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Background and purpose Moyamoya angiopathy (MMA) is a chronic cerebrovascular disorder predominantly starting in childhood or early adulthood and thus affects the whole lifetime. Little is known on MMAs long-term outcomes in European patients. We report long-term follow-up data on Finnish MMA patients. Methods We included patients from our Helsinki University Hospital MMA database and arranged long-term follow-up visits for all the patients. This follow-up included a review of the medical records accumulated in due time, detailed neurological and neuropsychological evaluation, and outcome measures modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and Barthel Index (BI). Results There were 61 MMA patients with a mean follow-up period of 9.5 years (SD 6.7 years; range 1.3–35.4 years; 581 patient-years). Only two patients had died and two-thirds (n = 40, 65.6%) had no new events during the follow-up period. Eight patients (13.1%) had an ischemic and five patients (8.2%) a hemorrhagic stroke during the follow-up. There were no differences between operated (n = 26) and conservatively (n = 35) treated groups regarding recurrent events or the outcome measured with mRS or BI. Finnish MMA patients reported significantly poorer physical and psychological health aspects of QOL when compared to the general Finnish population. Symptoms of low mood were found in 27 (56%) patients. Conclusions Finnish MMA patients have a benign and stable course with a ~3.5 % annual stroke risk. We found no differences in the clinical outcomes between the operated and conservative groups, however, the psychosocial well-being requires more attention in MMA patients.

Background and purpose Moyamoya vasculopathy, a rare steno-occlusive progressive cerebrovascular disorder, has not been thoroughly studied in Caucasian populations. We established a registry of Finnish patients treated at the Helsinki University Hospital, to collect and report demographic and clinical data. Methods We collected data both retrospectively and prospectively from all the patients with a moyamoya vasculopathy referred to our hospital between January 1987 and December 2014. All patients underwent a neurological outpatient clinic visit. Results We diagnosed 61 patients (50 females, 10 children) with moyamoya vasculopathy. The mean age at the disease-onset was 31.5 ± 17.9 years. The two most common presenting symptoms were ischemic stroke (n = 31) and hemorrhage (n = 8). Forty-four percent underwent revascularization surgery, and 70% were prescribed antithrombotic treatment. Conclusions The results support in part the Western phenotype of the disease considering the later presentation and larger female predominance compared to the Asian moyamoya vasculopathy reports. However, the proportion of ischemic strokes and hemorrhagic strokes is closer to Japanese population than German population. The absence of familial cases points to a different genetic profile in the Finnish patients.

We report a 10-year-old girl presenting with severe neonatal hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), feeding difficulties, mildly abnormal facial features, and progressive skeletal muscle symptoms but with normal cognitive development. Targeted oligonucleotide-selective sequencing of 101 cardiomyopathy genes revealed the genetic diagnosis, and the mutation was verified by Sanger sequencing in the patient and her parents. To offer insights into the potential mechanism of patient mutation, protein structural analysis was performed using the resolved structure of human activated HRAS protein with bound GTP analogue (PDB id 5P21) in Discovery Studio 4.5 (Dassault Systemes Biovia, San Diego, CA). The patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and normal cognitive development was diagnosed with an HRAS mutation c.173C>T (p.T58I), a milder variant of Costello syndrome affecting a highly conserved amino acid, threonine 58. Our analysis suggests that the p.G12 mutations slow GTP hydrolysis rendering HRAS unresponsive to GTPase activating proteins, and resulting in permanently active state. The p.T58I mutation likely affects binding of guanidine-nucleotide-exchange factors, thereby promoting the active state but also allowing for slow inactivation. Patients with the HRAS mutation c.173C>T (p.T58I) might go undiagnosed because of the milder phenotype compared with other mutations causing Costello syndrome. We expand the clinical and molecular picture of the rare HRAS mutation by reporting the first case in Europe and the fourth case in the literature. Our protein structure analysis offers insights into the mechanism of the mildly activating p.T58I mutation. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Background: Malonyl-CoA decarboxylase (MLYCD, EC 4.1.1.9) deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive disorder that is widely diagnosed by neonatal screening. Methods: We report long term follow up of a patient with MLYCD deficiency showing signs of neonatal hypoglycemia, mental retardation, developmental delay and rheumatoid arthritis. Brain MRI revealed patchy, symmetrical hyperintensity of the deep white matter with periventricular white matter and subcortical arcuate fibers being spared. MLCYD gene sequence analysis was done to identify possible mutations. Expression analyses at mRNA and protein levels were also performed. Further, immunocytochemical studies were implemented to check for its subcellular localization. Results: MLYCD gene sequencing identified a novel compound heterozygous mutation (c.22 T>A, p.M1K, c.454 C>A; pH152N) in our patient and a heterozygous mutation in the healthy mother c.22 T>A; pM1K. Reduced expression of RNA and protein levels was observed. Immunocytochemical analysis showed diffused staining across the cytoplasm with apparent signs of intracellular mislocalization to the nucleus. Results also indicated subcellular colocalization of MLCYD with mitochondria was scant compared to control. Conclusion: Our patient was identified with a novel compound heterozygous MLYCD mutation at the N-terminal helical domain. This study indicates that protein mislocalization is a characteristic feature of MLYCD deficiency in our patient.

Contains fulltext : 95893.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) BACKGROUND: Muscle biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosis of mitochondrial disorders because of the lack of sensitive biomarkers in serum. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) is a growth factor with regulatory roles in lipid metabolism and the starvation response, and concentrations are raised in skeletal muscle and serum in mice with mitochondrial respiratory chain deficiencies. We investigated in a retrospective diagnostic study whether FGF-21 could be a biomarker for human mitochondrial disorders. METHODS: We assessed samples from adults and children with mitochondrial disorders or non-mitochondrial neurological disorders (disease controls) from seven study centres in Europe and the USA, and recruited healthy volunteers (healthy controls), matched for age where possible, from the same centres. We used ELISA to measure FGF-21 concentrations in serum or plasma samples (abnormal values were defined as >200 pg/mL). We compared these concentrations with values for lactate, pyruvate, lactate-to-pyruvate ratio, and creatine kinase in serum or plasma and calculated sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for all biomarkers. FINDINGS: We analysed serum or plasma from 67 patients (41 adults and 26 children) with mitochondrial disorders, 34 disease controls (22 adults and 12 children), and 74 healthy controls. Mean FGF-21 concentrations in serum were 820 (SD 1151) pg/mL in adult and 1983 (1550) pg/mL in child patients with respiratory chain deficiencies and 76 (58) pg/mL in healthy controls. FGF-21 concentrations were high in patients with mitochondrial disorders affecting skeletal muscle but not in disease controls, including those with dystrophies. In patients with abnormal FGF-21 concentrations in serum, the odds ratio of having a muscle-manifesting mitochondrial disease was 132.0 (95% CI 38.7-450.3). For the identification of muscle-manifesting mitochondrial disease, the sensitivity was 92.3% (95% CI 81.5-97.9%) and specificity was 91.7% (84.8-96.1%). The positive and negative predictive values for FGF-21 were 84.2% (95% CI 72.1-92.5%) and 96.1 (90.4-98.9%). The accuracy of FGF-21 to correctly identify muscle-manifesting respiratory chain disorders was better than that for all conventional biomarkers. The area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve for FGF-21 was 0.95; by comparison, the values for other biomarkers were 0.83 lactate (p=0.037, 0.83 for pyruvate (p=0.015), 0.72 for the lactate-to-pyruvate ratio (p=0.0002), and 0.77 for creatine kinase (p=0.013). INTERPRETATION: Measurement of FGF-21 concentrations in serum identified primary muscle-manifesting respiratory chain deficiencies in adults and children and might be feasible as a first-line diagnostic test for these disorders to reduce the need for muscle biopsy. FUNDING: Sigrid Juselius Foundation, Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, Molecular Medicine Institute of Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Academy of Finland, Novo Nordisk, Arvo and Lea Ylppo Foundation. 01 september 2011

Aim Currently, the only metabolic disorder that newborns are screened for in Finland is congenital hypothyroidism. A proposal to start a pilot study on screening for other rare metabolic diseases using tandem mass spectrometry prompted a health technology assessment project on the effect and costs of expanded newborn screening programme options. Method A modelling study using data from current published studies, healthcare registers and expert opinion. Results The annual running cost of screening 56,000 newborns for the chosen five disorders (congenital adrenal hyperplasia, medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency [MCADD], long chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency [LCHADD], phenylketonuria [PKU] and glutaric aciduria type 1 [GA 1]) was estimated to be euros 2.5 million or euros 45 per newborn when starting costs were included. The costs per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained are a maximum of euros 25,500. Prevention of severe handicap in one newborn would reduce the costs to a maximum of euros 18,000 per QALY gained. Conclusions Expanding the Finnish neonatal screening programme would require a new organization. The cost-effectiveness, resources, ethics and equity need to be considered when deciding in favour of or against starting a new screening programme.

AIM Long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (LCHADD) is a severe metabolic disease that, without treatment, often leads to premature death or serious handicap. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical course of LCHADD with the homozygous 1528G>C (E510Q) mutation when patients underwent strict dietary treatment. METHODS From 1997 to 2010, 16 patients with LCHADD were diagnosed in Finland. They were followed up, and data were prospectively collected as they emerged. Clinical data before diagnosis were retrospectively collected from hospital records. This cohort was compared with an earlier cohort of patients diagnosed from 1976 to 1996. RESULTS The disease presented from birth to five months of age with failure to thrive, hypotonia, hepatomegaly, metabolic acidosis, cardiomyopathy and hypoketotic hypoglycaemia. In this cohort, the therapeutic delay was 0-30 days and the survival rate at the end of the study was 62.5% compared with 10-year survival rate of 14.3% for the earlier cohort. The survivors were in good overall condition, but some of them had developed mild retinopathy or mild neuropathy. CONCLUSION Earlier diagnosis and stricter dietary regimes improved the survival rates and clinical course of patients with LCHADD in Finland. However, improvements in therapy are still needed to prevent the development of long-term complications, such as retinopathy and neuropathy.

We report a fetal case with fatal outcome having a novel mutation in the HADHB gene, coding the beta-subunit of the mitochondrial trifunctional protein. Parents had a previous pregnancy loss due to fetal heart failure and hydrops. The next pregnancy led to left ventricular noncompaction and increasing pleural effusions after 29 gestational weeks. The fetus was small for gestational age, and long bones were abnormally short. The baby was born severely asphyxiated at 32 gestational weeks by cesarean section. Intensive care was withdrawn due to failure to thrive and suspicion of a severe mitochondrial disorder. Postmortem brain MRI suggested microcephaly with a simplified gyral pattern. The lateral cerebral ventricles were normal. Chromosome analysis was normal (46, XX). Fibroblasts cultured from a skin biopsy of the baby revealed the large homozygous deletion c.1109+243_1438-703del in the HADHB gene, and heterozygous mutations were detected in both parents. The deletion has not been reported earlier.It is important to differentiate systemic metabolic diseases from disorders that affect only the cardiac muscle. Trifunctional protein deficiency is a relatively rare disorder of the fatty acid β-oxidation cycle. The mutation in the HADHB gene causes a systemic disease with early-onset cardiomyopathy. Understanding the molecular genetic defect of the patient allows appropriate genetic counseling of the family.• Mitochondrial disorders as a group are an important etiology for fetal cardiomyopathies including human trifunctional protein (TFP) disorders and several other mitochondrial diseases.• We report a fetal case with fatal outcome having a novel mitochondrial trifunctional protein mutation (c.1109+243_1438-703del in the HADHB gene).

Pigmentary retinopathy is an important feature of long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD) deficiency, a disorder of mitochondrial fatty acid beta-oxidation. Pathogenesis of this complication remains unknown. The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is affected early in this retinopathy. We wanted to determine whether there is evidence of mitochondrial fatty acid beta-oxidation in the RPE cells. Fatty acid oxidation was measured from cultured porcine RPE cells by incubating them with [U-13C]-hexadecanoic acid. Acylcarnitine esters were analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry. The activity of LCHAD and carnitine uptake capacity were measured from the cultured cells. Antibodies to the human mitochondrial trifunctional protein (MTP) containing LCHAD activity were used to analyze the expression of the MTP in the cultured RPE cell lysate and in human retinal sections by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. Fatty acid oxidation analysis showed normal chain shortening of hexadecanoic acid and production of acetylcarnitine in cultured RPE cells. Immunoblotting revealed expression of the MTP and enzyme assay showed the activity of LCHAD in the RPE cells. RPE cells were also capable of carnitine uptake. Positive labeling to the MTP antibodies was detected in the RPE, photoreceptors, and ganglion cells. The results give strong in vitro evidence for the presence of mitochondrial fatty acid beta-oxidation in RPE cells and the expression of the MTP in the RPE and other layers of the retina. Further studies are required to clarify whether this pathway acts also in vivo in the retina.

Mutations in the LMNA gene coding for the nuclear lamina proteins lamin A and its smaller splice form lamin C associate with a heterogeneous group of diseases collectively called laminopathies. Here, we describe a 2-year-old patient with a previously undescribed phenotype including right ventricular cardiomyopathy, progeroid features, and premature death. Sequencing of LMNA revealed a novel heterozygous de novo mutation p.L306R located in the α-helical rod domain of A-type lamins. Fibroblasts from the patient showed reduced proliferation and early premature replicative senescence, as characterized by progressive hyperlobulation of the nuclei, abnormally clustered centromeres, loss of lamin B1, and reorganization of promyelocytic leukemia nuclear bodies. Furthermore, the patient cells were more sensitive to double-strand DNA breaks. Similar structural and phenotypic defects were observed in normal fibroblasts transfected with FLAG-tagged p.L306R lamin A. Correspondingly, in vitro assembly studies revealed that the p.L306R generates a "hyper-assembly" mutant of lamin A that forms extensive fiber arrays under physiological conditions where wild-type lamin A is still largely soluble. In summary, we report a novel LMNA p.L306R mutation that leads to previously undescribed hyper-assembly of lamin A, heavy distortion of nuclear shape and that manifests as right ventricular cardiomyopathy and premature aging.

Objective The purpose of the study was to determine the nature and course of ophthalmic abnormalities in long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD) deficiency, a recently discovered disorder of mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation. Study design The study design was a cohort (case series). Participants A retrospective review of the records of 15 children who had died during their first 2 years was performed. Also performed were a longitudinal reanalysis and cross-sectional clinical examination of four long-term survivors aged 5 to 31 years. Main outcome measures Visual acuity, refraction, visual fields, ophthalmoscopy, fluorescein angiography, biometry, corneal topography, electroretinography (ERG), visual-evoked potentials (VEPs), color vision, and dark adaptation were measured. Results In seven children, ophthalmoscopic findings were within normal limits at 3 days to 13 months of age (median, 4.8 months). In 11 children, a granular retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), with or without pigment clumping in the macula, was seen at 4 months to 5 years of age (median, 9 months). Two long-term survivors, 16 and 31 years of age, eventually had circumscribed atrophy of the choroid, RPE, and retina, which coincided with a posterior staphyloma type 1. They had progressive axial myopia starting at 6 and 12 years of age and later paracentral scotomas leading to poor central vision. They suffered from early difficulty with mesopic vision, glare, and a severe generalized color vision deficiency that started as a tritanomaly. A third survivor was mildly myopic at 5 years of age. All four surviving patients had visually insignificant, flake-like supranuclear opacities in the lens. The ERG initially was normal but deteriorated during the first decade and later was unrecordable. The VEP responses remained fairly normal. Initially, angiography showed no blockade of the choroidal fluorescence because of the thin RPE. Filling of choroidal vessels was delayed, and the choriocapillaris and, later, larger choroidal vessels in the posterior pole became nonperfused. Conclusions In LCHAD deficiency, the fundus is normal at birth (stage 1). Soon, however, pigment dispersion occurs in the RPE (stage 2), followed by circumscribed chorioretinal atrophy, occlusion of choroidal vessels, and deterioration of central vision, often with relative sparing of the peripheral fundus (stage 3). Finally, posterior staphylomas and central scotomas may develop (stage 4). Developmental cataract, progressive myopia, and deterioration of visual fields and color vision are new findings in LCHAD deficiency. The chorioretinopathy and abnormal ERG precede the development of myopia and posterior staphyloma, which, in turn, coincide with the loss of macular vision. The authors postulate that the RPE or choriocapillaris is primarily affected. Awareness of the characteristic ocular features is important because of an opportunity for dietary treatment, genetic counseling, and prenatal diagnosis.

Objective: Preeclampsia-related complications of pregnancy have been detected in carriers of long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency, a recently discovered disorder of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation. Because no comprehensive study is available, we studied the frequency of pregnancy complications in mothers who had given birth to children with this disorder. Study design: Data of all pregnancies of 18 mothers to 28 diagnosed patients with long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency were reviewed retrospectively. From a total 79 pregnancies 16 early abortions were excluded; 63 pregnancies were included, and the fetus was affected in 29. Results: One child born prematurely died neonatally but none of the mothers died. Preeclampsia, the syndrome of hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets, and acute fatty liver of pregnancy occurred in 31% and intrahepatic cholestasis in 10% of pregnancies with a long chain 3-hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A–deficient fetus but in none of the pregnancies with a healthy fetus. A total of 40% of affected neonates were born prematurely and 47% had growth restriction, whereas none of the healthy neonates were premature and growth restriction occurred in only 17% (p < 0.01). Prematurity and growth restriction could not be explained solely by the preeclampsia-related conditions. Conclusions: In pregnancies with a long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A–deficient fetus the frequency of preeclampsia-related conditions is high. The results support the role of fatty acid accumulation in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Analysis for the prevalent mutation of this deficiency may be warranted in pregnancies with severe preeclampsia. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1998;178:603-8.)

To define histopathologic features of a recently recognized chorioretinopathy associated with long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD) deficiency, a defect of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation.Both eyes were obtained at autopsy from a child who died of LCHAD deficiency, caused by the G1528C mutation, at the age of 14 months. Routine histopathology and light microscopic immunohistochemistry were performed, with a panel of 12 antibodies to epithelial, mesenchymal, neuronal, and inflammatory cells, using the avidin-biotinylated peroxidase complex method.The cells of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) were rarefied, flattened, and hypopigmented in the posterior pole. The RPE cells reacted normally with MAb Vim 34B to vimentin, and MAb CAM 5.2 and CY-90 for cytokeratin 8 and 18. Scattered among them were many pigment-laden macrophages, reactive with MAb PG-M1. A thin outer nuclear layer in the macular region suggested loss of photoreceptor cells. In routine stainings, patent choriocapillary vessels were sparse. However, a collapsed network of capillaries could be identified by MAb QBEND-10 to the CD34 epitope of vascular endothelial cells. In the peripheral fundus, the RPE and choriocapillaris were normal.The ophthalmopathologic findings corresponded to clinically defined stage 2 of the chorioretinopathy of LCHAD deficiency. Histopathologically, this chorioretinopathy can be classified as diffuse choroidal atrophy with loss of the choriocapillaris. The findings suggest a primary fault at the level of the RPE and choriocapillaris and a secondary macrophage response.

Long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl—coenzyme A (CoA) dehydrogenase is one of three enzyme activities of the mitochondrial trifunctional protein. We report the clinical findings of 13 patients with long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency. At presentation the patients had had hypoglycemia, cardiomyopathy, muscle hypotonia, and hepatomegaly during the first 2 years of life. Seven patients had recurrent metabolic crises, and six patients had a steadily progressive course. Two patients had cholestatic liver disease, which is uncommon in β-oxidation defects. One patient had peripheral neuropathy, and six patients had retinopathy with focal pigmentary aggregations or retinal hypopigmentation. All patients were homozygous for the common mutation G1528C. However, the enoyl-CoA hydratase and 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase activities of the mitochondrial trifunctional protein were variably decreased in skin fibroblasts. Dicarboxylic aciduria was detected in 9 of 10 patients, and most patients had lactic acidosis, increased serum creatine kinase activities, and low serum carnitine concentration. Neuroradiologically there was bilateral periventricular or focal cortical lesions in three patients, and brain atrophy in one. Only one patient, who has had dietary treatment for 9 years, is alive at the age of 14 years; all others died before they were 2 years of age. Recognition of the clinical features of long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA deficiency is important for the early institution of dietary management, which may alter the otherwise invariably poor prognosis. J Pediatr 1997;130:67-76

Lactic acidosis and mitochondrial abnormalities have been reported in long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD) deficiency. We studied muscle morphology and the respiratory chain function in ten patients with LCHAD deficiency and the G1528C mutation. In eight cases the light microscopy of muscle specimens showed fatty infiltration and fibre degeneration. The degenerated fibres appeared as ragged red fibres in four cases. Electron microscopy revealed enlarged mitochondria often with a swollen appearance in four out of seven patients. The number of mitochondria had also increased. Complex I associated enzyme activities in muscle mitochondria were decreased in five out of seven patients, and in three of them Complex II or II+III associated activities were also affected. We suggest that the reason for respiratory chain dysfunction and structural changes of mitochondria is the accumulation of toxic intermediates of fatty acid β-oxidation in mitochondria. Because these changes may confound the differential diagnostics between LCHAD deficiency and respiratory chain defects, awareness of their frequency is important.

We report a new mutation in the human DNAJC19 gene that causes early onset dilated cardiomyopathy syndrome (DCMA).Two brothers of Finnish origin presented with an unusual combination of early onset dilated cardiomyopathy syndrome, a disease which was associated with cardiac noncompaction, microcytic anemia, ataxia, male genital anomalies and methylglutaconic aciduria type V. Suspicion of a DCMA syndrome prompted sequencing of the human DNAJC19 gene.Sequencing of the human DNAJC19 gene showed a homozygous single nucleotide (A) deletion in alanine 63 coding triplet in exon 6, which does not immediately cause amino acid change but leads 11 amino acids later to a stop codon and to premature termination of the peptide. This DNAJC19 protein is located in the inner mitochondrial membrane and has been shown to function as a mitochondrial chaperone.This is the first clinical report of DCMA syndrome, a human DNAJC19 deficiency, that is related to cases of severe dilated cardiomyopathy diagnosed in Europe. DNAJC19 deficiency causes a relatively specific finding in urinary organic acid analysis (methylglutaconic aciduria type V), which together with the clinical features of the ensuing cardiac disease, allows for effective screening before undertaking molecular genetic analysis.

Objective: Neonatal screening and earlier diagnosis have improved the prognosis of long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase (LCHAD) deficiency, which causes a need to refine the staging of the pigmentary chorioretinopathy and thus improve monitoring and comparability of patients under dietary therapy. Methods: Seven children with LCHAD deficiency caused by homozygous G1528C mutation attended sequential fundus photography for stage 2 chorioretinopathy in 1997–2006. After arranging 21 pairs of fundus photographs according to the severity of the fundus changes, the images best representing 3 different grades of pigmentary deposits (P1–P3) and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) atrophy (A1–A3) were chosen as reference photographs. To evaluate the substaging, 29 pairs of photographs were graded according to the reference photographs. Results: In the assessment of pigmentary deposits, the 3 ophthalmologists agreed in 41% and differed by a single substage in 45% of instances (combined weighted ĸ statistic was 0.38, indicating moderate agreement). In pairwise comparisons, the weighted ĸ statistic ranged from 0.31 to 0.56 (agreement, 71–81%). In the assessment of RPE atrophy, all 3 raters agreed in 17% and 2 raters in 70% of instances (combined ĸ statistic 0.018, indicating poor agreement). Discussion: Despite variation in imaging techniques and limitations in the visual assessment of fundus photographs, the agreement obtained in grading the pigmentary deposits was comparable to that reported for photographic grading of retinopathy of prematurity. We recommend photographic documentation and substaging based on reference photographs in the follow-up of LCHAD retinopathy. The refined staging allows a more detailed assessment on the progression of the retinopathy and optimization of the therapeutic protocols in individual patients and between centres using different therapeutic protocols.

Long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD) deficiency is a mitochondrial fatty acid beta-oxidation defect characterized by accumulation of long-chain hydroxyacylcarnitine intermediates and female carriers of this disorder are in risk for pregnancy complications. We found elevated blood long-chain hydroxyacylcarnitine species in a carrier of LCHAD deficiency at 31weeks of pregnancy with a LCHAD deficient fetus during acute fatty liver of pregnancy-like liver involvement, but had been within the normal range at 25weeks of pregnancy. This finding supports the hypothesis of acylcarnitine accumulation in pathogenesis of AFLP in carriers of LCHAD and MTP deficiencies.

Purpose Progressive pigment chorioretinopathy is a major long-term complication of mitochondrial trifunctional protein (MTP) defects, disorders of mitochondrial fatty acid beta-oxidation. To better understand the pathogenesis of the retinopathy component, the authors studied expression of the main regulatory protein of the beta-oxidation pathway, carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) 1, and acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (ACAD) 9 in retinal sections and cultured cells. Methods Immunoblotting was performed with polyclonal antibodies to ACAD9 and the three isoforms of CPT1. In quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR), predesigned gene-specific probes and primer sets for human CPT1 isoforms were used. In situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of the rat and human eye. Results The predominant CPT1 mRNA types detected by QRT-PCR in cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells were of the liver (CPT1A) and brain (CPT1C) isotypes. CPT1A and ACAD9 protein expression was found in cultured human and rat RPE and rat neural retinal precursor cells. ISH of rat retinal sections showed CPT1A and CPT1C expression in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), the inner nuclear layer, and the ganglion cell layer. CPT1A expression was also detected in the Muller cell microvilli, and CPT1C expression was detected in the photoreceptor inner segments. ACAD9 immunolabeling was detected in rat and human RPE, human photoreceptor inner segments, and ganglion cell layer. Conclusions These findings imply that the mitochondrial fatty acid beta-oxidation pathway probably is active in metabolism of the RPE and certain neuroretinal cell types. Accumulation of 3-hydroxylated intermediates of long-chain fatty acids may contribute to the pathogenesis of retinopathy in MTP deficiencies.

Mitochondrial trifunctional protein (MTP), an enzyme complex participating in fatty acid beta-oxidation, is the potential site of two documented defects: long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase (LCHAD) and MTP deficiencies. LCHAD deficiency usually manifests as hypoglycemia, with hepatopathy, hypotonia, cardiomyopathy, and retinopathy. Hypoparathyroidism has been detected in a patient with MTP deficiency. We now report on a patient with LCHAD deficiency and hypoparathyroidism, evidenced by hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, and a low level of parathyroid hormone, in whom the parathyroid glands could not be located after death.

Currently, the only metabolic disorder that newborns are screened for in Finland is congenital hypothyroidism. A proposal to start a pilot study on screening for other rare metabolic diseases using tandem mass spectrometry prompted a health technology assessment project on the effect and costs of expanded newborn screening programme options.A modelling study using data from current published studies, healthcare registers and expert opinion.The annual running cost of screening 56,000 newborns for the chosen five disorders (congenital adrenal hyperplasia, medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency [MCADD], long chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency [LCHADD], phenylketonuria [PKU] and glutaric aciduria type 1 [GA 1]) was estimated to be euros 2.5 million or euros 45 per newborn when starting costs were included. The costs per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained are a maximum of euros 25,500. Prevention of severe handicap in one newborn would reduce the costs to a maximum of euros 18,000 per QALY gained.Expanding the Finnish neonatal screening programme would require a new organization. The cost-effectiveness, resources, ethics and equity need to be considered when deciding in favour of or against starting a new screening programme.

Fetal defects in mitochondrial beta-oxidation have been linked with an increased risk for acute fatty liver of pregnancy and preeclampsia-related conditions. A woman with previously undiagnosed carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 deficiency experienced hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets-like syndrome late in her first pregnancy with an unaffected fetus. Carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 deficiency should be considered as a potential cause of life-threatening complications of pregnancy.

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and the choriocapillaris are affected early in the retinopathy associated with long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD) deficiency. RPE in culture possesses the machinery needed for mitochondrial fatty acid beta-oxidation in vitro. To further elucidate pathogenesis of LCHAD retinopathy, we performed immunohistochemistry of the human eye and brain with antibodies to beta-oxidation enzymes. Human eye and brain sections were stained with antibodies to medium-chain (MCAD) and very long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (VLCAD), short-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SCHAD), and mitochondrial trifunctional protein (MTP) harboring LCHAD. Antibodies to 2-methyl-3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase (MHBD) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COX I) were used as a reference. VLCAD, MTP, MCAD, SCHAD, MHBD, and COX I antibodies labeled most retinal layers and tissues of the human eye actively involved in oxidative metabolism (extraocular and intraocular muscle, the RPE, the corneal endothelium, and the ciliary epithelium). MTP and COX I antibodies labeled the inner segments of photoreceptors. The choriocapillaris was labeled only with SCHAD and MCAD antibodies. In the brain, the choroid plexus and nuclei of the brain stem were most intensely labeled with beta-oxidation antibodies, whereas COX I antibodies strongly labeled neurons in several regions of the brain. Mitochondrial fatty acid beta-oxidation likely plays a role in ocular energy production in vivo. The RPE rather than the choriocapillaris could be the critical affected cell layer in LCHAD retinopathy. Reduced energy generation in the choroid plexus may contribute to the cerebral edema observed in patients with beta-oxidation defects.

Long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency is a recently discovered disorder affecting the mitochondrial beta-oxidation of fatty acids. There have been few reports of the pathologic findings in beta-oxidation defects. We examined pathologic specimens from 16 patients with this disorder (11 patients were homozygous for the common mutation G1528C, 5 patients were siblings with a similar clinical presentation). Autopsies were performed on all 15 patients who died, and liver biopsy specimens were available from 8 patients. Hepatomegaly and steatosis of the liver, found in every patient, were often combined with fibrosis or cirrhosis. Cardiomegaly and accumulation of fat in the myocardium, renal tubules, and skeletal muscle were found in many patients. A detailed neuropathologic examination was performed on six patients, and brain specimens obtained at autopsy were examined in four others. In general, neuropathologic findings were mild and unspecific, but vacuolization was detected in the deep gray matter and in the cerebellum and brain stem nuclei of five patients. In one patient the vacuolization was prominent; in the other four it was milder and more focal. The vacuoles seemed to be either in the neuropil or associated with swollen hydropic cells. The uniform pattern of histopathologic changes facilitates the diagnostics in this severe disorder, allowing opportunities for therapy and prenatal diagnosis.

Objective To assess the long-term clinical course of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A) deficiency, caused by the c.1364A>C (p.K455T) mutation, and the carrier frequency of this mutation in Finland. Study design This was a long-term follow-up of patients in whom the common mutation was detected. Results Between 1999 and 2010, 6 cases of CPT1A deficiency were diagnosed and treated with a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet. The patients experienced their first symptoms during the first years of life, provoked by viral illness and/or fasting. The clinical features included hypoketotic hypoglycemia, hepatopathy, and loss of consciousness, ranging from transient unconsciousness to prolonged hyperlipidemic coma. Five cases carried a homozygous c.1364A>C (p.K455T) mutation, whereas 1 case had a compound c.1364A>C/c.1493A>C (p.Y498S) mutation. During dietary therapy, the patients had few transient decompensations. No carriers of mutation c.1364A>C were detected by minisequencing of 150 control samples. Conclusion Even though CPT1A deficiency may be life-threatening and lead to prolonged coma, the long-term prognosis is good. A genotype–phenotype correlation implies that the mutations detected are disease-causing. Despite Finland’s location close to the Arctic polar region, the carrier frequency of the c.1364A>C mutation in Finland is far lower than that of the variants found in Alaskan, Canadian, and Greenland native populations.

Ninety children were treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia or non-Hodgkin lymphoma during 1986 through 1992 in the Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki, in Finland. During induction chemotherapy, nine of the children had visual hallucinations progressing to confusion and seizure. The symptoms were often preceded by severe constipation and significantly elevated blood pressure. Neuroradiologic examinations showed bilateral cortical or subcortical white matter lesions. Despite the stroke like manifestations, the lesions were reversible. The triangular shape and location of the lesions in the watershed areas between the major cerebral arteries suggest vascular ischemia as the cause.

Defects of mitochondrial fatty acid beta-oxidation are an important group of inherited metabolic disorders in children. Despite improved screening opportunities, diagnosis of these disorders is not often straightforward and requires enzyme analyses. Because therapy is effective in many of these disorders, rapid diagnosis is essential. We report a technique that allows analysis of fatty acid oxidation not only in cultured cells (fibroblasts, myoblasts, and myotubes) but also in fresh muscle homogenate. Fatty acid oxidation analysis was performed by incubating fresh muscle homogenate or harvested cultured cells with stable isotopically labeled palmitate. The intermediates generated were analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry. Results of patients with seven different beta-oxidation disorders were compared with controls. Acylcarnitine intermediates in patient samples could be easily differentiated from the control samples. The acylcarnitine profile of each beta-oxidation defect was compatible with localization of the enzyme defect. Both in patient and control samples, the same pattern of intermediates could be detected in fibroblasts, muscle cells, and fresh muscle homogenate. The procedure described allowed correct diagnosis of all the beta-oxidation defects studied. Utilization of fresh muscle samples reduces the delay in diagnosis related to tissue culture and is useful in diagnostic of patients with neuromuscular phenotype. Measurement of fatty acid oxidation intermediates from myoblasts or myotubes is an additional tool in investigating pathogenetic mechanisms of myopathy in beta-oxidation defects.