Adams-Oliver syndrome induced by dedicator of cytokinesis 6 gene mutation: a case report and literature review / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To analyze the clinical manifestation and genetic testing in a patient with Adams-Oliver syndrome (AOS) and summarize clinical and genetic characteristics of the dedicator of cytokinesis (DOCK) 6 gene related AOS through reviewing related references.Methods Information of the proband who was hospitalized in Affiliated Children Hospital of Capital Institute of Pediatrics in October 2016 and her family members as well as their DNA samples were collected.The gene sequencing was performed using next generation sequencing technology.Using "Adams-Oliver syndrome"and "DOCK6" as key words,the relevant articles were searched from the Pubmed,China National Knowledge Internet and Wanfang databases and reports of 19 cases were reviewed.Results The proband is an eight months old girl.She presented with severe developmental delay,terminal transverse limb defects and visual loss after birth,and then suffered from tonic seizures and myoclonic seizures at two months old.By physical examination she was found to have esotropia and visual loss.The distal phalanx and nail of the right second-fourth fingers were absent,while the phalangette of the left second-fourth fingers and bilateral distal phalanges of toes were short with small nails attachment.Thyroid function test showed hypothyroidism.The ocular fundus examination showed the residual vitreous artery in the left eye and the retinal pigment degeneration in the right eye.CT scan showed multiple bilateral periventricular calcification and cranial magnetic resonance imaging showed bilateral periventricular lesion.Two heterozygous mutations were identified in DOCK6 gene:one was a known pathogenic mutation (p.L1064Vfs*60),and the other was a novel splice site mutation (c.873+ 1G＞A).By analyzing this case and reported 19 cases,the common performances of DOCK6 gene related AOS included terminal transverse limb defects (20/20),aplasia cutis congenita (18/20),ocular abnormalities (13/20),seizures (12/20),mental retardation (12/20),microcephaly (10/20),cardiovascular malformations (10/20),intrauterine growth retardation (6/20).The mutation of the DOCK6 gene was found to be dominated by frameshift mutation and splice site mutation.Conclusions If either terminal transverse limb defects or aplasia cutis congenita was detected in a patient,AOS should be under consideration.In addition,autosomal recessive inheritance,nervous system and eyes involvement will further indicate DOCK6 gene related AOS.

Clinical manifestation and gene analyses of 15 patients with intellectual disability or developmental delay complicated with congenital nystagmus / 中华儿科杂志

Objective@#To analyze the clinical and genetic features of 15 cases with intellectual disability or developmental delay (ID/DD) complicated with congenital nystagmus.@*Method@#The clinical characteristics and the results of laboratory tests, images and genetics of 15 patients with ID/DD complicated with congenital nystagmus, confirmed by gene diagnosis in the Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Institute of Pediatrics from March 2015 to October 2016, were retrospectively analyzed. The physiological function of 13 disease genes and the molecular signaling pathways were also comparatively studied.@*Result@#The patients included 11 males and four females, with an age of 2 months-15 years (median age 27 months). The result of multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification was positive in two patients only with hypomyelination on head MRI. Positive results were found in 13 patients with or without abnormal head MRI or other deformities using targeted capture technology and next generation sequencing. Two patients were diagnosed with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease, two had hypomyelination with an atrophy of the basal ganglia and cerebellum and two had oculocutaneous albinism. Pelizaeus-Merzbacher-like disease was found in one case, cerebro-oculo-facio-skeletal syndrome in one case, Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome in one case, mental retardation type 5 in one case, methylmalonic aciduria combined with hyperhomocysteinemia in 1 case, ataxia telangiectasia in one case, hypomyelinating leukodystrophy type 8 in one case, Marinesco-Sjögren syndrome in one case and CHARGE syndrome in one case. A total of 12 novo mutations were reported in this study.@*Conclusion@#The causes of children with ID/DD complicated with congenital nystagmusis are complex. Comprehensive clinical and auxiliary examinations should be performed to improve the accuracy of the diagnosis. Reasonable application of different genetic testing methods can significantly improve the diagnostic accuracy of molecular genetic etiology in children with ID/DD.

Computerized online cognitive training of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effect of computerized online cognitive training for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).Methods Fifteen children with ADHD recruited from Department of Neurology in the Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Institute of Pediatrics received computerized online cognitive training including attention training,visual spatial training and memory training.Cognitive neuropsychological test battery (choice reaction time,mental rotation,word semantic,simple subtraction,working memory and visual tracing) was used to assess the cognitive function in pre-training and post-training stages,such as basic response ability,reaction speed,visuo-spatial cognitive ability,semantic comprehension,calculation fluency,working memory and attention ability.Paired-samples t test was used to make comparison of the cognitive test results between pre-training condition and post-training condition.Results All the correction scores of cognitive tests were transformed to percentile scores.Paired-samples t test results showed that the ADHD children got higher scores in the post-training condition than in the pre-training condition in working memory test [(52.00 ± 20.77) ％ vs (39.73 ± 23.64) ％,t =2.72,P ＜ 0.05].There was no significant training effect in choice reaction time,mental rotation,sentence completion,simple subtraction and visual tracing(all P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions Computerized online cognitive training can significantly improve the working memory of children with ADHD,and has no side effects on other cognitive functions.It need to further expand the sample size and follow up the training effect for a long-term.

Cognitive profile of children with newly onset benign epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes before treatment:a study of computerized cognitive testing in epilepsy / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Benign epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes (BECTs) is a common idiopathic partial epileptic syndrome in childhood, which often affect the pre-school and school-age children and a considerable proportion have comorbidity including lower academic achievement and cognitive impairment. Few studies involved the psychocognitive assessment in such a drug-treatable epileptic syndrome especially in the newly diagnosed and medications-naive group. This study aimed to investigate the cognitive characteristics of children with newly onset BECTs before treatment.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Forty-one outpatients with newly diagnosed BECTs who visited the Clinic during the periods from October 2012 to May 2014 before the medications against epilepsy and 41 healthy controls recruited from regular school in Beijing during the period from July 2013 to March 2014, who matched in age and gender underwent battery testing by computerized cognitive testing in epilepsy (CCTE). The BECTs group included 41 children, 20 boys and 21 girls, mean age (8.2 ± 1.7) years, the age of onset of epilepsy 4.5-11.5 years (the age of onset <8 years in 25 cases, ≥ 8 years in 16 cases). The cognitive characteristics and associated factors were analyzed. The primary data including correct answer numbers and reaction times were analyzed by independent sample t-test between the two groups of children with BECTs and healthy controls based on SPSS 18.0 statistical software.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Raw data of 9 tasks' scores collected from BECTs and healthy control children were continuous variables in accordance with normal distribution. BECTs children performed significantly worse than controls in choice reaction time ((618+158) vs. (524+254) ms), three-dimensional mental rotation (11 ± 10 vs. 18 ± 12) and visual tracing (10 ± 6 vs.15 ± 6), t=2.01, 3.03 and 3.47, P<0.05, <0.01 and <0.001, respectively.While other 6 tasks showed no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05 for all comparisons). BECTs boys performed significantly worse than girls on simple substraction tasks compared with standard nine score ((4.7 ± 1.5) vs. (5.6 ± 1.2), t=-2.24, P<0.05). Other 8 tasks showed no significant difference between boys and girls (P>0.05 for all comparisons). Other 9 tasks showed no significant differences between the two groups of BECTs children whose age of onset was before 8 years and those who started seizure ≥ 8 years (P all >0.05). The standard nine scores of simple substraction from the three BECTs groups of dominance sides of spikes and waves during NREM showed significant difference (P<0.05). BECTs children with bilateral discharges performed significantly worse than the other two groups dominantly right or left discharges (4.7 ± 1.2 vs. 6.0 ± 1.2 vs. 4.9 ± 1.4, P all <0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups with right and left side dominance discharges (P>0.05). Other 8 tasks showed no significant differences among the three groups (P>0.05 for all comparisons).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Although EEG discharges index below 50% during NREM period, while newly diagnosed BECTs children before treatment with medications against epilepsy performed poorer on tasks of choice reaction time, three-dimensional mental rotation, and visual tracing. The two factors of male and bilateral discharges during NREM period correlate with dysfunction of simple subtraction, the mechanism needs further study and the cognitive function of epilepsy children should be evaluated and followed up, in order to provide psychologic baseline data for persistent cognitive disturbance.</p>

Clinical characterization and genotype analysis of idiopathic mental retardation in male patients with epilepsy / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To detect genetic causes of idiopathic mental retardation/developmental delay in 20 male patients with epilepsy and to analyze their clinical characteristics of positive mutation carriers.Methods The families,consisted of the patient and his parents were recruited.Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood,and candidate gene mutation screening was carried out by next-generation sequencing technology.Mutations in positive gene were verified by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and direct sequencing.Results Three missense mutations were identified among 3 patients out of 20 cases,with a detection rate of 15％.They were:OPHN1 gene c.1996 C ＞ G,RAB39B gene c.542 C ＞ T and AFF2 gene c.427 A ＞ T,none of which had been reported before.All of these mutations were likely to be pathogenic based on gene function,evolutionary conservation,variant frequency in normal population (NHLBI Exome Sequencing Project and 1 000 Genomes),bioinformatics prediction and inheritance patterns.In addition,all 3 genes disrupted were residing on the X chromosome previously demonstrated to be associated with X-linked mental retardation(XLMR),indicating that they were probably pathogenic or might serve as one of the risk factors.Conclusions Abnormal function of genes on the X chromosomal is one of the most impotent causes of XLMR.X chromosomal gene mutation screening would be recommended for male children suffering from idiopathic mental retardation with epilepsy.

Mutation analysis of the SCN1A gene in severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the mutations of the sodium channel alpha 1 subunit gene SCN1A in severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (SMEI) patients and analyze its inheritance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-three patients consistent with the diagnosis of SMEI were selected for SCN1A mutation analysis. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood lymphocytes of these patients and their parents. All the twenty-six exons of the SCN1A gene were amplified by PCR and sequenced.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the 23 SMEI patients, 17 mutations were identified in 17 unrelated SMEI patients. The SCN1A mutation rate was 73.9% (17/23). The mutations included 8 missense mutations (F90S, I91T, A239T, W952G, T1210K, V1335M, V1390M and G1433E), 3 nonsense mutations (R612X, W768X and W1408X), 3 deletion mutations (A395fsX400, L556fsX557 and V1778fsX1800), 1 insertion mutation (Y1241fsX1270), 1 splice-site mutation (IVS10+3 A to G) and 1 synonymous mutation (K1492K), of which 47.1% (8/17) were truncation mutations. Thirteen mutations (F90S, I91T, T1210K, V1335M, G1433E, R612X, W768X, A395fsX400, L556fsX557, V1778fsX1800, Y1241fsX1270, IVS10+3A to G and K1492K) have not been reported previously. Except for F90S, L556fsX557 and V1778fsX1800, the other 14 mutations were de novo.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>SCN1A is a major pathogenic gene for SMEI. About a half of the SCN1A mutations in SMEI cause truncation. There were no hotspots of SCN1A mutations in SMEI patients, and most mutations were de novo.</p>

Analysis of the GABRG2 gene mutation in a Chinese family with generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify the mutation of the GABA(A)-receptor gamma 2 subunit gene (GABRG2) in a Chinese family with generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+ ) and analyze the genotype-phenotype correlations and its inheritance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood lymphocytes of the proband and other available members in the GEFS+ family. The coding regions and flanking intronic regions of the GABRG2 gene were screened for mutations using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct DNA sequencing.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were 7 affected members in the three-generation family, in which one with febrile seizures (FS) and six with febrile seizures plus (FS+ ). This family was consistent with the diagnostic criteria of GEFS+ . The nonsense mutation c.1287G to A (p.W390X) in the GABRG2 gene was initially identified in the proband. Seven affected members (6 FS+ and 1 FS) and one unaffected member carried the mutation. The nonsense mutation c.1287G to A/p.W390X in the GABRG2 gene was co-segregated with the GEFS+ family. The penetrance rate was about 87.5%(7/8).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This GEFS+ family was consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance with incomplete penetrance. GABRG2 mutation is also a disease-causing mutation in Chinese GEFS+ patients. The p.W390X mutation has not been reported previously.</p>

Case-control study and transmission/disequilibrium test of childhood absence epilepsy / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate whether or not the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor subtype A genes GABRA5 and GABRB3 are associated with childhood absence epilepsy (CAE).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two microsatellite DNA, GABRA5 and GABRB3, adjoining to chromosome 15q11.2-q12 were used as genetic markers. Both case-control study and transmission/disequilibrium test (TDT) as well as fluorescence-based semi-automated genotyping technique were used in 90 trios with CAE and 100 controls to conduct association analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The allele frequencies of the 2 microsatellite DNA in Chinese normal population are in good agreement with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The polymorphism information content of microsatellite DNA GABRA5 and GABRB3, are 0.80 and 0.66 respectively. The allele 2 frequency of microsatellite DNA GABRA5 and the allele 5 frequency of microsatellite DNA GABRB3 are significantly higher in CAE patients than those in normal controls(P<0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Both microsatellite DNA GABRA5 and GABRB3 are good genetic markers. The gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor subtype A genes GABRA5 and GABRB3 may be directly involved either in the etiology of CAE or in linkage disequilibrium with disease-predisposing sites.</p>