Exploration of urine metabolic biomarkers for new-onset, untreated pediatric epilepsy: A gas and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry-based metabolomics study.

OBJECTIVE: The discovery of objective indicators for recent epileptic seizures will help confirm the diagnosis of epilepsy and evaluate therapeutic effects. Past studies had shortcomings such as the inclusion of patients under treatment and those with various etiologies that could confound the analysis results significantly. We aimed to minimize such confounding effects and to explore the small molecule biomarkers associated with the recent occurrence of epileptic seizures using urine metabolomics. METHODS: This is a multicenter prospective study. Subjects included pediatric patients aged 2 to 12 years old with new-onset, untreated epilepsy, who had had the last seizure within 1 month before urine collection. Controls included healthy children aged 2 to 12 years old. Those with underlying or chronic diseases, acute illnesses, or recent administration of medications or supplements were excluded. Targeted metabolome analysis of spot urine samples was conducted using gas chromatography (GC)- and liquid chromatography (LC)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). RESULTS: We enrolled 17 patients and 21 controls. Among 172 metabolites measured by GC/MS/MS and 41 metabolites measured by LC/MS/MS, only taurine was consistently reduced in the epilepsy group. This finding was subsequently confirmed by the absolute quantification of amino acids. No other metabolites were consistently altered between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Urine metabolome analysis, which covers a larger number of metabolites than conventional biochemistry analyses, found no consistently altered small molecule metabolites except for reduced taurine in epilepsy patients compared to healthy controls. Further studies with larger samples, subjects with different ages, expanded target metabolites, and the investigation of plasma samples are required.

Comprehensive study of metabolic changes induced by a ketogenic diet therapy using GC/MS- and LC/MS-based metabolomics.

OBJECTIVE: The ketogenic diet (KD), a high-fat and low-carbohydrate diet, is effective for a subset of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, although the mechanisms of the KD have not been fully elucidated. The aims of this observational study were to investigate comprehensive short-term metabolic changes induced by the KD and to explore candidate metabolites or pathways for potential new therapeutic targets. METHODS: Subjects included patients with intractable epilepsy who had undergone the KD therapy (the medium-chain triglyceride [MCT] KD or the modified Atkins diet using MCT oil). Plasma and urine samples were obtained before and at 2-4 weeks after initiation of the KD. Targeted metabolome analyses of these samples were performed using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). RESULTS: Samples from 10 and 11 patients were analysed using GC/MS/MS and LC/MS/MS, respectively. The KD increased ketone bodies, various fatty acids, lipids, and their conjugates. In addition, levels of metabolites located upstream of acetyl-CoA and propionyl-CoA, including catabolites of branched-chain amino acids and structural analogues of γ-aminobutyric acid and lactic acid, were elevated. CONCLUSIONS: The metabolites that were significantly changed after the initiation of the KD and related metabolites may be candidates for further studies for neuronal actions to develop new anti-seizure medications.

Changes in the Incidence of Infantile Spinal Muscular Atrophy in Shikoku, Japan between 2011 and 2020.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorder. Al-though there was no cure for SMA, newly developed therapeutic drugs (nusinersen, onasemnogene abeparvovec, and risdiplam) have been proven effective for the improvement of motor function and prevention of respiratory insufficiency of infants with SMA. Nusinersen was introduced in Japan in 2017 and onasemnogene abeparvovec in 2020. We hypothesized that the introduction of these drugs might influence the incidence of SMA (more precisely, increase the diagnosis rate of SMA) in Japan. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a second epidemiological study of infantile SMA using questionnaires in Shikoku, Japan between October 2021 and February 2022. The incidence of infantile SMA during the period 2016-2020 was 7.08 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.45-11.71) per 100,000 live births. According to our previous epidemiological study, the incidence of infantile SMA during 2011-2015 was 2.70 (95% CI 0.05-5.35) per 100,000 live births. The increased incidence of infantile SMA suggests that the widespread news in Japan regarding the introduction of therapeutic agents, nusinersen and onasemnogene abeparvovec, raised clinicians' awareness about SMA, leading to increased and earlier diagnosis of SMA in Shikoku.

Clinical and molecular features of 66 patients with musculocontractural Ehlers-Danlos syndrome caused by pathogenic variants in CHST14 (mcEDS-CHST14).

BACKGROUND: Musculocontractural Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is caused by biallelic loss-of-function variants in CHST14 (mcEDS-CHST14) or DSE (mcEDS-DSE). Although 48 patients in 33 families with mcEDS-CHST14 have been reported, the spectrum of pathogenic variants, accurate prevalence of various manifestations and detailed natural history have not been systematically investigated. METHODS: We collected detailed and comprehensive clinical and molecular information regarding previously reported and newly identified patients with mcEDS-CHST14 through international collaborations. RESULTS: Sixty-six patients in 48 families (33 males/females; 0-59 years), including 18 newly reported patients, were evaluated. Japanese was the predominant ethnicity (27 families), associated with three recurrent variants. No apparent genotype-phenotype correlation was noted. Specific craniofacial (large fontanelle with delayed closure, downslanting palpebral fissures and hypertelorism), skeletal (characteristic finger morphologies, joint hypermobility, multiple congenital contractures, progressive talipes deformities and recurrent joint dislocation), cutaneous (hyperextensibility, fine/acrogeria-like/wrinkling palmar creases and bruisability) and ocular (refractive errors) features were observed in most patients (>90%). Large subcutaneous haematomas, constipation, cryptorchidism, hypotonia and motor developmental delay were also common (>80%). Median ages at the initial episode of dislocation or large subcutaneous haematoma were both 6 years. Nine patients died; their median age was 12 years. Several features, including joint and skin characteristics (hypermobility/extensibility and fragility), were significantly more frequent in patients with mcEDS-CHST14 than in eight reported patients with mcEDS-DSE. CONCLUSION: This first international collaborative study of mcEDS-CHST14 demonstrated that the subtype represents a multisystem disorder with unique set of clinical phenotypes consisting of multiple malformations and progressive fragility-related manifestations; these require lifelong, multidisciplinary healthcare approaches.

Survey of patients with spinal muscular atrophy on the island of Shikoku, Japan.

BACKGROUND: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an inherited neuromuscular disorder associated with spinal motor neuron loss and characterized by generalized muscle weakness. Only a few reports exist on SMA epidemiology in Japan. Additionally, nusinersen recently became available as a treatment for this condition. We estimated the prevalence of each type of SMA on Shikoku, Japan's fourth-largest major island. METHODS: We sent a questionnaire to all 131 hospitals in Shikoku that have pediatrics or neurology departments from March to September 2019, asking whether each hospital had SMA patients at that time. If so, we sent a second questionnaire to obtain more detailed information on the clinical data and treatment of each patient. RESULTS: A total of 117 hospitals (89.3%) responded to our first questionnaire, and 21 SMA patients were reported, 16 of whom had homozygous deletion of SMN1. Of the 21, nine had SMA type 1, five were type 2, five were type 3, one was type 4, and one was unidentified. The estimated prevalence for all instances of SMA and 5q-SMA was 0.56 and 0.43 per 100,000 people, respectively. Thirteen patients had received nusinersen therapy. Its outcomes varied from no obvious effects and being unable to sit to being able to sit independently. CONCLUSION: Our data showed the prevalence of SMA types 2 and 3 was relatively low on Shikoku compared with previous reports from other countries, suggesting delayed diagnosis may affect the results. Remaining motor function may be one predicting factor. Greater awareness of SMA among clinicians and patients seems necessary for more accurate epidemiological studies.

Vitamin B6 in acute encephalopathy with biphasic seizures and late reduced diffusion.

BACKGROUND: The initial presentation of acute encephalopathy with biphasic seizures and late reduced diffusion (AESD) is indistinguishable from that of complex febrile seizures (FS), which poses a great diagnostic challenge for clinicians. Excitotoxicity is speculated to be the pathogenesis of AESD. Vitamin B6 (VB6) is essential for the biosynthesis of gamma-aminobutyric acid, an inhibitory neurotransmitter. The aim of this study is to investigate our hypothesis that VB6 deficiency in the brain may play a role in AESD. METHODS: We obtained cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from pediatric patients with AESD after early seizures and those with FS. We measured pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) and pyridoxal (PL) concentrations in the CSF samples using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. RESULTS: The subjects were 5 patients with AESD and 17 patients with FS. Age did not differ significantly between AESD and FS. In AESD, CSF PLP concentration was marginally lower (p = 0.0999) and the PLP-to-PL ratio was significantly (p = 0.0417) reduced compared to those in FS. CONCLUSIONS: Although it is impossible to conclude that low PLP concentration and PLP-to-PL ratio are causative of AESD, this may be a risk factor for developing AESD. When combined with other markers, this finding may be useful in distinguishing AESD from FS upon initial presentation.

Barth Syndrome: Different Approaches to Diagnosis.

The diagnosis of Barth syndrome is challenging owing to the wide phenotypic spectrum with allelic heterogeneity. Here we report 3 cases of Barth syndrome with phenotypic and allelic heterogeneity that were diagnosed by different approaches, including whole exome sequencing and final confirmation by reverse-transcription polymease chain reaction.

Verification of risk scores to predict i.v. immunoglobulin resistance in incomplete Kawasaki disease.

BACKGROUND: A recent study indicated the efficacy of the addition of prednisolone to i.v. immunoglobulin (IVIG) as initial treatment in patients with higher risk of IVIG resistance. Several different risk scores for predicting IVIG resistance have been proposed, mainly based on typical Kawasaki disease (KD) patients. We investigated the utility of the risk scores to predict IVIG resistance in incomplete KD. METHODS: Clinical records of incomplete KD patients who received a single dose of IVIG between 2005 and 2012 at Kochi Health Sciences Center were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were classified into an IVIG-responsive group and an IVIG-resistant group. The Kobayashi, Egami, and Sano risk scores were calculated for each patient and the proportion of high-risk patients was compared between the two groups for each risk score. RESULTS: For 51 incomplete KD patients, Kobayashi (66.7% vs 47.6%, P = 0.253), Egami (55.6% vs 38.1%, P = 0.274), and Sano (57.1% vs 10.8%, P = 0.068) risk scores identified a higher proportion of high-risk patients in the IVIG-resistant group compared with the IVIG-responsive group, but significant difference was not observed. Sano risk score had the highest OR (6.19; 95%CI: 1.00-38.26). CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of patients identified as being at high risk for IVIG resistance using the Kobayashi, Egami, and Sano risk scores, respectively, was not significantly different between the IVIG-responsive group and the IVIG-resistant group for incomplete KD. Among the three risk scores, the Sano risk score has the best ability to predict IVIG resistance in incomplete KD.

Changes in the features of invasive pneumococcal disease after introduction of the seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in a regional core hospital of Kochi, Japan.

Since the introduction of the seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) in 2007, invasive pneumococcal disease has declined, but the incidence of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 19A has risen worldwide. The present study examined changes in the features of invasive pneumococcal disease since the introduction of the PCV7 in Kochi, Japan. Pediatric cases of invasive pneumococcal disease were investigated before and after vaccine introduction (January 2008 to December 2013). Cases of invasive pneumococcal disease tended to decrease after PCV7 introduction. In addition, before introduction of the vaccine, most serotypes causing invasive pneumococcal disease were those included in the vaccine. However, after the introduction, we found cases infected by serotypes not covered by vaccine. Penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae was the predominant serotype causing invasive pneumococcal disease before introduction of the PCV7, and the susceptibility of this serotype to antibiotics improved after vaccine introduction. Serotype isolates identified after vaccine introduction were also relatively susceptible to antibiotic therapy, but decreased susceptibility is expected.

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt outcomes among infants.

Ventriculoperitoneal shunts (VPSs) are used for the treatment of hydrocephalus. Here we analyzed the outcomes of VPS placements in 24 infants to determine the risk factors for shunt failure. The infants had undergone the initial VPS operation in our hospital between March 2005 and December 2013. They were observed until the end of January 2014. We obtained Kaplan-Meier curves and performed a multivariate Cox regression analysis of shunt failure. Of the 24 cases, the median (range) values for gestational age, birth weight, and birth head circumference (HC) were 37 (27-39) wks, 2,736 (686-3,788) g, and 35.3 (23.0-45.3) cm, respectively. The total number of shunt procedures was 45. Shunt failure rates were 0.51/shunt and 0.0053/shunt/year. Shunt infection rates were 0.13/shunt and 0.0014/shunt/year. The Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed an increased risk for shunt failure in infants <1 month old or in the HC >90%tile. The Cox regression analysis yielded hazard ratios (HRs) of 2.93(95% confidence interval (CI), 0.96-10.95, p=0.059) for age <1 month, and 4.46 (95%CI:1.20-28.91, p=0.023) for the HC >90%tile. The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed adjusted HRs of 17.56 (95%CI:2.69-202.8, p=0.001) for age <1 month, and 2.95 (95%CI:0.52-24.84, p=0.228) for the HC >90%tile. Our findings thus revealed that the risk factors for shunt failure in infants include age <1 month at the initial VPS placement.

Reliability of a rapid test for the clinical diagnosis of influenza A/H1N1 2009.

BACKGROUND: The rapid diagnosis of a pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009 (H1N1pdm) virus infection is required in ambulatory care settings, since early identification can prevent further transmission. However, the sensitivity of rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs) is still questionable, and specific indicators for H1N1pdm and/or false-negative results by RIDTs have not been clearly determined. METHODS: From June to December 2009, nasal swabs from 324 patients at Kochi Health Science Center were used for the diagnosis of infection by RIDT and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The sensitivity of the RIDT was determined to be 80.0% and the specificity 97.1%. Multivariate analysis revealed that the frequencies of contagiousness and headache were significant in patients with H1N1pdm infection, in addition to common symptoms of respiratory infection. These data indicated that the H1N1pdm virus had high infectivity and was harmful to the endocranial environment. In the false-negative group, the time interval between onset and consultation was 5.5 ± 6.5 h (median ± interquartile range), which was significantly shorter than the 11.5 ± 7.0 h in the true-positive group. The sensitivity of the RIDT was significantly low during the time-period within 3 h from onset (56.0%); however after 4 h the sensitivity was determined to be >80%. These data indicated that the concentration of the virus in nasal swabs was elevated over the course of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: We have demonstrated that the RIDT is reliable for the diagnosis of H1N1pdm infection. Taking into consideration the time interval between onset and consultation and other features of H1N1pdm, such as contagiousness and headache, it may be necessary to re-test RIDT-negative cases later.