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BackgroundBi-allelic pathogenic variants inGBA1are the cause of Gaucher disease (GD1), a lysosomal storage disorder resulting from deficient glucocerebrosidase. HeterozygousGBA1variants are also a common genetic risk factor for Parkinson’s disease (PD). GD manifests with considerable clinical heterogeneity and is also associated with an increased risk of PD.ObjectiveTo investigate the contribution of PD risk variants to risk of PD in patients with GD1.MethodsWe studied 225 patients with GD1, including 199 without PD and 26 with PD. All cases were genotyped and the genetic data was imputed using common pipelines.ResultsOn average, patients with GD1 with PD have a significantly higher PD genetic risk score than those without PD (P=0.021).ConclusionsOur results indicate that variants included in the PD genetic risk score were more frequent in patients with GD1 who developed PD, suggesting that common risk variants may affect underlying biological pathways.Supplemental datahere

SARS-CoV-2 infection carries high morbidity and mortality in individuals with chronic disorders. Its impact in rare disease populations such as Gaucher disease (GD) is unknown. In GD, decreased acid β-glucosidase activity leads to the accumulation of inflammatory glycosphingolipids and chronic myeloid cell immune activation which a priori could predispose to the most severe effects of SARS-CoV-2. To evaluate the determinants of SARS-CoV-2 infection in GD, we conducted a cross-sectional study in a large cohort. 181 patients were enrolled, including 150 adults and 31 children, with a majority of patients on treatment (78%). Information on COVID-19 exposure, symptoms, and SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid and/or antibody testing was obtained during the peak of the pandemic in the New York City metropolitan area. Forty-five adults reported a primary exposure to someone with COVID-19 and 17 (38%) of these patients reported at least one COVID-19 symptom. A subset of adults was tested (n = 88) and in this group 18% (16/88) were positive. Patients testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 had significantly more symptoms (4.4 vs 0.3, p < 0.001) than patients testing negative. Among patients who were antibody-positive, quantitative titers indicated moderate to high antibody response. In GD adults, male gender, older age, increased BMI, comorbidities, GBA genotype, prior splenectomy and treatment status were not associated with the probability of reporting symptoms or testing positive. No patient required COVID-19-specific treatments and there were no deaths. Our data suggests that GD does not confer a heightened risk for severe effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection feared based on the known chronic inflammatory state in these patients.

Gaucher disease (GD), a lysosomal storage disorder caused by β-glucocerebrosidase deficiency, results in the accumulation of glucosylceramide and glucosylsphingosine. Glucosylsphingosine has emerged as a sensitive and specific biomarker for GD and treatment response. However, limited information exists on its role in guiding treatment decisions in pre-symptomatic patients identified at birth or due to a positive family history. We present two pediatric patients with GD1 and highlight the utility of glucosylsphingosine monitoring in guiding treatment initiation.