ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Intronic GAA repeat expansion ([GAA] ≥250) in FGF14 is associated with the late-onset neurodegenerative disorder, spinocerebellar ataxia 27B (SCA27B, GAA-FGF14 ataxia). We aim to determine the prevalence of the GAA repeat expansion in FGF14 in Chinese populations presenting late-onset cerebellar ataxia (LOCA) and evaluate the characteristics of tandem repeat inheritance, radiological features and sympathetic nerve involvement. METHODS: GAA-FGF14 repeat expansion was screened in an undiagnosed LOCA cohort (n = 664) and variations in repeat-length were analyzed in families of confirmed GAA-FGF14 ataxia patients. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to evaluate the radiological feature in GAA-FGF14 ataxia patients. Clinical examinations and sympathetic skin response (SSR) recordings in GAA-FGF14 patients (n = 16) were used to quantify sympathetic nerve involvement. RESULTS: Two unrelated probands (2/664) were identified. Genetic screening for GAA-FGF14 repeat expansion was performed in 39 family members, 16 of whom were genetically diagnosed with GAA-FGF14 ataxia. Familial screening revealed expansion of GAA repeats in maternal transmissions, but contraction upon paternal transmission. Brain MRI showed slight to moderate cerebellar atrophy. SSR amplitude was lower in GAA-FGF14 patients in pre-symptomatic stage compared to healthy controls, and further decreased in the symptomatic stage. CONCLUSIONS: GAA-FGF14 ataxia was rare among Chinese LOCA cases. Parental gender appears to affect variability in GAA repeat number between generations. Reduced SSR amplitude is a prominent feature in GAA-FGF14 patients, even in the pre-symptomatic stage.
ABSTRACT
Primary familial brain calcification (PFBC) is a rare neurological disorder. Mutations in five genes (SLC20A2, PDGFRB, PDGFB, XPR1, and MYORG) have been linked to PFBC. Here, we used SYBR green-based real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography analysis to detect copy number variants (CNVs) in 20 unrelated patients with PFBC, negatively sequenced for the five known genes. We identified three deletions in SLC20A2, including a large de novo full gene deletion and two exonic deletions confined to exon 2 and exon 6, respectively. Subsequent linked-read whole-genome sequencing of the patient with the large deletion showed a 1.7 Mb heterozygous deletion which removed the entire coding regions of SLC20A2 as well as 21 other genes. In the family with a deletion of exon 6, a missense variant of uncertain significance (SLC20A2: p.E267Q) also co-segregated with the disease. Functional assay showed the deletion could result in significantly impaired phosphate transport, whereas the p.E267Q variant did not. Our results confirm that deletion in SLC20A2 is a causal mechanism for PFBC and highlight the importance of functional study for classifying a rare missense variant as (likely) pathogenic.
