Genotype, phenotype and treatment outcomes of 17 Malaysian patients with infantile-onset Pompe disease and the identification of 3 novel GAA variants.

BACKGROUND: Pompe disease is a rare glycogen storage disorder caused by deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA), leading to glycogen deposition in multiple tissues. Infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD) patients present within the first year of life with profound hypotonia and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Treatment with enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) has significantly improved survival for this otherwise lethal disorder. This study aims to describe the clinical and molecular spectrum of Malaysian IOPD patients, and to analyze their long term treatment outcomes. METHODS: Seventeen patients diagnosed with IOPD between 2000 and 2020 were included in this retrospective cohort study. Clinical and biochemical data were collated and analyzed using descriptive statistics. GAA enzyme levels were performed on dried blood spots. Molecular analysis of the GAA gene was performed by polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing. Structural modelling was used to predict the effect of the novel mutations on enzyme structure. RESULTS: Our cohort had a median age of presentation of 3 months and median age of diagnosis of 6 months. Presenting features were hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (100%), respiratory insufficiency (94%), hypotonia (88%), failure to thrive (82%), feeding difficulties (76%), and hepatomegaly (76%). Fourteen different mutations in the GAA gene were identified, with three novel mutations, c.1552-14_1552-1del, exons 2-3 deletion and exons 6-10 deletion. The most common mutation identified was c.1935C > A p.(D645E), with an allele frequency of 33%. Sixteen patients received ERT at the median age of 7 months. Overall survival was 29%. Mean age of death was 17.5 months. Our longest surviving patient has atypical IOPD and is currently 20 years old. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to analyze the genotype and phenotype of Malaysian IOPD patients, and has identified the c.1935C > A p.(D645E) as the most common mutation. The three novel mutations reported in this study expands the mutation spectrum for IOPD. Our low survival rate underscores the importance of early diagnosis and treatment in achieving better treatment outcomes.

Need analysis of a dietary application among caregivers of patients with disorders of amino acid metabolism (AAMDs): A mixed-method approach.

BACKGROUND: A dietary application can assist the caregivers of AAMDs children in auto-calculating the protein intake, hence improving dietary compliance. However, existing dietary application for patients with AAMDs only focus on delivering the nutritional content of food and monitoring the dietary intake but were lacking in other educational components. OBJECTIVE: To assess the uses, needs and preferences towards a dietary application among the caregivers of AAMDs patients. METHODS: We conducted a mixed-method study comprising focus group discussion (FGD) and a quantitative questionnaire survey among caregivers of patients aged between 6-month-old to 18-year-old with AAMDs who are receiving active treatment, both medical and dietetic treatment in the genetic clinic, Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL). RESULTS: A total of 76 and 20 caregivers participated in the survey and FGD respectively. All the caregivers (100%) possessed a smartphone and most of the caregivers (89.5%) had the experience of using smartphone or other technological devices to search for health or medical information. However, majority of the participants were not aware of the existence of any web-based or mobile application related to AAMDs (89.5%). While for the qualitative part, three themes emerged: (1) experience with current source of information; (2) needs for supporting self-management educational contents and needs for technological design application. Most of the caregivers used the nutritional booklet as sources of reference but some of them searched for web-based information. Features perceived by the caregivers included a digital food composition database, sharing diet recall with healthcare providers, self-monitoring diet intake as well as low protein recipes. Besides that, user-friendly and ease to use were also perceived as the important features by the caregivers. CONCLUSION: The identified features and needs by the caregivers should be integrated into the design of the apps to promote acceptance and usage.

Brain monoamine vesicular transport disease caused by homozygous SLC18A2 variants: A study in 42 affected individuals.

PURPOSE: Brain monoamine vesicular transport disease is an infantile-onset movement disorder that mimics cerebral palsy. In 2013, the homozygous SLC18A2 variant, p.Pro387Leu, was first reported as a cause of this rare disorder, and dopamine agonists were efficient for treating affected individuals from a single large family. To date, only 6 variants have been reported. In this study, we evaluated genotype-phenotype correlations in individuals with biallelic SLC18A2 variants. METHODS: A total of 42 affected individuals with homozygous SLC18A2 variant alleles were identified. We evaluated genotype-phenotype correlations and the missense variants in the affected individuals based on the structural modeling of rat VMAT2 encoded by Slc18a2, with cytoplasm- and lumen-facing conformations. A Caenorhabditis elegans model was created for functional studies. RESULTS: A total of 19 homozygous SLC18A2 variants, including 3 recurrent variants, were identified using exome sequencing. The affected individuals typically showed global developmental delay, hypotonia, dystonia, oculogyric crisis, and autonomic nervous system involvement (temperature dysregulation/sweating, hypersalivation, and gastrointestinal dysmotility). Among the 58 affected individuals described to date, 16 (28%) died before the age of 13 years. Of the 17 patients with p.Pro237His, 9 died, whereas all 14 patients with p.Pro387Leu survived. Although a dopamine agonist mildly improved the disease symptoms in 18 of 21 patients (86%), some affected individuals with p.Ile43Phe and p.Pro387Leu showed milder phenotypes and presented prolonged survival even without treatment. The C. elegans model showed behavioral abnormalities. CONCLUSION: These data expand the phenotypic and genotypic spectra of SLC18A2-related disorders.

Molecular, Biochemical, and Clinical Characterization of Thirteen Patients with Glycogen Storage Disease 1a in Malaysia.

Background: Glycogen storage disease type 1a (GSD1a) is a rare autosomal recessive metabolic disorder characterized by hypoglycaemia, growth retardation, lactic acidosis, hepatomegaly, hyperlipidemia, and nephromegaly. GSD1a is caused by a mutation in the G6PC gene encoding glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase); an enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) to phosphate and glucose. Objective: To elaborate on the clinical findings, biochemical data, molecular genetic analysis, and short-term prognosis of 13 GSD1a patients in Malaysia. Methods: The information about 13 clinically classified GSD1a patients was retrospectively studied. The G6PC mutation analysis was performed by PCR-DNA sequencing. Results: Patients were presented with hepatomegaly (92%), hypoglycaemia (38%), poor weight gain (23%), and short stature (15%). Mutation analysis revealed nine heterozygous mutations; eight previously reported mutations (c.155 A > T, c.209 G > A, c.226 A > T, c.248 G > A, c.648 G > T, c.706 T > A, c.1022 T > A, c.262delG) and a novel mutation (c.325 T > C). The most common mutation found in Malaysian patients was c.648 G > T in ten patients (77%) of mostly Malay ethnicity, followed by c.248 G > A in 4 patients of Chinese ethnicity (30%). A novel missense mutation (c.325 T > C) was predicted to be disease-causing by various in silico software. Conclusions: The establishment of G6PC molecular genetic testing will enable the detection of presymptomatic patients, assisting in genetic counselling while avoiding the invasive methods of liver biopsy.

Exploring the Barriers and Motivators to Dietary Adherence among Caregivers of Children with Disorders of Amino Acid Metabolism (AAMDs): A Qualitative Study.

Dietary intervention is generally accepted as the mainstay of treatment for patients with disorders of amino acid metabolism (AAMDs). However, dietary adherence to a low-protein diet is always reported as a common challenge among these patients. This study explored the perception of barriers and motivators to dietary adherence among caregivers of AAMD patients in Malaysia. Twenty caregivers of children with AAMDs receiving ongoing treatment at the genetic clinic participated in an online focus group discussion from November to December 2021. Findings showed a total of five interrelated main themes identified from focus group discussion (FGD) exploring parents' experiences related to the management of their child's daily diet. The barriers to dietary adherence were burden of dietary treatment, diet and dietary behavior, parenting challenges, limited knowledge related to dietary treatment, and challenges in healthcare system delivery. Key factors facilitating good dietary adherence include good knowledge of dietary treatment, parental coping strategies, social coping, and dietary behavior. In conclusion, despite the existence of several barriers to the implementation of dietary treatment, caregivers managed to use a wide range of coping strategies to overcome some, if not all, of the challenges. The important next step is to develop, in conjunction with multidisciplinary healthcare professionals, feasible implementation strategies that could address these barriers and at the same time improve the quality of life of caregivers.

Effect of nutritional intervention on nutritional status among children with disorders of amino acid and nitrogen metabolism (AANMDs): A scoping review.

Disorders of amino acid and nitrogen metabolism (AANMDs) occur due to an enzyme deficiency in a normal biochemical pathway. Nutritional intervention is recognized as the mainstay of treatment for children diagnosed with AANMD. Hence, this scoping review aimed to identify the nutritional interventions available in managing AANMD disorders and their effects on nutritional status. A systematic search using PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) method was conducted across 4 databases: PubMed, ScienceDirect (Elsevier), EBSCOhost and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). Inclusion criteria for the study to be selected are: subjects aged less than 18-year-old, article published in English, utilized an experimental design and published within the past 20 years. A total of 22 articles were included in this review. The majority of the subjects are boys (55.6%) and employed a randomized controlled trial (RCT) study design (45.4%). Nutritional interventions were categorized into 4 categories which are: "protein substitute" (n = 5), "protein substitute with modified composition" (n = 6), "nutrient supplementation (n=8)", and "distribution and dosage of protein substitute (n = 3)". The most frequently assessed outcomes were biochemical parameters that gauge the effectiveness of metabolic control (68.2%). Overall, "protein substitute enriched with inhibitive amino acids", "long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids supplementation", and "evenly distributed protein substitute" demonstrated beneficial effects towards the nutritional status, especially in terms of biochemical parameters. In summary, nutritional intervention plays a significant role in improving the nutritional status of AANMD patients. Further investigations of nutritional intervention among AANMD children using a meta-analysis approach are necessary for better comprehension of their impact in management of AANMD disorders.

Clinical, biochemical and genetic profiles of patients with mucopolysaccharidosis type IVA (Morquio A syndrome) in Malaysia: the first national natural history cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Mucopolysaccharidosis IVA (MPS IVA) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease due to N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfatase (GALNS) deficiency. It results in accumulation of the glycosaminoglycans, keratan sulfate and chondroitin-6-sulfate, leading to skeletal and other systemic impairments. Data on MPS IVA in Asian populations are scarce. METHODS: This is a multicentre descriptive case series of 21 patients comprising all MPS IVA patients in Malaysia. Mutational analysis was performed by PCR and Sanger sequencing of the GALNS gene in 17 patients. RESULTS: The patients (15 females and 6 males) had a mean age (± SD) of 15.5 (± 8.1) years. Mean age at symptom onset was 2.6 (± 2.1) years and at confirmed diagnosis was 6.9 (± 4.5) years. The study cohort included patients from all the main ethnic groups in Malaysia - 57% Malay, 29% Chinese and 14% Indian. Common presenting symptoms included pectus carinatum (57%) and genu valgum (43%). Eight patients (38%) had undergone surgery, most commonly knee surgeries (29%) and cervical spine decompression (24%). Patients had limited endurance with lower mean walking distances with increasing age. GALNS gene analysis identified 18 distinct mutations comprising 13 missense, three nonsense, one small deletion and one splice site mutation. Of these, eight were novel mutations (Tyr133Ser, Glu158Valfs*12, Gly168*, Gly168Val, Trp184*, Leu271Pro, Glu320Lys, Leu508Pro). Mutations in exons 1, 5 and 9 accounted for 51% of the mutant alleles identified. CONCLUSIONS: All the MPS IVA patients in this study had clinical impairments. A better understanding of the natural history and the clinical and genetic spectrum of MPS IVA in this population may assist early diagnosis, improve management and permit timely genetic counselling and prenatal diagnosis.

De novo hotspot variants in CYFIP2 cause early-onset epileptic encephalopathy.

OBJECTIVE: The cytoplasmic fragile X mental retardation 1 interacting proteins 2 (CYFIP2) is a component of the WASP-family verprolin-homologous protein (WAVE) regulatory complex, which is involved in actin dynamics. An obvious association of CYFIP2 variants with human neurological disorders has never been reported. Here, we identified de novo hotspot CYFIP2 variants in neurodevelopmental disorders and explore the possible involvement of the CYFIP2 mutants in the WAVE signaling pathway. METHODS: We performed trio-based whole-exome sequencing (WES) in 210 families and case-only WES in 489 individuals with epileptic encephalopathies. The functional effect of CYFIP2 variants on WAVE signaling was evaluated by computational structural analysis and in vitro transfection experiments. RESULTS: We identified three de novo CYFIP2 variants at the Arg87 residue in 4 unrelated individuals with early-onset epileptic encephalopathy. Structural analysis indicated that the Arg87 residue is buried at an interface between CYFIP2 and WAVE1, and the Arg87 variant may disrupt hydrogen bonding, leading to structural instability and aberrant activation of the WAVE regulatory complex. All mutant CYFIP2 showed comparatively weaker interactions to the VCA domain than wild-type CYFIP2. Immunofluorescence revealed that ectopic speckled accumulation of actin and CYFIP2 was significantly increased in cells transfected with mutant CYFIP2. INTERPRETATION: Our findings suggest that de novo Arg87 variants in CYFIP2 have gain-of-function effects on the WAVE signaling pathway and are associated with severe neurological disorders. Ann Neurol 2018;83:794-806.

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase deficiency as a cause of recurrent hypoglycemia and metabolic acidosis: Clinical and molecular findings in Malaysian patients.

BACKGROUND: Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive inborn error of gluconeogenesis. We reported the clinical findings and molecular genetic data in seven Malaysian patients with FBPase deficiency. METHODS: All patients diagnosed with FBPase deficiency from 2010 to 2015 were included in this study. Their clinical and laboratory data were collected retrospectively. RESULTS: All the patients presented with recurrent episodes of hypoglycemia, metabolic acidosis, hyperlactacidemia and hepatomegaly. All of them had the first metabolic decompensation prior to 2 years old. The common triggering factors were vomiting and infection. Biallelic mutations in FBP1 gene (MIM*611570) were identified in all seven patients confirming the diagnosis of FBPase deficiency. In four patients, genetic study was prompted by detection of glycerol or glycerol-3-phosphate in urine organic acids analysis. One patient also had pseudo-hypertriglyceridemia. Seven different mutations were identified in FBP1, among them four mutations were new: three point deletions (c.392delT, c.603delG and c.704delC) and one splice site mutation (c.568-2A > C). All four new mutations were predicted to be damaging by in silico analysis. One patient presented in the neonatal period and succumbed due to sepsis and multi-organ failure. Among six survivors (current age ranged from 4 to 27 years), four have normal growth and cognitive development. One patient had short stature and another had neurological deficit following status epilepticus due to profound hypoglycemia. CONCLUSION: FBPase deficiency needs to be considered in any children with recurrent hypoglycemia and metabolic acidosis. Our study expands the spectrum of FBP1 gene mutations.

Case report of treatment experience with idursulfase beta (Hunterase) in an adolescent patient with MPS II.

Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) II or Hunter syndrome is a chronic, progressive, multi-systemic illness associated with significant morbidity and early mortality. Available evidence in Asian populations shows that Hunter syndrome has a mean age of onset of 2 to 5 years and a life expectancy of 13 years in more severely affected individuals, with respiratory failure reported as the leading cause of death. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with idursulfase (Elaprase, Shire Pharmaceuticals) and idursulfase beta (Hunterase, Green Cross Corp) are the only approved treatment for patients with MPS II. While these agents have the same amino acids, they have different glycosylation patterns because they are produced in different cell lines via different manufacturing processes. In previous studies, the beneficial effects of idursulfase beta have been confirmed in patients up to 35 years of age, without serious treatment-related safety concerns. The major drawbacks associated with ERT include the potential development of serious infusion-related anaphylactic reactions and up to 50% of treated patients develop anti-IDS antibodies. Here we report the case of a 13-year-old Malaysian patient with attenuated MPS II who developed troublesome infusion-associated reactions while receiving idursulfase treatment but tolerated and responded favorably to idursulfase beta.

CFTR founder mutation causes protein trafficking defects in Chinese patients with cystic fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare condition in Asians. Since 1985, only about 30 Chinese patients have been reported with molecular confirmation. METHOD: Using our in-house next-generation sequencing (NGS) pipeline for childhood bronchiectasis, we identified disease-causing CFTR mutations in CF patients in Hong Kong. After identifying p.I1023R in multiple patients, haplotype analysis was performed with genome-wide microarray to ascertain the likelihood of this being a founder mutation. We also assessed the processing and gating activity of the mutant protein by Western hybridization and patch-clamp test. RESULTS: Molecular diagnoses were confirmed in four patients, three of whom shared a missense mutation: CFTR:c.3068T>G:p.I1023R. The results suggested that p.I1023R is a founder mutation in southern Han Chinese. In addition, the processing and gating activity of the mutant protein was assessed by gel electrophoresis and a patch-clamp test. The mutant protein exhibited trafficking defects, suggesting that the dysfunction is caused by reduced cell surface expression of the fully glycosylated proteins. CONCLUSION: Together with other previously reported mutations, the specific founder mutation presented herein suggests a unique CFTR mutation spectrum in the southern Chinese populations, and this finding has vital implications for improving molecular testing and mutation-specific treatments for Chinese patients with CF.

Biallelic TBCD Mutations Cause Early-Onset Neurodegenerative Encephalopathy.

We describe four families with affected siblings showing unique clinical features: early-onset (before 1 year of age) progressive diffuse brain atrophy with regression, postnatal microcephaly, postnatal growth retardation, muscle weakness/atrophy, and respiratory failure. By whole-exome sequencing, we identified biallelic TBCD mutations in eight affected individuals from the four families. TBCD encodes TBCD (tubulin folding co-factor D), which is one of five tubulin-specific chaperones playing a pivotal role in microtubule assembly in all cells. A total of seven mutations were found: five missense mutations, one nonsense, and one splice site mutation resulting in a frameshift. In vitro cell experiments revealed the impaired binding between most mutant TBCD proteins and ARL2, TBCE, and ß-tubulin. The in vivo experiments using olfactory projection neurons in Drosophila melanogaster indicated that the TBCD mutations caused loss of function. The wide range of clinical severity seen in this neurodegenerative encephalopathy may result from the residual function of mutant TBCD proteins. Furthermore, the autopsied brain from one deceased individual showed characteristic neurodegenerative findings: cactus and somatic sprout formations in the residual Purkinje cells in the cerebellum, which are also seen in some diseases associated with mitochondrial impairment. Defects of microtubule formation caused by TBCD mutations may underlie the pathomechanism of this neurodegenerative encephalopathy.

N-Carbamylglutamate Is an Effective Treatment for Acute Neonatal Hyperammonaemia in a Patient with Methylmalonic Aciduria.

N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) has been used in combination with ammonia scavengers (sodium benzoate, sodium phenylbutyrate) and dialysis to treat hyperammonaemia in methylmalonic aciduria (MMA). The sole use of NCG for acute neonatal hyperammonaemia secondary to MMA is demonstrated in a neonate presenting at day 9 with encephalopathy, severe metabolic acidosis, hyperammonaemia (1,089 µmol/l), ketonuria and urinary methylmalonic acids. Emergency treatment included discontinuing protein feeds, providing high calories, carnitine and hydroxocobalamin. NCG 200 mg given at 0 and 90 min decreased plasma ammonia dramatically from 1,089 to 567 µmol/l at 90 min and further to 236 µmol/l at 6 h. Normalisation of ammonia was achieved at 12 h with two further doses of NCG 100 mg. This allowed for early re-institution of feeds at 14 h, followed by metabolic stabilization and recovery. Due to the effectiveness of NCG in this case, the use of the more invasive conventional ammonia-lowering therapeutic options could be avoided.