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Chen J, Zhao Z, Shen H, Bing Q, Li N, Guo X, Hu J. Genetic origin of patients having spastic paraplegia with or without other neurologic manifestations. BMC Neurol 2022; 22:180. [PMID: 35578252 PMCID: PMC9109329 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-022-02708-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by lower-limb spastic paraplegia with highly genetic and clinical heterogeneity. However, the clinical sign of spastic paraplegia can also be seen in a variety of hereditary neurologic diseases with bilateral corticospinal tract impairment. The purpose of this study is to identify the disease spectrum of spastic paraplegia, and to broaden the coverage of genetic testing and recognize clinical, laboratorial, electrophysiological and radiological characteristics to increase the positive rate of diagnosis. Methods Twenty-seven cases were screened out to have definite or suspected pathogenic variants from clinically suspected HSP pedigrees through HSP-associated sequencing and/or expanded genetic testing. One case was performed for enzyme detection of leukodystrophy without next-generation sequencing. In addition, detailed clinical, laboratorial, electrophysiological and radiological characteristics of the 28 patients were presented. Results A total of five types of hereditary neurological disorders were identified in 28 patients, including HSP (15/28), leukodystrophy (5/28), hereditary ataxia (2/28), methylmalonic acidemia/methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase deficiency (5/28), and Charcot-Marie-tooth atrophy (1/28). Patients in the HSP group had chronic courses, most of whom were lower limbs spasticity, mainly with axonal neuropathy, and thinning corpus callosum, white matter lesions and cerebellar atrophy in brain MRI. In the non-HSP groups, upper and lower limbs both involvement was more common. Patients with homocysteine remethylation disorders or Krabbe’s disease or autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay had diagnostic results in laboratory or imaging examination. A total of 12 new variants were obtained. Conclusions HSP had widespread clinical and genetic heterogeneity, and leukodystrophy, hereditary ataxia, Charcot-Marie-Tooth atrophy and homocysteine remethylation disorders accounted for a significant proportion of the proposed HSP. These diseases had different characteristics in clinical, laboratorial, electrophysiological, and radiological aspects, which could help differential diagnosis. Genetic analysis could ultimately provide a clear diagnosis, and broadening the scope of genetic testing could improve the positive rate of diagnosis. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12883-022-02708-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiannan Chen
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 139 Ziqiang Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, PR China
| | - Zhe Zhao
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 139 Ziqiang Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, PR China
| | - Hongrui Shen
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 139 Ziqiang Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, PR China
| | - Qi Bing
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 139 Ziqiang Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, PR China
| | - Nan Li
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 139 Ziqiang Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, PR China
| | - Xuan Guo
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 139 Ziqiang Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, PR China
| | - Jing Hu
- Department of Neuromuscular Disease, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 139 Ziqiang Road, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, PR China.
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Karlsson WK, Højgaard JLS, Vilhelmsen A, Crone C, Andersen B, Law I, Møller LB, Nielsen TT, Nielsen EN, Krag T, Svenstrup K, Nielsen JE. Novel Homozygous Truncating Variant Widens the Spectrum of Early-Onset Multisystemic SYNE1 Ataxia. THE CEREBELLUM 2021; 21:514-519. [PMID: 34318393 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-021-01308-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Pathogenic variants in the SYNE1 gene are associated with a phenotypic spectrum spanning from late-onset, slowly progressive, relatively pure ataxia to early-onset, fast progressive multisystemic disease. Since its first description in 2007 as an adult-onset ataxia in French Canadian families, subsequent identification of patients worldwide has widened the clinical spectrum and increased the number of identified pathogenic variants. We report a 20-year-old Faroese female with early-onset progressive gait problems, weakness, dysphagia, slurred speech, orthostatic dizziness, and urge incontinence. Neurological examination revealed mild cognitive deficits, dysarthria, broken slow pursuit, hypometric saccades, weakness with spasticity, hyperreflexia, absent ankle reflexes, ataxia, and wide-based, spastic gait. Magnetic resonance imaging displayed atrophy of the cerebellum, brainstem, and spinal cord. Severely prolonged central motor conduction time and lower motor neuron involvement was demonstrated electrophysiologically. Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) scan showed hypometabolism of the cerebellum and right frontal lobe. Muscle biopsy revealed chronic neurogenic changes and near-absent immunostaining for Nesprin-1. Next-generation sequencing revealed a previously undescribed homozygous truncating, likely pathogenic variant in the SYNE1 gene. The patient's mother and paternal grandfather were heterozygous carriers of the variant. Her father's genotype was unobtainable. We expand the list of likely pathogenic variants in SYNE1 ataxia with a novel homozygous truncating variant with proximity to the C-terminus and relate it to a phenotype comprising early-onset cerebellar deficits, upper and lower motor neuron involvement and cognitive deficits. Also, we report novel findings of focally reduced frontal lobe FDG-PET uptake and motor evoked potential abnormalities suggestive of central demyelination.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Kristian Karlsson
- Department of Neurology, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Inge Lehmanns Vej 8, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Joan Lilja Sunnleyg Højgaard
- Department of Neurology, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Inge Lehmanns Vej 8, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anna Vilhelmsen
- Department of Psychiatry, National Hospital of the Faroe Islands, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Clarissa Crone
- Department of Neurophysiology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Birgit Andersen
- Department of Neurophysiology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ian Law
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lisbeth Birk Møller
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Troels Tolstrup Nielsen
- Department of Neurology, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Inge Lehmanns Vej 8, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Neurogenetics Clinic & Research Lab, Danish Dementia Research Centre, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Emilie Neerup Nielsen
- Department of Neurology, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Inge Lehmanns Vej 8, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas Krag
- Department of Neurology, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Inge Lehmanns Vej 8, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Neurology, Copenhagen Neuromuscular Center, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kirsten Svenstrup
- Department of Neurology, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Inge Lehmanns Vej 8, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Neurology, Copenhagen Neuromuscular Center, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jørgen Erik Nielsen
- Department of Neurology, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Inge Lehmanns Vej 8, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Neurogenetics Clinic & Research Lab, Danish Dementia Research Centre, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Autosomal Recessive Cerebellar Ataxia Type 1: Phenotypic and Genetic Correlation in a Cohort of Chinese Patients with SYNE1 Variants. THE CEREBELLUM 2020; 20:74-82. [PMID: 32889669 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-020-01186-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in the synaptic nuclear envelope protein 1 (SYNE1) gene have been reported to cause autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxia (ARCA) type 1 with highly variable clinical phenotypes. The aim of this study was to describe the phenotypic-genetic spectrum of SYNE1-related ARCA1 patients in the Chinese population. We screened 158 unrelated patients with autosomal recessive or sporadic ataxia for variants in SYNE1 using next-generation sequencing. Pathogenicity assessment of SYNE1 variants was interpreted according to the American College of Medical Genetics standards and guidelines. We identified eight truncating variants and two missense variants spreading throughout the SYNE1 gene from six unrelated families, including nine novel variants and one reported variant. Of the six index patients, two patients showed the classical pure cerebellar ataxia, while four patients exhibited non-cerebellar phenotypes, including motor neuron symptoms, cognitive impairment, or mental retardation. The variants associated with motor neuron or cognition involvement tend to be located in the C-terminal region of SYNE1 protein, compared with the variants related to pure cerebellar ataxia. Our data indicating SYNE1 mutation is one of the more common causes of recessive ataxia in the Chinese population. The use of next-generation sequencing has enabled the rapid analysis of recessive ataxia and further expanded our understanding of genotype-phenotype correlation.
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