Diffusion tensor imaging in pediatric patients with dystonia.

BACKGROUND: Childhood-onset dystonia is often progressive and severely impairs a child´s life. The pathophysiology is very heterogeneous and treatment responses vary in patients with dystonia. Factors influencing treatment effects remain to be elucidated. We hypothesize that differences in brain connectivity and fiber coherence contribute to the heterogeneity in treatment response among pediatric patients with inherited and acquired dystonia. METHODS: Twenty patients with childhood-onset dystonia were retrospectively recruited including twelve patients with inherited or idiopathic, and eight patients with acquired dystonia (mean age 10 years; 8 female/12 male). Fiber density between the internal part of the globus pallidus and selective target regions, as well as the diffusion measures of fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were analyzed and compared between different etiologies. RESULTS: Patients with acquired dystonia presented higher fiber density to the premotor cortex and putamen and lower FA values in the thalamus compared to patients with inherited/idiopathic dystonia. MD in the premotor cortex was higher in patients with acquired dystonia, while it was lower in the thalamus. CONCLUSION: Diffusion MRI reveals microstructural and network alterations in patients with dystonia of different etiologies.

Genotype-phenotype correlation and treatment effects in young patients with GNAO1-associated disorders.

BACKGROUND: Patients carrying pathogenic variants in GNAO1 often present with early-onset central hypotonia and global developmental delay, with or without epilepsy. As the disorder progresses, a complex hypertonic and hyperkinetic movement disorder is a common phenotype. A genotype-phenotype correlation has not yet been described and there are no evidence-based therapeutic recommendations. METHODS: To improve understanding of the clinical course and pathophysiology of this ultra-rare disorder, we built up a registry for GNAO1 patients in Germany. In this retrospective, multicentre cohort study, we collected detailed clinical data, treatment effects and genetic data for 25 affected patients. RESULTS: The main clinical features were symptom onset within the first months of life, with central hypotonia or seizures. Within the first year of life, nearly all patients developed a movement disorder comprising dystonia (84%) and choreoathetosis (52%). Twelve (48%) patients suffered life-threatening hyperkinetic crises. Fifteen (60%) patients had epilepsy with poor treatment response. Two patients showed an atypical phenotype and seven novel pathogenic variants in GNAO1 were identified. Nine (38%) patients were treated with bilateral deep brain stimulation of the globus pallidus internus. Deep brain stimulation reduced hyperkinetic symptoms and prevented further hyperkinetic crises. The in silico prediction programmes did not predict the phenotype by the genotype. CONCLUSION: The broad clinical spectrum and genetic findings expand the phenotypical spectrum of GNAO1-associated disorder and therefore disprove the assumption that there are only two main phenotypes. No specific overall genotype-phenotype correlation was identified. We highlight deep brain stimulation as a useful treatment option in this disorder.

A defect in molybdenum cofactor binding causes an attenuated form of sulfite oxidase deficiency.

Isolated sulfite oxidase deficiency (ISOD) is a rare recessive and infantile lethal metabolic disorder, which is caused by functional loss of sulfite oxidase (SO) due to mutations of the SUOX gene. SO is a mitochondrially localized molybdenum cofactor (Moco)- and heme-dependent enzyme, which catalyzes the vital oxidation of toxic sulfite to sulfate. Accumulation of sulfite and sulfite-related metabolites such as S-sulfocysteine (SSC) are drivers of severe neurodegeneration leading to early childhood death in the majority of ISOD patients. Full functionality of SO is dependent on correct insertion of the heme cofactor and Moco, which is controlled by a highly orchestrated maturation process. This maturation involves the translation in the cytosol, import into the intermembrane space (IMS) of mitochondria, cleavage of the mitochondrial targeting sequence, and insertion of both cofactors. Moco insertion has proven as the crucial step in this maturation process, which enables the correct folding of the homodimer and traps SO in the IMS. Here, we report on a novel ISOD patient presented at 17 months of age carrying the homozygous mutation NM_001032386.2 (SUOX):c.1097G > A, which results in the expression of SO variant R366H. Our studies show that histidine substitution of Arg366, which is involved in coordination of the Moco-phosphate, causes a severe reduction in Moco insertion efficacy in vitro and in vivo. Expression of R366H in HEK SUOX-/- cells mimics the phenotype of patient's fibroblasts, representing a loss of SO expression and specific activity. Our studies disclose a general paradigm for a kinetic defect in Moco insertion into SO caused by residues involved in Moco coordination resulting in the case of R366H in an attenuated form of ISOD.

Impaired mitochondrial maturation of sulfite oxidase in a patient with severe sulfite oxidase deficiency.

Sulfite oxidase (SO) is encoded by the nuclear SUOX gene and catalyzes the final step in cysteine catabolism thereby oxidizing sulfite to sulfate. Oxidation of sulfite is dependent on two cofactors within SO, a heme and the molybdenum cofactor (Moco), the latter forming the catalytic site of sulfite oxidation. SO localizes to the intermembrane space of mitochondria where both-pre-SO processing and cofactor insertion-are essential steps during SO maturation. Isolated SO deficiency (iSOD) is a rare inborn error of metabolism caused by mutations in the SUOX gene that lead to non-functional SO. ISOD is characterized by rapidly progressive neurodegeneration and death in early infancy. We diagnosed an iSOD patient with homozygous mutation of SUOX at c.1084G>A replacing Gly362 to serine. To understand the mechanism of disease, we expressed patient-derived G362S SO in Escherichia coli and surprisingly found full catalytic activity, while in patient fibroblasts no SO activity was detected, suggesting differences between bacterial and human expression. Moco reconstitution of apo-G362S SO was found to be approximately 90-fold reduced in comparison to apo-WT SO in vitro. In line, levels of SO-bound Moco in cells overexpressing G362S SO were significantly reduced compared to cells expressing WT SO providing evidence for compromised maturation of G362S SO in cellulo. Addition of molybdate to culture medium partially rescued impaired Moco binding of G362S SO and restored SO activity in patient fibroblasts. Thus, this study demonstrates the importance of the orchestrated maturation of SO and provides a first case of Moco-responsive iSOD.

Biallelic Mutations in ADPRHL2, Encoding ADP-Ribosylhydrolase 3, Lead to a Degenerative Pediatric Stress-Induced Epileptic Ataxia Syndrome.

ADP-ribosylation, the addition of poly-ADP ribose (PAR) onto proteins, is a response signal to cellular challenges, such as excitotoxicity or oxidative stress. This process is catalyzed by a group of enzymes referred to as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs). Because the accumulation of proteins with this modification results in cell death, its negative regulation restores cellular homeostasis: a process mediated by poly-ADP ribose glycohydrolases (PARGs) and ADP-ribosylhydrolase proteins (ARHs). Using linkage analysis and exome or genome sequencing, we identified recessive inactivating mutations in ADPRHL2 in six families. Affected individuals exhibited a pediatric-onset neurodegenerative disorder with progressive brain atrophy, developmental regression, and seizures in association with periods of stress, such as infections. Loss of the Drosophila paralog Parg showed lethality in response to oxidative challenge that was rescued by human ADPRHL2, suggesting functional conservation. Pharmacological inhibition of PARP also rescued the phenotype, suggesting the possibility of postnatal treatment for this genetic condition.

Making sense of missense variants in TTN-related congenital myopathies.

Mutations in the sarcomeric protein titin, encoded by TTN, are emerging as a common cause of myopathies. The diagnosis of a TTN-related myopathy is, however, often not straightforward due to clinico-pathological overlap with other myopathies and the prevalence of TTN variants in control populations. Here, we present a combined clinico-pathological, genetic and biophysical approach to the diagnosis of TTN-related myopathies and the pathogenicity ascertainment of TTN missense variants. We identified 30 patients with a primary TTN-related congenital myopathy (CM) and two truncating variants, or one truncating and one missense TTN variant, or homozygous for one TTN missense variant. We found that TTN-related myopathies show considerable overlap with other myopathies but are strongly suggested by a combination of certain clinico-pathological features. Presentation was typically at birth with the clinical course characterized by variable progression of weakness, contractures, scoliosis and respiratory symptoms but sparing of extraocular muscles. Cardiac involvement depended on the variant position. Our biophysical analyses demonstrated that missense mutations associated with CMs are strongly destabilizing and exert their effect when expressed on a truncating background or in homozygosity. We hypothesise that destabilizing TTN missense mutations phenocopy truncating variants and are a key pathogenic feature of recessive titinopathies that might be amenable to therapeutic intervention.

Ultra-rapid emergency genomic diagnosis of Donahue syndrome in a preterm infant within 17 hours.

Genetic diseases are a major cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. The clinical differential diagnosis in severely ill neonates, especially in premature infants, is challenging. Next generation sequencing (NGS) diagnostics is a valuable tool, but the turnaround time is often too long to provide a diagnosis in the time needed for clinical guidance in newborn intensive care units (NICU). To minimize turnaround time, we developed an ultra-rapid whole genome sequencing pipeline and tested it in clinical practice. Our pilot case, was a preterm infant presenting with several crises of dehydration, hypoglycaemia and hyponatremia together with nephrocalcinosis and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Whole genome sequencing was performed using a paired-end 2x75bp protocol. Sequencing data were exported after 50 sequencing cycles for a first analysis. After run completion, the rapid-sequencing protocol, a second analysis of the 2 x 75 paired-end run was performed. Both analyses comprised read-mapping and SNP-/indel calling on an on-site Edico Genome DRAGEN server, followed by functional annotation and pathogenicity prediction using in-house scripts. After the first analysis within 17 h, the emergency ultra-rapid protocol identified two novel compound heterozygous variants in the insulin receptor gene (INSR), pathogenic variants in which cause Donohue Syndrome. The genetic diagnosis could be confirmed by detection of hyperinsulinism and patient care adjusted. Nonetheless, we decided to pursue RNA studies, proving the functional effect of the novel splice variant and reduced expression levels of INSR in patients skin fibroblasts.

Clinical and genetic characterization of PYROXD1-related myopathy patients from Turkey.

Congenital myopathies (CMs) are a heterogeneous group of inherited muscle disorders characterized by muscle weakness at birth, while limb-girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMD) have a later onset and slower disease progression. Thus, detailed clinical phenotyping of genetically defined disease entities are required for the full understanding of genotype-phenotype correlations. A recently defined myopathic genetic disease entity is caused by bi-allelic variants in a gene coding for pyridine nucleotide-disulfide oxidoreductase domain 1 (PYROXD1) with unknown substrates. Here, we present three patients from two consanguineous Turkish families with mild LGMD, facial weakness, normal CK levels, and slow progress. Genomic analyses revealed a homozygous known pathogenic missense variant (c.464A>G, p.Asn155Ser) in family 1 with two affected females. In the affected male of family 2, we found this variant in a compound heterozygous state together with a novel frameshift variant (c.329_332delTCTG, p.Leu112Valfs*8), which is the second frameshift variant known so far in PYROXD1. We have been able to define a large homozygous region in family 1 sharing a common haplotype with family 2 in the critical region. Our data suggest that c.464A>G is a Turkish founder mutation. To gain deeper insights, we performed a systematic review of all published PYROXD1-related myopathy cases. Our analysis showed that the c.464A > G variant was found in 87% (20/23) of the patients and that it may cause either a childhood- or adult-onset phenotype, irrespective of its presence in a homozygous or compound heterozygous state. Interestingly, only four patients had elevated CK levels (up to 1000 U/L), and cardiac involvement was found in few compound heterozygous cases.

Genotype-phenotype correlation in seven motor neuron disease families with novel ALS2 mutations.

Autosomal-recessive mutations in the Alsin Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (ALS2) gene may cause specific subtypes of childhood-onset progressive neurodegenerative motor neuron diseases (MND). These diseases can manifest with a clinical continuum from infantile ascending hereditary spastic paraplegia (IAHSP) to juvenile-onset forms with or without lower motor neuron involvement, the juvenile primary lateral sclerosis (JPLS) and the juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (JALS). We report 11 patients from seven unrelated Turkish and Yemeni families with clinical signs of IAHSP or JPLS. We performed haplotype analysis or next-generation panel sequencing followed by Sanger Sequencing to unravel the genetic disease cause. We described their clinical phenotype and analyzed the pathogenicity of the detected variants with bioinformatics tools. We further reviewed all previously reported cases with ALS2-related MND. We identified five novel homozygous pathogenic variants in ALS2 at various positions: c.275_276delAT (p.Tyr92CysfsTer11), c.1044C>G (p.Tyr348Ter), c.1718C>A (p.Ala573Glu), c.3161T>C (p.Leu1054Pro), and c.1471+1G>A (NM_020919.3, NP_065970.2). In our cohort, disease onset was in infancy or early childhood with rapid onset of motor neuron signs. Muscle weakness, spasticity, severe dysarthria, dysphagia, and facial weakness were common features in the first decade of life. Frameshift and nonsense mutations clustered in the N-terminal Alsin domains are most prevalent. We enriched the mutational spectrum of ALS2-related disorders with five novel pathogenic variants. Our study indicates a high detection rate of ALS2 mutations in patients with a clinically well-characterized early onset MND. Intrafamilial and even interfamilial diversity in patients with identical pathogenic variants suggest yet unknown modifiers for phenotypic expression.

The genomic and clinical landscape of fetal akinesia.

PURPOSE: Fetal akinesia has multiple clinical subtypes with over 160 gene associations, but the genetic etiology is not yet completely understood. METHODS: In this study, 51 patients from 47 unrelated families were analyzed using next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques aiming to decipher the genomic landscape of fetal akinesia (FA). RESULTS: We have identified likely pathogenic gene variants in 37 cases and report 41 novel variants. Additionally, we report putative pathogenic variants in eight cases including nine novel variants. Our work identified 14 novel disease-gene associations for fetal akinesia: ADSSL1, ASAH1, ASPM, ATP2B3, EARS2, FBLN1, PRG4, PRICKLE1, ROR2, SETBP1, SCN5A, SCN8A, and ZEB2. Furthermore, a sibling pair harbored a homozygous copy-number variant in TNNT1, an ultrarare congenital myopathy gene that has been linked to arthrogryposis via Gene Ontology analysis. CONCLUSION: Our analysis indicates that genetic defects leading to primary skeletal muscle diseases might have been underdiagnosed, especially pathogenic variants in RYR1. We discuss three novel putative fetal akinesia genes: GCN1, IQSEC3 and RYR3. Of those, IQSEC3, and RYR3 had been proposed as neuromuscular disease-associated genes recently, and our findings endorse them as FA candidate genes. By combining NGS with deep clinical phenotyping, we achieved a 73% success rate of solved cases.

Correction: The genomic and clinical landscape of fetal akinesia.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

The clinical-phenotype continuum in DYNC1H1-related disorders-genomic profiling and proposal for a novel classification.

Mutations in the cytoplasmic dynein 1 heavy chain gene (DYNC1H1) have been identified in rare neuromuscular (NMD) and neurodevelopmental (NDD) disorders such as spinal muscular atrophy with lower extremity dominance (SMALED) and autosomal dominant mental retardation syndrome 13 (MRD13). Phenotypes and genotypes of ten pediatric patients with pathogenic DYNC1H1 variants were analyzed in a multi-center study. Data mining of large-scale genomic variant databases was used to investigate domain-specific vulnerability and conservation of DYNC1H1. We identified ten patients with nine novel mutations in the DYNC1H1 gene. These patients exhibit a broad spectrum of clinical findings, suggesting an overlapping disease manifestation with intermixed phenotypes ranging from neuropathy (peripheral nervous system, PNS) to severe intellectual disability (central nervous system, CNS). Genomic profiling of healthy and patient variant datasets underlines the domain-specific effects of genetic variation in DYNC1H1, specifically on toleration towards missense variants in the linker domain. A retrospective analysis of all published mutations revealed domain-specific genotype-phenotype correlations, i.e., mutations in the dimerization domain with reductions in lower limb strength in DYNC1H1-NMD and motor domain with cerebral malformations in DYNC1H1-NDD. We highlight that the current classification into distinct disease entities does not sufficiently reflect the clinical disease manifestation that clinicians face in the diagnostic work-up of DYNC1H1-related disorders. We propose a novel clinical classification for DYNC1H1-related disorders encompassing a spectrum from DYNC1H1-NMD with an exclusive PNS phenotype to DYNC1H1-NDD with concomitant CNS involvement.

Biallelic Loss of Proprioception-Related PIEZO2 Causes Muscular Atrophy with Perinatal Respiratory Distress, Arthrogryposis, and Scoliosis.

We report ten individuals of four independent consanguineous families from Turkey, India, Libya, and Pakistan with a variable clinical phenotype that comprises arthrogryposis, spontaneously resolving respiratory insufficiency at birth, muscular atrophy predominantly of the distal lower limbs, scoliosis, and mild distal sensory involvement. Using whole-exome sequencing, SNPchip-based linkage analysis, DNA microarray, and Sanger sequencing, we identified three independent homozygous frameshift mutations and a homozygous deletion of two exons in PIEZO2 that segregated in all affected individuals of the respective family. The mutations are localized in the N-terminal and central region of the gene, leading to nonsense-mediated transcript decay and consequently to lack of PIEZO2 protein. In contrast, heterozygous gain-of-function missense mutations, mainly localized at the C terminus, cause dominant distal arthrogryposis 3 (DA3), distal arthrogryposis 5 (DA5), or Marden-Walker syndrome (MWKS), which encompass contractures of hands and feet, scoliosis, ophthalmoplegia, and ptosis. PIEZO2 encodes a mechanosensitive ion channel that plays a major role in light-touch mechanosensation and has recently been identified as the principal mechanotransduction channel for proprioception. Mice ubiquitously depleted of PIEZO2 are postnatally lethal. However, individuals lacking PIEZO2 develop a not life-threatening, slowly progressive disorder, which is likely due to loss of PIEZO2 protein in afferent neurons leading to disturbed proprioception causing aberrant muscle development and function. Here we report a recessively inherited PIEZO2-related disease and demonstrate that depending on the type of mutation and the mode of inheritance, PIEZO2 causes clinically distinguishable phenotypes.

CCDC115 Deficiency Causes a Disorder of Golgi Homeostasis with Abnormal Protein Glycosylation.

Disorders of Golgi homeostasis form an emerging group of genetic defects. The highly heterogeneous clinical spectrum is not explained by our current understanding of the underlying cell-biological processes in the Golgi. Therefore, uncovering genetic defects and annotating gene function are challenging. Exome sequencing in a family with three siblings affected by abnormal Golgi glycosylation revealed a homozygous missense mutation, c.92T>C (p.Leu31Ser), in coiled-coil domain containing 115 (CCDC115), the function of which is unknown. The same mutation was identified in three unrelated families, and in one family it was compound heterozygous in combination with a heterozygous deletion of CCDC115. An additional homozygous missense mutation, c.31G>T (p.Asp11Tyr), was found in a family with two affected siblings. All individuals displayed a storage-disease-like phenotype involving hepatosplenomegaly, which regressed with age, highly elevated bone-derived alkaline phosphatase, elevated aminotransferases, and elevated cholesterol, in combination with abnormal copper metabolism and neurological symptoms. Two individuals died of liver failure, and one individual was successfully treated by liver transplantation. Abnormal N- and mucin type O-glycosylation was found on serum proteins, and reduced metabolic labeling of sialic acids was found in fibroblasts, which was restored after complementation with wild-type CCDC115. PSI-BLAST homology detection revealed reciprocal homology with Vma22p, the yeast V-ATPase assembly factor located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Human CCDC115 mainly localized to the ERGIC and to COPI vesicles, but not to the ER. These data, in combination with the phenotypic spectrum, which is distinct from that associated with defects in V-ATPase core subunits, suggest a more general role for CCDC115 in Golgi trafficking. Our study reveals CCDC115 deficiency as a disorder of Golgi homeostasis that can be readily identified via screening for abnormal glycosylation in plasma.

Novel mutations in KMT2B offer pathophysiological insights into childhood-onset progressive dystonia.

Rapid progress has recently been made in the elucidation of the genetic basis of childhood-onset inherited generalized dystonia (IGD) due to the implementation of genomic sequencing methodologies. We identified four patients with childhood-onset IGD harboring novel disease-causing mutations in lysine-specific histone methyltransferase 2B gene (KMT2B) by whole-exome sequencing. The main focus of this paper is to gain novel pathophysiological insights through understanding the molecular consequences of these mutations. The disease course is mostly progressive, evolving from lower limbs into generalized dystonia, which could be associated with dysarthria, dysphonia, intellectual disability, orofacial dyskinesia, and sometimes distinct dysmorphic facial features. In two patients, motor performances improved after bilateral implantation of deep brain stimulation in the globus pallidus internus (GPi-DBS). Pharmacotherapy with trihexyphenidyl reduced dystonia in two patients. We discovered three novel KMT2B mutations. Our analyses revealed that the mutation in patient 1 (c.7463A > G, p.Y2488C) is localized in the highly conserved FYRC domain of KMT2B. This mutation holds the potential to alter the inter-domain FYR interactions, which could lead to KMT2B instability. The mutations in patients 2 and 3 (c.3596_3697insC, p.M1202Dfs*22; c.4229delA, p.Q1410Rfs*12) lead to predicted unstable transcripts, likely to be subject to degradation by non-sense-mediated decay. Childhood-onset progressive dystonia with orofacial involvement is one of the main clinical manifestations of KMT2B mutations. In all, 26% (18/69) of the reported cases have T2 signal alterations of the globus pallidus internus, mostly at a younger age. Anticholinergic medication and GPi-DBS are promising treatment options and shall be considered early.

Correction to: Novel mutations in KMT2B offer pathophysiological insights on childhood-onset progressive dystonia.

Rapid progress has recently been made in the elucidation of the genetic basis of childhood-onset inherited generalized dystonia (IGD) due to the implementation of genomic sequencing methodologies. We identified four patients with childhood-onset IGD harboring novel disease-causing mutations in lysine-specific histone methyltransferase 2B gene (KMT2B) by whole-exome sequencing. The main focus of this paper is to gain novel pathophysiological insights through understanding the molecular consequences of these mutations.The disease course is mostly progressive, evolving from lower limbs into generalized dystonia, which could be associated with dysarthria, dysphonia, intellectual disability, orofacial dyskinesia, and sometimes distinct dysmorphic facial features. In two patients, motor performances improved after bilateral implantation of deep brain stimulation in the globus pallidus internus (GPi-DBS). Pharmacotherapy with trihexyphenidyl reduced dystonia in two patients.We discovered three novel KMT2B mutations. Our analyses revealed that the mutation in patient 1 (c.7463 A > G, p.Y2488C) is localized in the highly conserved FYRC domain of KMT2B. This mutation holds the potential to alter the inter-domain FYR interactions, which could lead to KMT2B instability. The mutations in patients 2 and 3 (c.3602dupC, p.M1202Dfs*22; c.4229delA, p.Q1410Rfs*12) lead to predicted unstable transcripts, likely to be subject to degradation by non-sense mediated decay.Childhood-onset progressive dystonia with orofacial involvement is one of the main clinical manifestations of KMT2B mutations. In all, 26% (18/69) of the reported cases have T2 signal alterations of the globus pallidus internus, mostly at a younger age. Anticholinergic medication and GPi-DBS are promising treatment options and shall be considered early.An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Use of whole exome sequencing in the NICU: Case of an extremely low birth weight infant with syndromic features.

Single gene (Mendelian) disorders are one of the leading causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality. However, in the setting of preterm birth phenotypic features of genetic diseases are often undifferentiated and are clinically very difficult to interpret based on the wide range of differential diagnoses. We report an extremely low birth weight infant (ELBW) born prematurely at 23 + 0 gestational weeks after twin pregnancy with a novel clinical manifestation with persistent hyperglycaemia as well as the known manifestations of disease-associated hypokinesia, renal salt wasting, and multifocal atrial tachycardia. The patient died of heart failure on the 72nd day of life. Whole exome sequencing (WES) revealed a previously well established, disease-causing heterozygous likely pathogenic variant in the Harvey rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (HRAS)-gene (c.35G > C, p. G12A, rs104894230), which implied the clinical diagnosis of Costello syndrome (CS; OMIM#190020.0004). The twin brother merely had complications related to preterm birth and did not show any CS symptoms. In conclusion, our case illustrated that CS should be considered in ELBW infants showing a life-threatening combination of complex cardiac arrhythmia and hypokinesia. If a syndromic disorder is suspected in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) setting, rapid WES is a useful, non-invasive diagnostic tool in critically ill ELBW infants.

Cleft Palate as Distinguishing Feature in a Patient with GABRB3 Epileptic Encephalopathy.

Mutations in GABAA-receptor subunit genes are associated with a heterogeneous spectrum of epilepsies. Patients with epilepsy caused by mutations in a specific GABAA-receptor (GABRA3) occasionally present with orofacial dysmorphism (e.g., cleft palates). While cleft palates have been described in Gabrb3 knockout mice and in humans with GABRB3 variants without epilepsy, the specific combination of epilepsy and cleft palate in humans with GABRB3 mutations has not yet been reported.We describe a patient with epileptic encephalopathy (EE) who presented with therapy-refractory neonatal-onset myoclonic seizures and severe developmental delay. Electroencephalogram showed burst suppression pattern at neonatal age and hypsarrhythmia at infantile age. Initial magnetic resonance imaging was unremarkable. As he additionally presented with a cleft palate, we were curious whether cleft palate and EE had the same genetic origin. Whole exome sequencing of the index patient revealed a novel pathogenic heterozygous de novo mutation in GABRB3 (c.899T > C; p.I300T). In consistency with Gabrb3 knockout mice data, this is the first report of cleft palate in a patient with GABRB3 associated EE.We suggest to add cleft palate to the phenotypic GABRB3 spectrum and to screen for mutations in GABAA-receptors in patients with EE and orofacial dysmorphism.

Mutations in plasmalemma vesicle-associated protein cause severe syndromic protein-losing enteropathy.

BACKGROUND: Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is characterised by gastrointestinal protein leakage due to loss of mucosal integrity or lymphatic abnormalities. PLE can manifest as congenital diarrhoea and should be differentiated from other congenital diarrhoeal disorders. Primary PLEs are genetically heterogeneous and the underlying genetic defects are currently emerging. OBJECTIVES: We report an infant with fatal PLE for whom we aimed to uncover the underlying pathogenic mutation. METHODS: We performed whole exome sequencing (WES) for the index patient. Variants were classified based on the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines. WES results and our detailed clinical description of the patient were compared with the literature. RESULTS: We discovered a novel homozygous stop mutation (c.988C>T, p.Q330*) in the Plasmalemma Vesicle-Associated Protein (PLVAP) gene in a newborn with fatal PLE, facial dysmorphism, and renal, ocular and cardiac anomalies. The Q330* mutation is predicted to result in complete loss of PLVAP protein expression leading to deletion of the diaphragms of endothelial fenestrae, resulting in plasma protein extravasation and PLE. Recently, another single homozygous stop mutation in PLVAP causing lethal PLE in an infant was reported. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings validate PLVAP mutations as a cause of syndromic PLE. Prenatal anomalies, severe PLE and syndromic features may guide the diagnosis of this rare disease.