Primary mitochondrial disorders and mimics: Insights from a large French cohort.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the implementation of NGS within the French mitochondrial network, MitoDiag, from targeted gene panels to whole exome sequencing (WES) or whole genome sequencing (WGS) focusing on mitochondrial nuclear-encoded genes. METHODS: Over 2000 patients suspected of Primary Mitochondrial Diseases (PMD) were sequenced by either targeted gene panels, WES or WGS within MitoDiag. We described the clinical, biochemical, and molecular data of 397 genetically confirmed patients, comprising 294 children and 103 adults, carrying pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in nuclear-encoded genes. RESULTS: The cohort exhibited a large genetic heterogeneity, with the identification of 172 distinct genes and 253 novel variants. Among children, a notable prevalence of pathogenic variants in genes associated with oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) functions and mitochondrial translation was observed. In adults, pathogenic variants were primarily identified in genes linked to mtDNA maintenance. Additionally, a substantial proportion of patients (54% (42/78) and 48% (13/27) in children and adults, respectively), undergoing WES or WGS testing displayed PMD mimics, representing pathologies that clinically resemble mitochondrial diseases. INTERPRETATION: We reported the largest French cohort of patients suspected of PMD with pathogenic variants in nuclear genes. We have emphasized the clinical complexity of PMD and the challenges associated with recognizing and distinguishing them from other pathologies, particularly neuromuscular disorders. We confirmed that WES/WGS, instead of panel approach, was more valuable to identify the genetic basis in patients with "possible" PMD and we provided a genetic testing flowchart to guide physicians in their diagnostic strategy.

Detailed clinical, physiological and pathological phenotyping can impact access to disease-modifying treatments in ATTR carriers.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis is a life-threatening autosomal dominant systemic disease due to pathogenic TTR variants (ATTRv), mostly affecting the peripheral nerves and heart. The disease is characterised by a combination of symptoms, organ involvement and histological amyloid deposition. The available disease-modifying ATTRv treatments (DMTs) are more effective if initiated early. Pathological nerve conduction studies (NCS) results are the cornerstone of large-fibre polyneuropathy diagnosis, but this anomaly occurs late in the disease. We investigated the utility of a multimodal neurological and cardiac evaluation for detecting early disease onset in ATTRv carriers. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed a cohort of ATTRv carriers with normal NCS results regardless of symptoms. Multimodal denervation and infiltration evaluations included a clinical questionnaire (Lauria and New York Heart Association (NYHA)) and examination, intra-epidermal nerve fibre density assessment, autonomic assessment based on heart rate variability, Sudoscan, meta-iodo-benzyl-guanidine scintigraphy, cardiac biomarkers, echocardiography, MRI and searches for amyloidosis on skin biopsy and bone scintigraphy. RESULTS: We included 130 ATTRv carriers (40.8% men, age: 43.6±13.5 years), with 18 amyloidogenic TTR gene mutations, the majority of which was the late-onset Val30Met variant (42.3%). Amyloidosis was detected in 16.9% of mutation carriers, including 9 (6.9%) with overt disease (Lauria>2 or NYHA>1) and 13 asymptomatic carriers (10%) with organ involvement (small-fibre neuropathy or cardiomyopathy). Most of these patients received DMT. Abnormal test results of unknown significance were obtained for 105 carriers (80.8%). Investigations were normal in only three carriers (2.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Multimodal neurological and cardiac investigation of TTRv carriers is crucial for the early detection of ATTRv amyloidosis and initiation of DMT.

Homozygous Ser-1 to Pro-1 mutation in parathyroid hormone identified in hypocalcemic patients results in secretion of a biologically inactive pro-hormone.

Like other secreted peptides, nascent parathyroid hormone (PTH) is synthesized with a pre- and a pro-sequence (25 and 6 amino acids, respectively). These precursor segments are sequentially removed in parathyroid cells before packaging into secretory granules. Three patients from two unrelated families who presented during infancy with symptomatic hypocalcemia were found to have a homozygous serine (S) to proline (P) change affecting the first amino acid of the mature PTH. Unexpectedly, biological activity of synthetic [P1]PTH(1-34) was indistinguishable from that of unmodified [S1]PTH(1-34). However, in contrast to conditioned medium from COS-7 cells expressing prepro[S1]PTH(1-84), medium from cells expressing prepro[P1]PTH(1-84) failed to stimulate cAMP production despite similar PTH levels when measured by an intact assay that detects PTH(1-84) and large amino-terminally truncated fragments thereof. Analysis of the secreted, but inactive PTH variant led to the identification of pro[P1]PTH(-6 to +84). Synthetic pro[P1]PTH(-6 to +34) and pro[S1]PTH(-6 to +34) had much less bioactivity than the corresponding PTH(1-34) analogs. Unlike pro[S1]PTH(-6 to +34), pro[P1]PTH(-6 to +34) was resistant to cleavage by furin suggesting that the amino acid variant impairs preproPTH processing. Consistent with this conclusion, plasma of patients with the homozygous P1 mutation had elevated proPTH levels, as determined with an in-house assay specific for pro[P1]PTH(-6 to +84). In fact, a large fraction of PTH detected by the commercial intact assay represented the secreted pro[P1]PTH. In contrast, two commercial biointact assays that use antibodies directed against the first few amino acid residues of PTH(1-84) for capture or detection failed to detect pro[P1]PTH.

Genotype-phenotype Description of Vitamin D-dependent Rickets 1A: CYP27B1 p.(Ala129Thr) Variant Induces a Milder Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Vitamin D-dependent rickets type 1A (VDDR1A) is a rare genetic disease associated with loss-of-function variations in the gene encoding the vitamin D-activating enzyme 1α-hydroxylase (CYP27B1). Phenotype-genotype correlation is unclear. Long-term outcome data are lacking. The objective of this study was to describe characteristics and outcomes to search for a phenotype-genotype correlation. METHODS: We retrospectively collected clinical data, genetic features, and outcomes from 24 genetically confirmed cases from 10 French centers; results are presented as median (min-max). RESULTS: Clinical symptoms at diagnosis (age, 1.5 [0.5-8.7] years) were mainly bone and neurological abnormalities, and laboratory data showed hypocalcemia (1.97 [1.40-2.40] mmol/L), hypophosphatemia (-3.4 [-13.4 to (-)0.2] SD score for age), low 25OHD and low 1,25(OH)2D3, secondary hyperparathyroidism with PTH at 6.6 (1.3-13.7) times the upper limit for normal (ULN; PTH expressed as ULN to homogenize data presentation), and increased alkaline phosphatase (1968 [521-7000] IU/L). Bone radiographs were abnormal in 83% of patients. We identified 17 variations (11 missense, 3 frameshift, 2 truncating, and 1 acceptor splice site variations) in 19 families (homozygous state in 58% [11/19]). The partial loss-of-function variation p.(Ala129Thr) was associated with a milder phenotype: older age at diagnosis, higher serum calcium (2.26 vs 1.85 mmol/L), lower PTH (4.7 vs 7.5 ULN), and lower alkaline phosphatase (759 vs 2082 IU/L). Patients were treated with alfacalcidol. Clinical (skeletal, neurological), biochemical, and radiological outcomes were satisfactory, and complications occurred if there was bad adherence. CONCLUSION: Overall, our findings highlight good outcomes under substitutive treatment and the need of a closer follow-up of eyes, teeth, kidneys, and blood pressure in VDDR1A.

A National French Consensus on Gene List for the Diagnosis of Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease and Related Disorders Using Next-Generation Sequencing.

Next generation sequencing (NGS) is strategically used for genetic diagnosis in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) and related disorders called non-syndromic inherited peripheral neuropathies (NSIPN) in this paper. With over 100 different CMT-associated genes involved and ongoing discoveries, an important interlaboratory diversity of gene panels exists at national and international levels. Here, we present the work of the French National Network for Rare Neuromuscular Diseases (FILNEMUS) genetic diagnosis section which coordinates the seven French diagnosis laboratories using NGS for peripheral neuropathies. This work aimed to establish a unique, simple and accurate gene classification based on literature evidence. In NSIPN, three subgroups were usually distinguished: (1) HMSN, Hereditary Motor Sensory Neuropathy, (2) dHMN, distal Hereditary Motor Neuropathy, and (3) HSAN, Hereditary Sensory Autonomic Neuropathy. First, we reported ClinGen evaluation, and second, for the genes not evaluated yet by ClinGen, we classified them as "definitive" if reported in at least two clinical publications and associated with one report of functional evidence, or "limited" otherwise. In total, we report a unique consensus gene list for NSIPN including the three subgroups with 93 genes definitive and 34 limited, which is a good rate for our gene's panel for molecular diagnostic use.

Galaxy Is a Suitable Bioinformatics Platform for the Molecular Diagnosis of Human Genetic Disorders Using High-Throughput Sequencing Data Analysis: Five Years of Experience in a Clinical Laboratory.

BACKGROUND: To date, the usage of Galaxy, an open-source bioinformatics platform, has been reported primarily in research. We report 5 years' experience (2015 to 2020) with Galaxy in our hospital, as part of the "Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris" (AP-HP), to demonstrate its suitability for high-throughput sequencing (HTS) data analysis in a clinical laboratory setting. METHODS: Our Galaxy instance has been running since July 2015 and is used daily to study inherited diseases, cancer, and microbiology. For the molecular diagnosis of hereditary diseases, 6970 patients were analyzed with Galaxy (corresponding to a total of 7029 analyses). RESULTS: Using Galaxy, the time to process a batch of 23 samples-equivalent to a targeted DNA sequencing MiSeq run-from raw data to an annotated variant call file was generally less than 2 h for panels between 1 and 500 kb. Over 5 years, we only restarted the server twice for hardware maintenance and did not experience any significant troubles, demonstrating the robustness of our Galaxy installation in conjunction with HTCondor as a job scheduler and a PostgreSQL database. The quality of our targeted exome sequencing method was externally evaluated annually by the European Molecular Genetics Quality Network (EMQN). Sensitivity was mean (SD)% 99 (2)% for single nucleotide variants and 93 (9)% for small insertion-deletions. CONCLUSION: Our experience with Galaxy demonstrates it to be a suitable platform for HTS data analysis with vast potential to benefit patient care in a clinical laboratory setting.

NTRK1 gene-related congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis: a nationwide multicenter retrospective study.

Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA) is a rare autosomal recessive disease resulting from mutations in the NTRK1 gene encoding the neurotrophic tyrosine kinase-1 receptor. In this multicenter observational retrospective study, we investigated CIPA patients identified from French laboratories sequencing the NTRK1 gene, and seven patients were identified. Patients originated from France (2), Suriname (2), Mali (1), Kazakhstan (1), and Algeria (1). Mean age of patients was 9.8 years (4-20), four patients were female (57%), infant developmental milestones were delayed in four cases (57%), and four patients had a family history of consanguinity (57%). Mean age at diagnosis was 4.8 months (3-6), and all patients presented with pain insensitivity, anhidrosis, intellectual disability, self-mutilation, febrile episodes, impaired temperature perception, and autonomous nervous system impairment. Patients also showed an assortment of associated findings, including hyperactivity (86%), emotional lability (86%), joint deformities (71%), bone fractures (57%), abnormal sense of touch, vibration and position (50%), skin, hair and nails abnormalities (28%), and hypothermia episodes (28%). Two patients died at age 9 and 12 years from infection. In three cases, nerve conduction studies showed absent lower limbs sensory nerve action potentials. In one case, sensory nerve biopsy showed complete absence of unmyelinated fibers. Nine NTRK1 pathogenic variants were found, including three newly described mutations. This nationwide study confirms that NTRK1 gene-related CIPA is an extremely rare disorder and expands the genotypic spectrum of NTRK1 mutations.

Leukoencephalopathy and conduction blocks in PLEKHG5-associated intermediate CMT disease.

Biallelic variants in PLEKHG5 have been reported so far associated with different clinical phenotypes including Lower motor neuron disease (LMND) [also known as distal hereditary motor neuropathies (dHMN or HMN) or distal spinal muscular atrophy (DSMA4)] and intermediate Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT). We report four patients from two families presenting with intermediate CMT and atypical clinical and para-clinical findings. Patients presented with predominant distal weakness with none or mild sensory involvement and remain ambulant at last examination (22-36 years). Nerve conduction studies revealed, in all patients, intermediate motor nerve conduction velocities, reduced sensory amplitudes and multiple conduction blocks in upper limbs, outside of typical nerve compression sites. CK levels were strikingly elevated (1611-3867 U/L). CSF protein content was mildly elevated in two patients. Diffuse bilateral white matter lesions were detected in one patient. Genetic analysis revealed three novel frameshift variants c.1835_1860del and c.2308del (family 1) and c.104del (family 2). PLEKHG5-associated disease ranges from pure motor phenotypes with predominantly proximal involvement to intermediate CMT with predominant distal motor involvement and mild sensory symptoms. Leukoencephalopathy, elevated CK levels and the presence of conduction blocks associated with intermediate velocities in NCS are part of the phenotype and may arise suspicion of the disease, thus avoiding misdiagnosis and unnecessary therapeutics in these patients.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease misdiagnosed as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy: An international multicentric retrospective study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, an untreatable hereditary polyneuropathy, may mimic chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP), a treatable neuropathy. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we analyzed the characteristics of CMT patients misdiagnosed as CIDP at 16 university hospitals in three countries, compared these patients with a reference group of CIDP patients, and estimated the cost of misdiagnosis. RESULTS: Among 1104 CIDP cases, we identified 35 CMT patients misdiagnosed as CIDP (3.2%). All were initially diagnosed with definite or probable CIDP (European Federation of Neurological Societies/Peripheral Nerve Society criteria), and mutations in PMP22, MPZ, and 10 other CMT genes were found in 34%, 31%, and 35% of cases, respectively. In comparison with a reference group of 35 CIDP patients, CMT patients were younger (median age at disease onset = 39 vs. 56 years) and more frequently had motor weakness at disease onset (80% vs. 29%), hearing loss (14% vs. 0%), normal brachial plexus imaging (70% vs. 40%), lower cerebrospinal fluid protein content (median = 0.5 vs. 0.8 g/L), and lower treatment response (20% vs. 69%). Treatment cost in these 35 misdiagnosed patients was estimated at 4.6 million euros (M€), whereas the cost of CMT genetic analysis in 1104 patients was estimated at 2.7 M€. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, 35 of 1104 (3.2%) patients initially diagnosed with CIDP had CMT. Importantly, the cost of treating these 35 misdiagnosed patients was significantly higher than the cost of performing CMT genetic analysis in 1104 patients (4.6 M€ vs. 2.7 M€), suggesting that CMT genetic investigations should be more widely used before diagnosing CIDP.

A Novel Familial PHP1B Variant With Incomplete Loss of Methylation at GNAS-A/B and Enhanced Methylation at GNAS-AS2.

CONTEXT: Pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1B (PHP1B), also referred to as inactivating PTH/PTHrP signaling disorder (iPPSD), is characterized by proximal renal tubular resistance to parathyroid hormone (PTH) leading to hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, and elevated PTH values. Autosomal dominant PHP1B (AD-PHP1B) with loss of methylation at the maternal GNAS A/B:TSS-DMR (transcription start site-differentially methylated region) alone can be caused by maternal deletions involving STX16. OBJECTIVE: Characterize a previously not reported AD-PHP1B family with loss of methylation at GNAS A/B:TSS-DMR, but without evidence for a STX16 deletion on the maternal allele and assess GNAS-AS2:TSS-DMR methylation. METHODS: DNA from 24 patients and 10 controls were investigated. AD-PHP1B patients without STX16 deletion from a single family (n = 5), AD-PHP1B patients with STX16 deletion (n = 9), sporPHP1B (n = 10), unaffected controls (n = 10), patUPD20 (n = 1), and matUPD20 (n = 1). Methylation and copy number analyses were performed by pyrosequencing, methylation-sensitive multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification, and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification. RESULTS: Molecular cloning of polymerase chain reaction-amplified, bisulfite-treated genomic DNA from healthy controls revealed evidence for 2 distinct GNAS-AS2:TSS-DMR subdomains, named AS2-1 and AS2-2, which showed 16.0 ±â€…2.3% and 31.0 ±â€…2.2% methylation, respectively. DNA from affected members of a previously not reported AD-PHP1B family without the known genetic defects revealed incomplete loss of methylation at GNAS A/B:TSS-DMR, normal methylation at the 3 well-established maternal and paternal DMRs, and, surprisingly, increased methylation at AS2-1 (32.9 ±â€…3.5%), but not at AS2-2 (30.5 ±â€…2.9%). CONCLUSION: The distinct methylation changes at the novel GNAS-AS2:TSS-DMR will help characterize further different PHP1B/iPPSD3 variants and will guide the search for underlying genetic defects, which may provide novel insights into the mechanisms underlying GNAS methylation.

Inactivating PTH/PTHrP signaling disorders (iPPSDs): evaluation of the new classification in a multicenter large series of 544 molecularly characterized patients.

OBJECTIVE: Pseudohypoparathyroidism and related disorders belong to a group of heterogeneous rare diseases that share an impaired signaling downstream of Gsα-protein-coupled receptors. Affected patients may present with various combination of symptoms including resistance to PTH and/or to other hormones, ectopic ossifications, brachydactyly type E, early onset obesity, short stature and cognitive difficulties. Several years ago we proposed a novel nomenclature under the term of inactivating PTH/PTHrP signaling disorders (iPPSD). It is now of utmost importance to validate these criteria and/or improve the basis of this new classification. DESIGN: Retrospective study of a large international series of 459 probands and 85 relatives molecularly characterized. METHODS: Information on major and minor criteria associated with iPPSD and genetic results were retrieved from patient files. We compared the presence of each criteria according to the iPPSD subtype, age and gender of the patients. RESULTS: More than 98% of the probands met the proposed criteria for iPPSD classification. Noteworthy, most patients (85%) presented a combination of symptoms rather than a single sign suggestive of iPPSD and the overlap among the different genetic forms of iPPSD was confirmed. The clinical and molecular characterization of relatives identified familial history as an additional important criterion predictive of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: The phenotypic analysis of this large cohort confirmed the utility of the major and minor criteria and their combination to diagnose iPPSD. This report shows the importance of having simple and easily recognizable signs to diagnose with confidence these rare disorders and supports a better management of patients.

Structural analysis of the impact of a novel androgen receptor gene mutation in two adult patients with mild androgen insensitivity syndrome.

Androgen receptor gene (AR) mutations are responsible for androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) presenting with a clinical phenotype that ranges from gynaecomastia and/ or infertility in mild AIS (MAIS) to complete testicular feminisation in complete AIS. We report a novel AR gene mutation in two unrelated adult patients with MAIS and we studied its functional impact using 3D modelling. Patient 1, referred for infertility, presented with gynaecomastia, mild hypospadias and bilateral testicular hypotrophy contrasting with high testosterone levels, an elevated FSH, an elevated androgen sensitivity index (ASI) and oligoasthenoteratospermia. In vitro fertilisation and intracytoplasmic sperm injection resulted in a successful twin pregnancy. Patient 2 referred for a decrease in athletic performance had surgically treated gynaecomastia, oligoasthenospermia, high testosterone levels and an elevated ASI. Despite his impaired spermogram, he fathered two children without assisted reproductive technology. AR gene sequencing in the two patients revealed a common novel missense mutation, Ala699Thr, in exon 4 within the ligand-binding domain. 3D modelling studies showed that this mutation may impact dimer stability upon ligand binding or may affect allosteric changes upon dimerisation. This study illustrates the value of structural analysis for the functional study of mutations and expands the database of AR gene mutations.

The genetic landscape of axonal neuropathies in the middle-aged and elderly: Focus on MME.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that monogenic neuropathies such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) contribute to frequent but often unexplained neuropathies in the elderly, we performed genetic analysis of 230 patients with unexplained axonal neuropathies and disease onset ≥35 years. METHODS: We recruited patients, collected clinical data, and conducted whole-exome sequencing (WES; n = 126) and MME single-gene sequencing (n = 104). We further queried WES repositories for MME variants and measured blood levels of the MME-encoded protein neprilysin. RESULTS: In the WES cohort, the overall detection rate for assumed disease-causing variants in genes for CMT or other conditions associated with neuropathies was 18.3% (familial cases 26.4%, apparently sporadic cases 12.3%). MME was most frequently involved and accounted for 34.8% of genetically solved cases. The relevance of MME for late-onset neuropathies was further supported by detection of a comparable proportion of cases in an independent patient sample, preponderance of MME variants among patients compared to population frequencies, retrieval of additional late-onset neuropathy patients with MME variants from WES repositories, and low neprilysin levels in patients' blood samples. Transmission of MME variants was often consistent with an incompletely penetrant autosomal-dominant trait and less frequently with autosomal-recessive inheritance. CONCLUSIONS: A detectable fraction of unexplained late-onset axonal neuropathies is genetically determined, by variants in either CMT genes or genes involved in other conditions that affect the peripheral nerves and can mimic a CMT phenotype. MME variants can act as completely penetrant recessive alleles but also confer dominantly inherited susceptibility to axonal neuropathies in an aging population.

Hyperparathyroidism in Patients With X-Linked Hypophosphatemia.

X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is characterized by increased activity of circulating FGF23 resulting in renal phosphate wasting and abnormal bone mineralization. Hyperparathyroidism may develop in XLH patients; however, its prevalence, pathogenesis, and clinical presentation are not documented. This observational study (CNIL 171036 v 0) recruited XLH adult patients in a single tertiary referral center. Each patient was explored in standardized conditions and compared with two healthy volunteers, matched for sex, age, and 25-OH vitamin D concentrations. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with hyperparathyroidism. The secondary endpoints were the factors influencing serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations and the prevalence of hypercalcemic hyperparathyroidism. Sixty-eight patients (51 women, 17 men) were enrolled and matched with 136 healthy volunteers. Patients had higher PTH concentrations compared with healthy controls (53.5 ng/L, interquartile range [IQR] 36.7-72.7 versus 36.0 ng/L, IQR 27.7-44.0, p < .0001). Hyperparathyroidism was observed in 17 patients of 68 (25%). In patients, a positive relationship between PTH and calcium concentrations and a negative relationship between PTH and phosphate concentrations were observed. Seven (10%) patients (3 premenopausal women, 1 postmenopausal woman, and 3 men) were diagnosed with hypercalcemic hyperparathyroidism. All underwent parathyroid surgery, with consecutive normalization of calcium and PTH concentrations. Hyperparathyroidism is a frequent complication in XLH adult patients. Disruption of the physiological regulation of PTH secretion contributes to parathyroid disease. Early-onset hypercalcemic hyperparathyroidism can be effectively and safely cured by surgical resection. © 2020 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Conjunctival lymphangiectasia as a biomarker of severe systemic disease in Ser77Tyr hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis.

AIMS: To investigate the relationship between the ophthalmic and systemic phenotypes in patients with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis with the S77Y mutation (ATTRS77Y). METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, patients with genetically confirmed ATTRS77Y amyloidosis were enrolled. All patients underwent complete neurological examination, including staging with the Neuropathy Impairment Score (NIS), Polyneuropathy Disability (PND) score; complete cardiological evaluation, including echocardiography, cardiac MRI and/or cardiac scintigraphy and complete ophthalmic evaluation, including slit lamp examination and fundus examination. Ocular ancillary tests (fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography, and anterior segment optical coherence tomography) were performed in cases with abnormal findings. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used for quantitative outcomes and Fisher's exact test for qualitative outcomes. Statistical significance was indicated by p<0.05 (two tailed). RESULTS: The study sample was composed of 24 ATTRS77Y patients. The mean patient age was 58.4±12.4 years. None of the patients presented with amyloid deposits in the anterior chamber, secondary glaucoma or vitreous amyloidosis. Retinal angiopathy was observed in four patients, complicated with retinal ischaemia in one patient. Conjunctival lymphangiectasia (CL) was detected in 13 patients (54%), associated with perilymphatic amyloid deposits. The presence of CL was statistically associated with more severe neurological disease (NIS=43.3±31.9 vs 18.9±20.4; PND=2.6±1.0 vs 1.4±0.7 in patients with and without CL, respectively; both p<0.05) and amyloid cardiomyopathy (p=0.002). CONCLUSION: In ATTRS77Y patients, CL is common and could serve as a potential biomarker for severe systemic disease. There were neither anterior chamber deposits, secondary glaucoma nor vitreous deposits in ATTRS77Y patients.

Giant axonal neuropathy: a multicenter retrospective study with genotypic spectrum expansion.

Giant axonal neuropathy (GAN) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in the GAN gene encoding gigaxonin. Patients develop a progressive sensorimotor neuropathy affecting peripheral nervous system (PNS) and central nervous system (CNS). Methods: In this multicenter observational retrospective study, we recorded French patients with GAN mutations, and 10 patients were identified. Mean age of patients was 9.7 years (2-18), eight patients were female (80%), and all patients met infant developmental milestones and had a family history of consanguinity. Mean age at disease onset was 3.3 years (1-5), and progressive cerebellar ataxia and distal motor weakness were the initial symptoms in all cases. Proximal motor weakness and bulbar symptoms appeared at a mean age of 12 years (8-14), and patients used a wheelchair at a mean age of 16 years (14-18). One patient died at age 18 years from aspiration pneumonia. In all cases, nerve conduction studies showed a mixed demyelinating and axonal sensorimotor neuropathy and MRI showed brain and cerebellum white matter abnormalities. Polyneuropathy and encephalopathy both aggravated during the course of the disease. Patients also showed a variety of associated findings, including curly hair (100% of cases), pes cavus (80%), ophthalmic abnormalities (30%), and scoliosis (30%). Five new GAN mutations were found, including the first synonymous mutation and a large intragenic deletion. Our findings expand the genotypic spectrum of GAN mutations, with relevant implications for molecular analysis of this gene, and confirm that GAN is an age-related progressive neurodegenerative disease involving PNS and CNS.

LRSAM1 variants and founder effect in French families with ataxic form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2.

Currently only 25-30% of patients with axonal forms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) receive a genetic diagnosis. We aimed to identify the causative gene of CMT type 2 in 8 non-related French families with a distinct clinical phenotype. We collected clinical, electrophysiological, and laboratory findings and performed genetic analyses in four different French laboratories. Seventy-two patients with autosomal dominant inheritance were identified. The disease usually started in the fourth decade and the clinical picture was dominated by sensory ataxia (80%), neuropathic pain (38%), and length-dependent sensory loss to all modalities. Electrophysiological studies showed a primarily axonal neuropathy, with possible isolated sensory involvement in milder phenotypes. Disease severity varied greatly but the clinical course was generally mild. We identified 2 novel variants in LRSAM1 gene: a deletion of 4 amino acids, p.(Gln698_Gln701del), was found in 7 families and a duplication of a neighboring region of 10 amino acids, p.(Pro702_Gln711dup), in the remaining family. A common haplotype of ~450 kb suggesting a founder effect was noted around LRSAM1 in 4 families carrying the first variant. LRSAM1 gene encodes for an E3 ubiquitin ligase important for neural functioning. Our results confirm the localization of variants in its catalytic C-terminal RING domain and broaden the phenotypic spectrum of LRSAM1-related neuropathies, including painful and predominantly sensory ataxic forms.

Similarities and differences in the reproductive phenotypes of women with congenital hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism caused by GNRHR mutations and women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

STUDY QUESTION: Does the phenotype of women with normosmic congenital hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (nCHH) and pituitary resistance to GnRH caused by biallelic mutations in the GnRH receptor (GNRHR) (nCHH/bi-GNRHR) differ from that of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)? SUMMARY ANSWER: Women with nCHH/bi-GNRHR have variable pubertal development but nearly all have primary amenorrhea and an exaggerated LH response to GnRH stimulation, similar to that seen in women with PCOS. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Women with nCHH/bi-GNRHR are very rare and their phenotype at diagnosis is not always adequately documented. The results of gonadotrophin stimulation by acute GnRH challenge test and ovarian features have not been directly compared between these patients and women with PCOS. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: We describe the phenotypic spectrum at nCHH/bi-GNRHR diagnosis in a series of 12 women. Their reproductive characteristics and acute responses to GnRH were compared to those of 70 women with PCOS. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Patients and controls (healthy female volunteers aged over 18 years) were enrolled in a single French referral centre. Evaluation included clinical and hormonal studies, pelvic ultrasonography and GnRH challenge test. We also functionally characterized two missense GNRHR mutations found in two new consanguineous families. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Breast development was highly variable at nCHH/bi-GNRHR diagnosis, but only one patient had undeveloped breasts. Primary amenorrhea was present in all but two cases. In untreated nCHH/bi-GNRHR patients, uterine height (UH) correlated (P = 0.01) with the circulating estradiol level and was shorter than in 23 nulliparous post-pubertal age-matched controls (P < 0.0001) and than in 15 teenagers with PCOS under 20-years-old (P < 0.0001) in which PCOS was revealed by primary amenorrhea or primary-secondary amenorrhea. Unexpectedly, the stimulated LH peak response in nCHH/bi-GNRHR patients was variable, and often normal or exaggerated. Interestingly, the LH peak response was similar to that seen in the PCOS patients, but the latter women had significantly larger mean ovarian volume (P < 0.001) and uterine length (P < 0.001) and higher mean estradiol (P < 0.001), anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) (P = 0.02) and inhibin-B (P < 0.001) levels. In the two new consaguineous families, the affected nCHH/bi-GNRHR women carried the T269M or Y290F GNRHR missense mutation in the homozygous state. In vitro analysis of GnRHR showed complete or partial loss-of-function of the T269M and Y290F mutants compared to their wildtype counterpart. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: The number of nCHH/bi-GNRHR patients reported here is small. As this disorder is very rare, an international study would be necessary to recruit a larger cohort and consolidate the phenotypic spectrum observed here. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: In teenagers and young women with primary amenorrhea, significant breast and uterine development does not rule out CHH caused by biallelic GNRHR mutations. In rare patients with PCOS presenting with primary amenorrhea and a mild phenotype, the similar exaggerated pituitary LH responses to GnRH in PCOS and nCHH/bi-GNRHR patients could lead to diagnostic errors. This challenge test should therefore not be recommended. As indicated by consensus and guidelines, careful analysis of clinical presentation and measurements of testosterone circulating levels remain the basis of PCOS diagnosis. Also, analysis of ovarian volume, UH and of inhibin-B, AMH, estradiol and androgen circulating levels could help to distinguish between mild PCOS and nCHH/bi-GNRHR. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This study was supported by the French National Research Agency (ANR) grant ANR-09-GENO-017 KALGENOPATH, France; and by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) grant PRIN 2012227FLF_004, Italy. The authors declare no conflict of interest.