Hypophosphatemic Rickets in Colombia: A Prevalence-Estimation Model in Rare Diseases. 2018.

Background: Hypophosphatemic rickets is a rare, genetic syndrome with multisystem involvement. It causes skeletal abnormalities, painful enthesopathies, increased risk of fracture, and short stature; leading to a substantial burden of disease, disability, and worsening of quality of life. To improve health conditions of people living with this disease, it is essential to know its prevalence which is currently unknown in Colombia. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of hypophosphatemic rickets in Colombia by using a mathematical model and national statistic records. Methods: We executed a model to estimate probabilities of transitions between health, disease, and death states (Markov chains). The model was fed with international prevalences taken from original studies (systematic review) and administrative records' data from SISPRO (a national health information system) using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) E833 code, vital statistics, and census data. World Health Organization's (WHO) DISMOD II software was used to develop the model. Findings: The estimated overall prevalence of hypophosphatemic rickets in Colombia in 2018 was 2·03 cases per 100 000 people (981 affected people), with a sensitive range of 1·97 to 2·09. The estimated prevalence by sex was 2·61 (645 people) and 1·43 (336 people) cases per 100 000 women and men, respectively. Interpretation: Our overall estimated prevalence shows consistency with original international data. This is the first prevalence estimation of hypophosphatemic rickets in Colombia and will be relevant to support public health decisions for rare diseases and to provide a pre-test probability framework in clinical practice. DISMOD II and the model are useful tools to estimate the prevalence of rare and orphan diseases, when probabilistic studies cannot be carried out. There are limited bibliographic resources worldwide reporting prevalence values supported by original studies. Our study can be used as a cost-effective methodology reference in this regard, especially for Latin America. Funding: Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, as a donation.

Clinical and mutational spectrum of Colombian patients with Pelizaeus Merzbacher Disease.

CASE PRESENTATION: Pelizaeus Merzbacher Disease (PMD) is an X-linked developmental defect of myelination that causes childhood chronic spastic encephalopathy. Its genetic etiology can be either a duplication (or other gene dosage alterations) or a punctual mutation at the PLP1 locus. Clinically, it presents with developmental delay, nystagmus and, spasticity, supported by neuroimaging in which the defect of myelination is evident. We present a series of seven Colombian patients diagnosed with this leucodystrophy, describing their genotypic and phenotypic characteristics and heterogeneity. CLINICAL FINDINGS: All patients included were male, 6 months to 16 years of age. Mean age at onset of symptoms was 8 months. Mean age at diagnosis was 5 years 5 months, being classic PMD most frequently diagnosed, as compared to the connatal phenotype. All cases had a primary diagnosis of developmental delay on 100%, and in 28.7% of cases, early onset nystagmus was described. 85.7% of patients had spasticity, 71.4% cerebellar signs, 57.0% hypotonia, and 28.5% had an abnormal movement disorder. Only three patients were able to achieve gait, though altered. In the two patients who had a diagnosis of connatal PMD maturational ages in danger zones according to the WHO Abbreviated Scale of Psychosocial Development were documented. All cases had abnormalities in neuroimages. MOLECULAR ANALYSIS AND RESULTS: Molecular studies were used in the majority of the cases to confirm the diagnosis (85.7 %). For two cases molecular confirmation was not considered necessary given their affected male brothers had already been tested. PLP1 gene dosage alterations (duplications) were found in 28.5 % of the patients (two siblings), whereas three different single nucleotide variants were detected. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: According to these findings, as authors we propose the diagnostic algorithm in Colombian population to begin on a high clinical suspicion, followed by paraclinical extension, moving on to the molecular confirmation by using approaches to simultaneously sequence the PLP1 gene in order to detect point mutations and in/dels and performing a copy number variation analysis for the detection of gene dosage alterations.

DESCRIPCIÓN DEL CASO: La enfermedad de Pelizaeus Merzbacher es una leucodistrofia ligada al X que causa encefalopatía espástica crónica en la infancia. Su etiología es genética, por duplicaciones u otros trastornos de la dosis génica o mutaciones puntuales del gen PLP1, lo que condiciona la formación anormal de las vainas de mielina principalmente en el sistema nervioso central. Clínicamente se caracteriza por un cuadro de retardo del neurodesarrollo, nistagmus y espasticidad, con neuroimágenes que evidencian la dismielinización. Presentamos una serie de siete casos colombianos con esta leucodistrofica en la que describimos fenotípica y genotípicamente la heterogeneidad de esta enfermedad en nuestra población. HALLAZGOS CLÍNICOS: Todos los pacientes analizados fueron de sexo masculino, con edad promedio de inicio de síntomas hacia los ocho meses de vida. La edad media al diagnóstico fue de 5 años 5 meses, siendo más frecuente el diagnóstico de PMD clásica que el tipo connatal. Se describe retardo del desarrollo motor en el 100% de los casos, acompañado de nistagmus en el 28.7%. 85.7% de los casos tenía algún grado de espasticidad, 71.4 % signos cerebelosos, 57.0% hipotonía, y hasta en 28.5% se evidenciaron movimientos anormales. Solo tres pacientes lograron marcha, aunque patológica. En los dos pacientes con la forma connatal se documentó una edad maduracional motora en el rango de Alerta, de acuerdo a la escala abreviada del desarrollo de la OMS. En todos los casos se detectó algún tipo de anormalidad en el estudio imagenológico cerebral. ESTUDIOS MOLECULARES Y RESULTADOS: El diagnóstico molecular se empleó en la mayoría de los casos (85.7%), encontrando alteraciones en la dosis génica en el 28.5% y tres diferentes mutaciones puntuales. RELEVANCIA CLÍNICA: Dados los hallazgos en los resultados del estudio molecular, sugerimos que en el abordaje diagnóstico confirmatorio para la población colombiana se debería contemplar en un mismo tiempo tanto la secuenciación como el estudio de variantes del número de copias del gen afectado, contrario a lo sugerido en literatura mundial en la que se inicia con estudio para duplicación / deleción.

Clinical and mutational spectrum of Colombian patients with Pelizaeus Merzbacher Disease / Heterogeneidad clínica y mutacional en pacientes colombianos con Pelizaeus Merzbacher

Abstract Case Presentation: Pelizaeus Merzbacher Disease (PMD) is an X-linked developmental defect of myelination that causes childhood chronic spastic encephalopathy. Its genetic etiology can be either a duplication (or other gene dosage alterations) or a punctual mutation at the PLP1 locus. Clinically, it presents with developmental delay, nystagmus and, spasticity, supported by neuroimaging in which the defect of myelination is evident. We present a series of seven Colombian patients diagnosed with this leucodystrophy, describing their genotypic and phenotypic characteristics and heterogeneity. Clinical Findings: All patients included were male, 6 months to 16 years of age. Mean age at onset of symptoms was 8 months. Mean age at diagnosis was 5 years 5 months, being classic PMD most frequently diagnosed, as compared to the connatal phenotype. All cases had a primary diagnosis of developmental delay on 100%, and in 28.7% of cases, early onset nystagmus was described. 85.7% of patients had spasticity, 71.4% cerebellar signs, 57.0% hypotonia, and 28.5% had an abnormal movement disorder. Only three patients were able to achieve gait, though altered. In the two patients who had a diagnosis of connatal PMD maturational ages in danger zones according to the WHO Abbreviated Scale of Psychosocial Development were documented. All cases had abnormalities in neuroimages. Molecular Analysis and Results: Molecular studies were used in the majority of the cases to confirm the diagnosis (85.7 %). For two cases molecular confirmation was not considered necessary given their affected male brothers had already been tested. PLP1 gene dosage alterations (duplications) were found in 28.5 % of the patients (two siblings), whereas three different single nucleotide variants were detected. Clinical Relevance: According to these findings, as authors we propose the diagnostic algorithm in Colombian population to begin on a high clinical suspicion, followed by paraclinical extension, moving on to the molecular confirmation by using approaches to simultaneously sequence the PLP1 gene in order to detect point mutations and in/dels and performing a copy number variation analysis for the detection of gene dosage alterations.

Resumen Descripción del caso: La enfermedad de Pelizaeus Merzbacher es una leucodistrofia ligada al X que causa encefalopatía espástica crónica en la infancia. Su etiología es genética, por duplicaciones u otros trastornos de la dosis génica o mutaciones puntuales del gen PLP1, lo que condiciona la formación anormal de las vainas de mielina principalmente en el sistema nervioso central. Clínicamente se caracteriza por un cuadro de retardo del neurodesarrollo, nistagmus y espasticidad, con neuroimágenes que evidencian la dismielinización. Presentamos una serie de siete casos colombianos con esta leucodistrofica en la que describimos fenotípica y genotípicamente la heterogeneidad de esta enfermedad en nuestra población. Hallazgos clínicos: Todos los pacientes analizados fueron de sexo masculino, con edad promedio de inicio de síntomas hacia los ocho meses de vida. La edad media al diagnóstico fue de 5 años 5 meses, siendo más frecuente el diagnóstico de PMD clásica que el tipo connatal. Se describe retardo del desarrollo motor en el 100% de los casos, acompañado de nistagmus en el 28.7%. 85.7% de los casos tenía algún grado de espasticidad, 71.4 % signos cerebelosos, 57.0% hipotonía, y hasta en 28.5% se evidenciaron movimientos anormales. Solo tres pacientes lograron marcha, aunque patológica. En los dos pacientes con la forma connatal se documentó una edad maduracional motora en el rango de Alerta, de acuerdo a la escala abreviada del desarrollo de la OMS. En todos los casos se detectó algún tipo de anormalidad en el estudio imagenológico cerebral. Estudios Moleculares y Resultados: El diagnóstico molecular se empleó en la mayoría de los casos (85.7%), encontrando alteraciones en la dosis génica en el 28.5% y tres diferentes mutaciones puntuales. Relevancia clínica: Dados los hallazgos en los resultados del estudio molecular, sugerimos que en el abordaje diagnóstico confirmatorio para la población colombiana se debería contemplar en un mismo tiempo tanto la secuenciación como el estudio de variantes del número de copias del gen afectado, contrario a lo sugerido en literatura mundial en la que se inicia con estudio para duplicación / deleción.