their newborns using tandem mass spectrometry, and to clarify the disease frequency and severity. METHODS: This was a single-institution, population-based, retrospective study. The subjects were mothers whose newborns had false-positive NBS, among 80,410 newborns who underwent NBS between April 2016 and May 2021. RESULT: there were 3 new mothers were diagnosed with IEM (2 with primary systemic carnitine deficiency (PCD) and 1 with 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase deficiency) out of 5 who underwent examination among 18 false positives. The opportunity for diagnosis was low C0 and high C5-OH acylcarnitine levels in their newborn. Two novel SLC22A5 variants (c.1063T > C/c.1266A > G) were identified in patients with PCD. None of the patients had any complications at the time of diagnosis, but two patients showed improvement in fatigue and headache after taking oral carnitine. CONCLUSION: New mothers with IEM cannot be considered as mild cases and need to be treated when necessary. The two novel SLC22A5 variants further expand the variant spectrum of PCD.

Total and reduced/oxidized forms of coenzyme Q10 in fibroblasts of patients with mitochondrial disease.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is involved in ATP production through electron transfer in the mitochondrial respiratory chain complex. CoQ10 receives electrons from respiratory chain complex I and II to become the reduced form, and then transfers electrons at complex III to become the oxidized form. The redox state of CoQ10 has been reported to be a marker of the mitochondrial metabolic state, but to our knowledge, no reports have focused on the individual quantification of reduced and oxidized CoQ10 or the ratio of reduced to total CoQ10 (reduced/total CoQ10) in patients with mitochondrial diseases. We measured reduced and oxidized CoQ10 in skin fibroblasts from 24 mitochondrial disease patients, including 5 primary CoQ10 deficiency patients and 10 respiratory chain complex deficiency patients, and determined the reduced/total CoQ10 ratio. In primary CoQ10 deficiency patients, total CoQ10 levels were significantly decreased, however, the reduced/total CoQ10 ratio was not changed. On the other hand, in mitochondrial disease patients other than primary CoQ10 deficiency patients, total CoQ10 levels did not decrease. However, the reduced/total CoQ10 ratio in patients with respiratory chain complex IV and V deficiency was higher in comparison to those with respiratory chain complex I deficiency. Measurement of CoQ10 in fibroblasts proved useful for the diagnosis of primary CoQ10 deficiency. In addition, the reduced/total CoQ10 ratio may reflect the metabolic status of mitochondrial disease.

Genetic, metabolic and clinical delineation of an MRPS23-associated mitochondrial disorder.

MRPS23 is a nuclear gene encoding a mitochondrial ribosomal protein. A patient with a mitochondrial disorder was found to carry a variant in MRPS23. More cases are necessary to establish MRPS23 as a mitochondrial disease gene. Of 5134 exomes performed in our center, we identified five independent patients who had similar clinical manifestations and were homozygous for the same germline variant c.119C>T; p.P40L in MRPS23. Detailed clinical findings, mitochondrial enzyme activity assays from cultured skin fibroblasts, PCR-Sanger-sequencing, and variant age estimation were performed. Their available family members were also studied. Eight members homozygous for the MRPS23 p.P40L were identified. All were from Hmong hilltribe. Seven presented with alteration of consciousness and recurrent vomiting, while the eighth who was a younger brother of a proband was found pre-symptomatically. Patients showed delayed growth and development, hearing impairment, hypoglycemia, lactic acidosis, and liver dysfunction. In vitro assays of cultured fibroblasts showed combined respiratory chain complex deficiency with low activities of complexes I and IV. PCR-Sanger-sequencing confirmed the variant, which was estimated to have occurred 1550 years ago. These results establish the MRPS23-associated mitochondrial disorder inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern and provide insight into its clinical and metabolic features.

Development of Leigh syndrome with a high probability of cardiac manifestations in infantile-onset patients with m.14453G > A.

The m.14453G > A mutation in MT-ND6 has been described in a few patients with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes or Leigh syndrome.However, the clinical spectrum and molecular characteristics are unclear.Here, we present four infantile-onset patients with m.14453G > A-associated Leigh syndrome. All four patients had brainstem lesions with basal ganglia lesions, and two patients had cardiac manifestations. Decreased ND6 protein expression and immunoreactivity were observed in patient-derived samples. There was no clear correlation between heteroplasmy levels and onset age or between heteroplasmy levels and phenotype; however, infantile onset was associated with Leigh syndrome.

Abnormal pupillary light reflex with chromatic pupillometry in Gaucher disease.

The hallmark of neuronopathic Gaucher disease (GD) is oculomotor abnormalities, but ophthalmological assessment is difficult in uncooperative patients. Chromatic pupillometry is a quantitative method to assess the pupillary light reflex (PLR) with minimal patient cooperation. Thus, we investigated whether chromatic pupillometry could be useful for neurological evaluations in GD. In our neuronopathic GD patients, red light-induced PLR was markedly impaired, whereas blue light-induced PLR was relatively spared. In addition, patients with non-neuronopathic GD showed no abnormalities. These novel findings show that chromatic pupillometry is a convenient method to detect neurological signs and monitor the course of disease in neuronopathic GD.