Identification of two novel arylsulfatase A mutations with a polymorphism as a cause of metachromatic leukodystrophy

Predicting disease severity in metachromatic leukodystrophy using protein activity and a patient phenotype matrix

BACKGROUND

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the arylsulfatase A gene (ARSA) and categorized into three subtypes according to age of onset. The functional effect of most ARSA mutants remains unknown; better understanding of the genotype-phenotype relationship is required to support newborn screening (NBS) and guide treatment.

RESULTS

We collected a patient data set from the literature that relates disease severity to ARSA genotype in 489 individuals with MLD. Patient-based data were used to develop a phenotype matrix that predicts MLD phenotype given ARSA alleles in a patient's genotype with 76% accuracy. We then employed a high-throughput enzyme activity assay using mass spectrometry to explore the function of ARSA variants from the curated patient data set and the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD). We observed evidence that 36% of variants of unknown significance (VUS) in ARSA may be pathogenic. By classifying functional effects for 251 VUS from gnomAD, we reduced the incidence of genotypes of unknown significance (GUS) by over 98.5% in the overall population.

CONCLUSIONS

These results provide an additional tool for clinicians to anticipate the disease course in MLD patients, identifying individuals at high risk of severe disease to support treatment access. Our results suggest that more than 1 in 3 VUS in ARSA may be pathogenic. We show that combining genetic and biochemical information increases diagnostic yield. Our strategy may apply to other recessive diseases, providing a tool to address the challenge of interpreting VUS within genotype-phenotype relationships and NBS.

Comprehensive clinical, biochemical, radiological and genetic analysis of 28 Turkish cases with suspected metachromatic leukodystrophy and their relatives

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is a glycosphingolipid storage disease caused by deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme arylsulfatase A (ASA) or its activator protein saposin B. MLD can affect all age groups in severity varying from a severe fatal form to milder adult onset forms. Diagnosis is usually made by measuring leukocyte ASA activity. However, this test can give false negative or false positive laboratory results due to pseudodeficiency of ASA and saposin B deficiency, respectively. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate patients with suspected MLD in a Turkish population by comprehensive clinical, biochemical, radiological, and genetic analyses for molecular and phenotypic characterization. We analyzed 28 suspected MLD patients and 41 relatives from 24 families. ASA activity was found to be decreased in 21 of 28 patients. Sixteen patients were diagnosed as MLD (11 late infantile, 2 juvenile and 3 adult types), 2 MSD, 2 pseudodeficiency (PD) and the remaining 8 patients were diagnosed as having other leukodystrophies. Enzyme analysis showed that the age of onset of MLD did not correlate with residual ASA activity. Sequence analysis showed 11 mutations in ARSA, of which 4 were novel (p.Trp195GlyfsTer5, p.Gly298Asp, p.Arg301Leu, and p.Gly311Asp), and 2 mutations in SUMF1 causing multiple sulfatase deficiency, and confirmed the diagnosis of MLD in 2 presymptomatic relatives. All individuals with confirmed mutations had low ASA activity and urinary sulfatide excretion. Intra- and inter-familial variability was high for the same ARSA missense genotypes, indicating the contribution of other factors to disease expression. Imaging findings were evaluated through a modified brain MRI scoring system which indicated patients with protein-truncating mutations had more severe MRI findings and late-infantile disease onset. MRI findings were not specific for the diagnosis. Anti-sulfatide IgM was similar to control subjects, and IgG, elevated in multiple sulfatase deficiency. In conclusion, the knowledge on the biochemical, clinical and genetic basis of MLD was expanded, a modified diagnostic laboratory algorithm for MLD based on integrated evaluation of ASA activity, urinary sulfatide excretion and genetic tests was devised.

Clinical, Biochemical, and Molecular Characterization of Metachromatic Leukodystrophy Among Egyptian Pediatric Patients: Expansion of the ARSA Mutational Spectrum

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive demyelination due to deficiency of the enzyme arylsulfatase A (ARSA) in leukocytes, and consequently leads to impaired degradation and accumulation of cerebroside-3-sulfate (sulfatide). This study aimed to sequence the ARSA gene in a total of 43 patients with metachromatic leukodystrophy descendant from 40 Egyptian families. In addition, four carrier parents from two families with children who had died from MLD came to the clinic for genetic analysis. Prenatal diagnosis was performed for four families with molecularly diagnosed MLD sibs. Different mutations were characterized in our cohort, including missense, nonsense, splice, and deletion. Overall, 21 different mutations in the ARSA gene were detected, with 12 novel mutations, i.e. p.Arg60Pro, p.Tyr65*, p.Val112Asp, p.Arg116*, p.Gly124Asp, p.Pro193Ser, p.Gln238*, p.Gln456*, p.Thr276Lys, and p.Gly311Arg, in addition to two new acceptor splice-site mutations 685-1G > A and c.954_956 delCTT. The amniotic fluid samples revealed two carrier fetuses with heterozygous monoallelic mutations, and two affected fetuses had the homozygous biallelic mutations. In conclusion, the current study sheds light on the underlying ARSA gene defect, with an expansion of the mutation spectrum. To our knowledge, this is the first molecular study of MLD among the Egyptian population.

Identification of a missense ARSA mutation in metachromatic leukodystrophy and its potential pathogenic mechanism

Background

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is a rare inherited lysosomal disorder caused by mutations in ARSA. The biological processes of MLD disease caused by candidate pathogenic mutations in the ARSA gene remain unclear.

Methods

We used whole‐exome sequencing (WES) and Sanger sequencing to identify the pathogenic mutation in a Chinese family. Literature review and protein three‐dimensional structure prediction were performed to analyze the potential pathogenesis of the identified mutations. Overexpression cell models of wild‐type and mutated ARSA genes were constructed. The accumulated sulfatides and expression profiles in the cell models were detected, and a series of bioinformatics analyses were carried out to compare the biological changes caused by the candidate pathogenic mutations.

Results

We identified an ARSA c.925G>A homozygous mutation from a Chinese late‐infantile MLD patient, the first report of this mutation in East Asia. The literature and protein structure analysis indicated that three types of mutations at c.925G (c.925G>A, c.925G>T, c.925G>C) were pathogenic. The overexpression of wild‐type or mutated ARSA genes influenced the accumulation of sulfatides. The co‐expression modules in the mutated cell models were constructed by genes related to calcium signaling and vesicle transport.

Conclusion

Our results identified a pathogenic mutation, ARSA homozygosity c.925G>A, from a Chinese MLD family. The pathogenic mechanism of the ARSA mutation in MLD was identified, which may suggest new approaches to diagnosis and treatment.

Metachromatic leukodystrophy: Biochemical characterization of two (p.307Glu→Lys, p.318Trp→Cys) arylsulfatase A mutations

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is a lysosomal storage disease caused by Arylsulfatase A (ASA) deficiency. The hallmark of the disease is central and peripheral neurodegeneration. More than 200 mutations have been identified in ARSA gene so far. Some of these mutations were characterized. The aim of this study is to reinforce genotype-phenotype correlation and to understand the effect of mutations on the enzyme by biochemical characterization. Two missense mutations (c.919G→A, p.307Glu→Lys and c.954G→T, p.318Trp→Cys in exon 5) were constructed on WT-ASA cDNA and were confirmed by DNA sequence analysis. Plasmid DNA carrying mutant or normal ASA cDNA was transferred to Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells through transient transfection. ASA protein was produced by CHO cells. Hexosaminidase beta-subunit gene was cotransfected into the CHO cells as a control gene of transfection efficiency. 48 hours after transfection, cells were collected and homogenized. ASA and hexosaminidase activities were measured in supernatant. ASA enzyme activity is decreased 100% according to the control by the effect of both mutations. The mutations are located in the higly conserved region of the protein. In this study, we showed that both mutations result in null ASA activity in CHO cells making the protein nonfunctional. We confirmed that p.307Glu→Lys and p.318Trp→Cys mutations cause late infantile form of MLD disease.

Cerebral gray and white matter changes and clinical course in metachromatic leukodystrophy

OBJECTIVE

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is a rare metabolic disorder leading to demyelination and rapid neurologic deterioration. As therapeutic options evolve, it seems essential to understand and quantify progression of the natural disease. The aim of this study was to assess cerebral volumetric changes in children with MLD in comparison to normal controls and in relation to disease course.

METHOD

Eighteen patients with late-infantile MLD and 42 typically developing children in the same age range (20-59 months) were analyzed in a cross-sectional study. Patients underwent detailed genetic, biochemical, electrophysiologic, and clinical characterization. Cerebral gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes were assessed by multispectral segmentation of T1- and T2-weighted MRI. In addition, the demyelinated WM (demyelination load) was automatically quantified in T2-weighted images of the patients, and analyzed in relation to the clinical course.

RESULTS

WM volumes of patients did not differ from controls, although their growth curves were slightly different. GM volumes of patients, however, were on average 10.7% (confidence interval 6.0%-14.9%, p < 0.001) below those of normally developing children. The demyelination load (corrected for total WM volume) increased with disease duration (p < 0.003) and motor deterioration (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

GM volume in patients with MLD is reduced when compared with healthy controls, already at young age. This supports the notion that, beside demyelination, neuronal dysfunction caused by neuronal storage plays an additional role in the disease process. The demyelination load may be a useful noninvasive imaging marker for disease progression and may serve as reference for therapeutic intervention.

Brain MRI and biological diagnosis in five Tunisians MLD patients

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is a recessive autosomal disease which is characterized by an accumulation of sulfatides in the central and peripheral nervous system. It is due to the enzyme deficiency of the sulfatide sulfatase i.e. arylsulfatase A (ASA). we studied 5/200 cases of MLD and clearly distinguished three clinical forms. One of them presented the juvenile form; two presented the late infantile form; and two other presented the adult form. The Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of these patients showed a diffuse, bilateral and symmetrical demyelination. The biochemical diagnosis of MLD patients evidencing the low activity of ASA and sulfatide accumulation.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We studied 5/200 MLD patients addressed to us for behavioral abnormalities and progressive mental deterioration. All of them were diagnosed at first by brain MRI evidencing a bilateral demyelination, then the measurement of ASA activity using P-nitrocathecol sulfate as substrate, finally the sulfatiduria was performed using thin-layer chromatography using alpha-naphtol reagent.

RESULTS

In this study, from 200 patients presenting behavioral abnormalities and a progressive mental deterioration, we reported just 2 patients were diagnosed as late-infantile form of MLD. Only1 case presented as the juvenile form; and 2 patients with the adult-type of MLD. The brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of all patients showed characteristic lesions of MLD with extensive demyelination. Biochemical investigations of these patients detected a low level of ASA activity at 0°C and 37°C; the excess of sulfatide in sulfatiduria.

CONCLUSION

MRI is required to orient the diagnosis of MLD patients; the latter must be confirmed by the biochemical investigations which is based on the measurement of ASA activity and the excess of sulfatide showed in the sulfatiduria.

VIRTUAL SLIDES

The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here:http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1791578262610232.