3-Hydroxy-isobutyryl-coenzyme A hydrolase deficiency: a case report and literature review / 中华神经科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To analyze the characteristics of clinical manifestation, auxiliary examination and gene mutation of 3-hydroxy-isobutyryl-coenzyme A hydrolase (HIBCH) deficiency to better understand this disease.Methods:The clinical manifestations and genetic results of a patient with HIBCH deficiency were analyzed. The clinical features and genetic characteristics of HIBCH deficiency were summarized based on the literature review.Results:The proband, female, one year and four months old, was admitted to Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University for “vomiting and diarrhea for 15 days, dyspnea and intermittent convulsions for 13 days after digestive tract infection”. The intelligence was normal, however, the motor development was slightly delayed before onset. Physical examination showed light coma, poor response and insensitivity to light. She also had shortness of breath, weak positive three concave signs and coarse breath sound in both lungs with sputum purrs. In addition, the muscle tension of extremities was increased. Bilateral Brudzinski′s sign, Babinski′s sign and Kernig′s sign were negative. Serum hydroxybutyryl carnitine (C4OH) was increased. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed atrophy in bilateral cerebral hemispheres and abnormal symmetry signals in bilateral globus pallidus and cerebral peduncle. Novel compound heterozygous variants of HIBCH, c.489T>A (p. C163*) and c.740A>G (p. Y247C), were found in the patient, which respectively inherited from her healthy parents. Her symptoms were relieved after“cocktail”therapy and symptomatic treatment. Literature related to HIBCH deficiency published all around the world was reviewed. As a result, 17 articles, including 24 cases, had been reported. The majority of patients presented with poor feeding, dystonia and progressive motor developmental delay in early infancy. Cranial MRI showed lesions in bilateral basal ganglia. Serum C4OH concentration was elevated. And compound heterozygous or homozygous variants of HIBCH gene were found in patients with HIBCH deficiency.Conclusions:The detection of serum amino acids and acylcarnitine profiles on HIBCH deficiency was relatively specific and it was helpful to make a clear diagnosis by combining with cranial MRI and genetic tests. In this study, a case of HIBCH deficiency was confirmed, which expanded the mutation spectrum of HIBCH gene. Meanwhile, summarizing the clinical and genetic characteristics of cases reported improved understanding of HIBCH deficiency.