Congenital Hyperinsulinism of a Large Italian Cohort: A Retrospective Study.

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate and describe the diagnostic process, medical, nutritional, and surgical approach, and neurological outcome, we report data from a large Italian cohort of patients with congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 154 CHI patients admitted to Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù from 1985 to 2022. RESULTS: Hypoglycemia occurred within the first year of life in 85.5% of patients, median time to diagnosis was 1 day (IQR 14 days). Ninety-two percent of patients were treated with diazoxide: 66.9% were responsive. Octreotide was administered to 28.6% of patients: 61.4% were responsive. Forty percent of patients were off-therapy, mostly from diazoxide. Thirty-four percent of patients carried mutations in ABCC8, 12.6% were syndromic, and 9.2% were transient CHI. Surgery was performed in 23/47 diazoxide-unresponsive and 2/95 diazoxide-responsive patients: 64.0% were focal at histology. Combining data from genetics, pancreatic venous sampling, 18F-DOPA PET/CT, and histology, 80.6% resulted diffuse, 16.7% focal, and 2.8% atypical CHI. Post-surgical diabetes developed in 6 patients. Neurocognitive evaluation revealed developmental delay or intellectual disability in 15.7% of 70 patients, mostly of a mild degree. Epilepsy was documented in 13.7% of 139 patients. CONCLUSION: Our diagnostic and therapeutic results are mainly consistent with the international indications and the CHI Global Registry data, with relatively low rates of neurological outcomes. Good outcomes were likely associated with early diagnosis and prompt management of patients because the majority of patients were diagnosed within 2 weeks. Remarkably, it is of utmost importance to spread the knowledge and refer CHI patients to multidisciplinary expert centers.

Ketogenic diet as elective treatment in patients with drug-unresponsive hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia caused by glucokinase mutations.

BACKGROUND: Hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia (HI) is the most frequent cause of recurrent hypoglycemia in children. Despite diagnostic and therapeutic advances, it remains an important cause of morbidity, leading to neurological complications, such as psychomotor retardation and epilepsy. Patients with diffuse drug-unresponsive HI manifest neurological impairment and neurobehavioral problems, even though surgically treated with a near-total pancreatectomy. Based on the analogies between HI and GLUT1 deficiency, both presenting with neuroglycopenia and lack of alternative cerebral energy sources, we administered a ketogenic diet (KD) in three drug-unresponsive GCK-HI patients with the aim of preserving neurodevelopment and avoiding the need of a near-total pancreatectomy. They presented recurrent symptomatic hypoglycemia, intellectual disability and refractory epilepsy. Patients were treated with classical KD for 79, 27 and 18 months, respectively. RESULTS: All patients became asymptomatic in a few days and showed an important improvement of the alert state. Epilepsy disappeared and no appearance of novel hypoglycemic lesions was detected with a brain MRI. Cognitive and adaptive abilities rapidly improved and normalized. IQ rose significantly from 81 to 111 (p = 0.04) in patient 1, from 82 vs 95 (p = 0.04) in patient 2, from 60 to 90 (p = 0.04) in patient 3. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated the safety and efficacy of KD in the treatment of drug-unresponsive GCK-HI at a short and long-term. The neuroprotective effects of KD determined the recovery from epilepsy and intellectual disabilities and averted the need of a near-total pancreatectomy. All patients and their families reported an improvement of physical and psychosocial well-being, with a substantial improvement of their quality of life. These results might change the course and the quality of life of these patients and their families, having a relevant impact on human lives. Therefore, KD might be considered the elective treatment in unresponsive forms of GCK-HI.

Evaluation of E-Health Applications for Paediatric Patients with Refractory Epilepsy and Maintained on Ketogenic Diet.

E-health technologies improve healthcare quality and disease management. The aim of this study was to develop a ketogenic diet management app as well as a website about this dietary treatment and to evaluate the benefits of giving caregivers access to various web materials designed for paediatric patients with refractory epilepsy. Forty families participated in the questionnaire survey, from January 2016 to March 2016. All caregivers were exposed to paper-based materials about the ketogenic diet, whereas only 22 received the app, called KetApp, and videos produced by dieticians. Caregivers with free access to web materials were more satisfied than the others with the informative material provided by the centre (p ≤ 0.001, Mann-Whitney test). Indeed, they showed a better attitude towards treatment, and they became more aware of dietary management in comparison to the control group (p ≤ 0.001). Moreover, caregivers provided with web materials were stimulated to pursue the treatment (p = 0.002) and to introduce it to their children and other people (p = 0.001). Additionally, caregivers supplied with web materials were more willing to help other families in choosing the ketogenic diet (p = 0.004). Overall, these findings indicate that web materials are beneficial for caregivers of paediatric patients with refractory epilepsy in our centres. Thus, the use of e-health applications could be a promising tool in the daily aspects of ketogenic diet management, and it is especially of value in the attempt to start or maintain the diet during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

Dietary practices in methylmalonic acidaemia: a European survey.

Background The dietary management of methylmalonic acidaemia (MMA) is a low-protein diet providing sufficient energy to avoid catabolism and to limit production of methylmalonic acid. The goal is to achieve normal growth, good nutritional status and the maintenance of metabolic stability. Aim To describe the dietary management of patients with MMA across Europe. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire was sent to European colleagues managing inherited metabolic disorders (IMDs) (n=53) with 27 questions about the nutritional management of organic acidaemias. Data were analysed by different age ranges (0-6 months; 7-12 months; 1-10 years; 11-16 years; >16 years). Results Questionnaires were returned from 53 centres. Twenty-five centres cared for 80 patients with MMA vitamin B12 responsive (MMAB12r) and 43 centres managed 215 patients with MMA vitamin B12 non-responsive (MMAB12nr). For MMAB12r patients, 44% of centres (n=11/25) prescribed natural protein below the World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization/United Nations University (WHO/FAO/UNU) 2007 safe levels of protein intake in at least one age range. Precursor-free amino acids (PFAA) were prescribed by 40% of centres (10/25) caring for 36% (29/80) of all the patients. For MMAB12nr patients, 72% of centres (n=31/43) prescribed natural protein below the safe levels of protein intake (WHO/FAO/UNU 2007) in at least one age range. PFAA were prescribed by 77% of centres (n=33/43) managing 81% (n=174/215) of patients. In MMAB12nr patients, 90 (42%) required tube feeding: 25 via a nasogastric tube and 65 via a gastrostomy. Conclusions A high percentage of centres used PFAA in MMA patients together with a protein prescription that provided less than the safe levels of natural protein intake. However, there was inconsistent practices across Europe. Long-term efficacy studies are needed to study patient outcome when using PFAA with different severities of natural protein restrictions in patients with MMA to guide future practice.

Chronic liver involvement in urea cycle disorders.

The increased survival of urea cycle disorders (UCDs) patients has led the attention to clinical manifestations that characterize the long-term disease course. Acute and chronic liver disease have been anecdotally reported since the very first description of UCDs. However, a detailed analysis of long-term liver involvement in large patient cohorts is still needed. Chronic liver damage in UCDs has probably a multifactorial origin, but the specific underlying mechanisms of liver disease have not yet been well elucidated. In this study, we report on chronic liver involvement and on associated metabolic abnormalities in a large cohort of 102 UCD patients, followed by two reference centers in Italy. Chronic liver involvement was observed in over 60% of UCDs patients, and comparison between individual diseases showed a significant higher frequency in argininosuccinate lyase deficiency (ASLD) and in hyperornithinemia-hyperammonemia-homocitrullinemia (HHH) syndrome with elevation of transaminases and of gamma-GT in ASLD, and of alpha-fetoprotein in HHH syndrome. Also, consistent with a chronic hepatic dysfunction, ultrasound examination revealed more pronounced abnormalities in ASLD and in HHH syndrome, when compared to other UCDs. Our study highlights in a large UCDs patients' cohort that chronic liver disease is a common finding in UCDs, often with a distinct phenotype between different diseases. Furthers studies are needed to elucidate the specific involvement of different metabolic pathways in the pathogenesis of liver dysfunction in UCDs.

Ketogenic diet in a patient with congenital hyperinsulinism: a novel approach to prevent brain damage.

BACKGROUND: Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is the most frequent cause of hypoglycemia in children. In addition to increased peripheral glucose utilization, dysregulated insulin secretion induces profound hypoglycemia and neuroglycopenia by inhibiting glycogenolysis, gluconeogenesis and lipolysis. This results in the shortage of all cerebral energy substrates (glucose, lactate and ketones), and can lead to severe neurological sequelae. Patients with CHI unresponsive to medical treatment can be subjected to near-total pancreatectomy with increased risk of secondary diabetes. Ketogenic diet (KD), by reproducing a fasting-like condition in which body fuel mainly derives from beta-oxidation, is intended to provide alternative cerebral substrates such ketone bodies. We took advantage of known protective effect of KD on neuronal damage associated with GLUT1 deficiency, a disorder of impaired glucose transport across the blood-brain barrier, and administered KD in a patient with drug-unresponsive CHI, with the aim of providing to neurons an energy source alternative to glucose. METHODS: A child with drug-resistant, long-standing CHI caused by a spontaneous GCK activating mutation (p.Val455Met) suffered from epilepsy and showed neurodevelopmental abnormalities. After attempting various therapeutic regimes without success, near-total pancreatectomy was suggested to parents, who asked for other options. Therefore, we proposed KD in combination with insulin-suppressing drugs. RESULTS: We administered KD for 2 years. Soon after the first six months, the patient was free of epileptic crises, presented normalization of EEG, and showed a marked recover in psychological development and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: KD could represent an effective treatment to support brain function in selected cases of CHI.

Cognitive findings and behavior in children and adolescents with phenylketonuria.

OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this study was to assess cognitive development, in particular that of executive functions (EFs), and behavioral findings for patients with early treated phenylketonuria (PKU). Furthermore, we evaluated the relationships of our findings with plasma levels of Phe and adherence to dietary prescriptions. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was adopted. Patients who had early treated PKU, who were older than 4 years, and who were regularly seen by a physician were enrolled in the study. Cognitive development was assessed with Wechsler Scales appropriate to the chronological age of subjects in the study. Executive functions were assessed using the Tower of London test, and behavioral findings were quantified with the Child Behavior Checklist. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients were enrolled (mean age 11.5 years, SD ± 6.2). The mean Full Scale intelligence quotient was in the normal range (93.4 ± 17.4), without significant difference between the verbal intelligence quotient (mean, 94.3 ± 16.1) and performance intelligence quotient (mean, 93.9 ± 18.0). The majority of patients showed a deficit within the EF domain of cognitive abilities (mean lower than 1.8 SD of the normal mean), 8 of them showing a score <2 SD lower than the normal mean. Internalizing problems were also observed in 12 patients (38.7%) and were higher in adherent patients and in patients with a lower intelligence quotient. CONCLUSION: After early diagnosis and treatment of PKU, residual problems can be found in EFs of patients not achieving satisfactory Phe levels, while scores of internalizing behaviors were higher in compliant patients.

Ketogenic diet in early myoclonic encephalopathy due to non ketotic hyperglycinemia.

Non ketotic hyperglycinemia is a rare inborn error of glycine metabolism due to deficient activity of glycine cleavage system, a multienzymatic complex consisting of four protein subunits: the P-protein, the H-protein, the T-protein and the L-protein. The neonatal form of non ketotic hyperglycinemia presents in the first days of life with encephalopathy, seizures, multifocal myoclonus and characteristic "hiccups". Rapid progression may lead to intractable seizures, coma and respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. Clinical trial with scavenges drugs decreasing glycine levels such as sodium benzoate, and with drugs reducing NMDA receptors excitatory properties, such as ketamine and dextromethorphan, have been tried but the outcome is usually poor; antiepileptic therapy, moreover, is unable to control epileptic seizures. Ketogenic diet has been successfully tried for refractory epilepsy in pediatric patients. We report three cases affected by neonatal non ketotic hyperglycinemia and early myoclonic encephalopathy treated with ketogenic diet. In our patients ketogenic diet, in association with standard pharmacological therapy, determined dramatic reduction of seizures and improved quality of life.

Preemptive liver transplantation in a child with familial hypercholesterolemia.

Familial hypercholesterolemia is an autosomal codominant disorder associated with markedly elevated plasma concentration of LDL-cholesterol and increased cardiovascular risk. Homozygous patients have rapid development of atherosclerosis with death from cardiovascular disease even in childhood. Life-long recurrent apheresis to reduce plasma LDL-cholesterol is considered the gold standard for treatment. Liver transplantation can be curative for this condition, but is usually only considered after the development of cardiovascular disease. We report a 5.5-yr-old child initially misdiagnosed with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia and treated by low-fat diet only. In view of persistent hypercholesterolemia and development of xanthomatosis, new molecular studies indicated the presence of two different mutations in the LDL receptor gene, with one being a deletion of two exons not identifiable with standard sequencing analysis. Recurrent plasma apheresis in combination with statins lowered, but did not normalize plasma LDL-cholesterol levels. It caused progressive reduction of the size of xanthomas and prevented the development of vascular complications. After two yr, liver transplantation normalized LDL-cholesterol levels and completely resolved the skin lesions. Preemptive liver transplantation is a definitive cure of familial homozygous hypercholesterolemia and might be more effective if performed before development of vascular complications.