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Witters P, Debbold E, Crivelly K, Vande Kerckhove K, Corthouts K, Debbold B, Andersson H, Vannieuwenborg L, Geuens S, Baumgartner M, Kozicz T, Settles L, Morava E. Autism in patients with propionic acidemia. Mol Genet Metab 2016; 119:317-321. [PMID: 27825584 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2016.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2016] [Revised: 10/29/2016] [Accepted: 10/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Certain inborn errors of metabolism have been suggested to increase the risk of autistic behavior. In an animal model, propionic acid ingestion triggered abnormal behavior resembling autism. So far only a few cases were reported with propionic acidemia and autistic features. From a series of twelve consecutively diagnosed cases with propionic acidemia, we report on eight patients with autistic features. The patients were followed 2-4 times a year and underwent regular clinical, dietary and laboratory investigations. Psychological evaluation was performed every second to fourth year. All patients were compliant with the standard diet and carnitine supplementation. None of the patients had frequent metabolic decompensations. From the metabolic factors known to impact neuropsychological outcome we detected chronically decreased valine levels and altered valine to leucine ratios in five out of the eight patients. Recurrent lactic acid elevations were present in six out of the eight patients. Five of the eight patients were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, four of them had pathogenic variants in PCCB. Disorder according to DSM-IV and/or DSM-5 criteria. One of the patients diagnosed with propionic acidemia by newborn screening had the most significant behavioral features and another was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder prior to propionic acidemia. We hypothesize that chronic suboptimal intracellular metabolic balance may be responsible for the increased risk for autistic features in propionic acidemia. We propose that patients diagnosed with propionic acidemia should be screened for Autism Spectrum Disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Witters
- Department of Pediatrics, Metabolic Center, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Eric Debbold
- Hayward Genetics Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Kea Crivelly
- Hayward Genetics Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | | | - Karen Corthouts
- Department of Pediatrics, Metabolic Center, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Brett Debbold
- Hayward Genetics Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Hans Andersson
- Hayward Genetics Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Lena Vannieuwenborg
- Department of Psychology, Metabolic Center, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sam Geuens
- Department of Psychology, Metabolic Center, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matthias Baumgartner
- Division of Metabolism, Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tamas Kozicz
- Hayward Genetics Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA; Donders Institute for Brain, Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lisa Settles
- Department of Psychiatry, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Eva Morava
- Department of Pediatrics, Metabolic Center, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Hayward Genetics Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
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