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Az egészségügyi és az orvosbiológiai kutatások adatainak széttagoltsága az adatvezérelt döntéseken alapuló, személyre szabott orvoslás egyik akadálya. A fejlődéshez a méretben és komplexitásban is rendkívüli, ám töredezett egészségügyi adatkincs hatékony kiaknázását, illetve az intézményeken vagy akár határokon is átívelő adatmegosztást biztosító technológiák szükségesek. A biobankok nemcsak a minták archívumai, hanem adatintegrációs központok is egyúttal. A biobankok adatainak együttműködésben történő elemzése értékesebb következtetéseket ígér. Az adatok megosztásának előfeltétele a harmonizáció, azaz a minták egyedi klinikai és molekuláris jellemzőinek egységes adatmodellben és standard kódokkal történő leképezése. Az egészségügyben keletkezett információk ezekben a közös sémára illesztett adatbázisokban válnak elérhetővé a gépi tanulás számára, így a módszer az együttműködés során a személyes adatokat tiszteletben tartó felhasználásra is lehetőséget ad. Az érzékeny egészségügyi adatok újraértékelése elképzelhetetlen a személyes adatok védelme nélkül, amelynek jogi és koncepcionális kereteit a GDPR- (General Data Protection Regulation) és a FAIR- (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) elvek jelölik ki. Az Európában működő biobankok számára a BBMRI-ERIC (Biobanking and Biomolecular Research Infrastructure – European Research Infrastructure Consortium) kutatási infrastruktúra fejleszt közös irányelveket, amelyhez hazánk 2021-ben mint Magyar BBMRI Csomópont csatlakozott. Első lépésben a biobankok szövetségében kapcsolódhatnak össze a széttagolt adathalmok, ahol sokrétű kutatási cél által motivált, igényesen összerendezett adatkészletek válnak hozzáférhetővé. Ezt követően, a betegellátás valós környezetében keletkezett adatok magasabb szinten történő értékelése is lehetővé válik, így a klinikai vizsgálatok szigorú keretek között generált bizonyítékai új szintre kerülhetnek. Közleményünkben a „federált” adatmegosztásban rejlő lehetőségeket mutatjuk be a Semmelweis Egyetem biobankjainak közös projektje kapcsán. Orv Hetil. 2023; 164(21): 811–819.

A spinalis izomatrophia (SMA) a betegség természetes lefolyása esetén progresszív izomgyengeséggel jár, ami súlyos esetben kiterjed a bulbaris és légzőizmokra is. A betegség klinikai megjelenése, a tünetek súlyossága heterogén spektrumot képez, a legsúlyosabb esetben perinatalis halál is előfordulhat, a legenyhébb formában a járóképességet még felnőttkorban is megőrizheti a beteg. A spinalis izomatrophia gondozása gyökeresen megváltozott az elmúlt évek terápiás fejlesztéseinek köszönhetően. Az FDA 2016- ban hagyta jóvá a nuszinerszent, amit 2019- ben az onaszemnogén abeparvovek, majd 2020-ban a riszdiplám követett. Az EMA az FDA után egy évvel hagyta jóvá mindhárom terápiát. A terápiák közül kettő pre-mRNSszinten, egy DNS-szinten hat. A jóváhagyást megelőző klinikai vizsgálatok különböző állapotú és életkorú betegeket vizsgáltak, részben eltérő skálákat használva, ezért ezek eredményeinek közvetlen összehasonlítása nem egyszerű feladat. Az elmúlt néhány évben felhalmozódott „real-world” adatok azonban egyre több lehetőséget nyújtanak a valós életben az egyes terápiák hatásosságának megítélésére a különböző életkorú és súlyosságú esetekben. Jogosan vetődhet fel a kérdés, hogy „melyik terápia a legjobb?”. Ez a kérdés ebben a formában megválaszolhatatlan. Helyesen feltéve a kérdést, sokkal inkább arra keressük a választ, hogy „melyik egyén számára melyik terápia a legmegfelelőbb egy adott időpontban?”. Közleményünk a három terápia eddig elért, objektíven mérhető eredményeit foglalja össze, és kitekintést nyújt a lehetséges jövőbeni terápiás utakról.

A technológia fejlődésével párhuzamosan a ritka betegségek diagnosztikája sokat fejlődött, ezzel egyidejűleg az innovatív terápiáknak köszönhetően a gyermekkorban diagnosztizált ritka betegségben szenvedő gyermekek jelentős része megéri a felnőttkort. A felnőtté válás során a krónikus gyermekkori betegségben szenvedő egyén a gyermekellátásból a felnőttellátásba való átvezetését (a tranzíciót) a betegségteher mellett további nehézségként élheti meg. A ritka betegségek esetén ez az átvezetés még több kihívással járhat a gyakori krónikus betegségekben szenvedőkével összehasonlítva, mert a felnőttellátásban nem biztos, hogy minden egészségügyi szolgáltatónál megvan az a szakmai felkészültség, amely az optimális betegellátáshoz szükséges. Továbbá az egyre hatásosabb kezeléseknek köszönhetően a korábbinál hosszabb lesz a betegséglefolyás, és így olyan betegségekben jelentkezhet igény a felnőttellátásra, amelyekben korábbról nincsen tapasztalat. Esetenként olyan új klinikai tünetegyüttesek jelenhetnek meg, melyek a klinikusok számára még ismeretlenek. Az átvezetési folyamat a legtöbb ritka betegségben egyelőre nem rendelkezik egységes irányelvekkel, annak ellenére sem, hogy ezek szerepe vitathatatlan. Irodalmi adatok alapján a jó gyakorlat szerint a felnőttellátásba való áttérésnek minden esetben egyénre szabottan, előzetesen kidolgozott terv szerint kell történnie. Ideális esetben egy átvezetést segítő koordinátor támogatja a betegeket, aki tartja a kapcsolatot a gyermekgyógyásszal, a felnőttszakorvossal, a pácienssel és annak szüleivel is. A beteg gyermek felnőtté válásának támogatása mellett a gondozók szükségletei is fontos szerepet kapnak az átvezetés során. Az optimális átvezetést elsősorban a folyamatban részt vevők oktatásával, a folyamatot leíró protokollok fejlesztésével, valamint a megfelelő infrastruktúra biztosításával lehet megvalósítani. Orv Hetil. 2022; 163(51): 2021–2026.

Bevezetés: A MELAS-szindróma (mitokondriális myopathia, encephalopathia, tejsavas acidózis és stroke) a leggyakrabban előforduló mitokondriális betegség. Tünetei a mitokondriális betegségekre jellemzően igen heterogének, és nem ritka a szemészeti érintettség. Esetismertetés: Három MELAS-szindrómás nőbeteg – egy édesanya és két leánya – esetét ismertetjük. Mindhármuknál genetikai vizsgálat bizonyította a betegségre jellemző mtDNS m.3243A>G-mutáció jelenlétét. Mindhárom beteg esetében ismertek voltak több szervrendszert érintő tünetek, amelyek mellett szemészeti érintettség is jelentkezett. Két betegnél találtunk kisfokú ptosist, anisocoriát és látótérdefektust, egy betegnél jelentkezett nystagmus. Mindegyik betegünknél megfigyelhető volt a corneaendothel polymegathismusa és a retinalis pigmentepithelium érintettsége. Megbeszélés: A szemészeti tünetek mellett változatos, több szervrendszert érintő panaszokkal jelentkező betegek esetén fel kell merülnie mitokondriális betegség lehetőségének, amelyek diagnosztizálásában a tünetek részletes feltérképezése, valamint a családi anamnézis felvétele segíthet. A pontos diagnózis felállítására genetikai vizsgálat segítségével van mód. A genetikailag igazolt MELAS-szindrómás betegeknél feltétlen javasolt az alapos szemészeti státuszfelvétel az elülső és hátsó szegmens érintettség miatt specular mikroszkópia és multimodális képalkotók alkalmazásával.

Diagnostics for rare diseases have advanced as a result of technological advancement. Innovative treatments have also made it possible for children with rare disorders to survive into adulthood. Growing up is crucial for someone who has a chronic childhood illness since the change from pediatric to adult treatment comes with new difficulties that might feel like an extra burden from the condition. Transition in rare diseases poses more challenges than in common diseases, because not all health care providers in adult care may have the expertise needed to provide optimal patient care. In addition, longer illness courses and the requirement for adult care in diseases for which there is no prior experience will result from the increasing number of better therapies. Occasionally, new clinical symptoms may appear that are unknown to clinicians. Despite the importance they should have, the majority of rare diseases do not currently have standardized recommendations and standards for the transition phase. Every transfer to adult care should be unique and stick to a predetermined plan. A transition coordinator should ideally work with the pediatrician, the adult specialist, the patient, and parents to support patients during this transition. The needs analysis of caregivers is an essential part in the transition process, too. The parties need to be educated, a protocol outlining the process needs to be developed, and the necessary infrastructure must be in place to support an optimal transition. Orv Hetil. 2022; 163(51): 2021-2026.A technológia fejlődésével párhuzamosan a ritka betegségek diagnosztikája sokat fejlődött, ezzel egyidejűleg az innovatív terápiáknak köszönhetően a gyermekkorban diagnosztizált ritka betegségben szenvedő gyermekek jelentős része megéri a felnőttkort. A felnőtté válás során a krónikus gyermekkori betegségben szenvedő egyén a gyermekellátásból a felnőttellátásba való átvezetését (a tranzíciót) a betegségteher mellett további nehézségként élheti meg. A ritka betegségek esetén ez az átvezetés még több kihívással járhat a gyakori krónikus betegségekben szenvedőkével összehasonlítva, mert a felnőttellátásban nem biztos, hogy minden egészségügyi szolgáltatónál megvan az a szakmai felkészültség, amely az optimális betegellátáshoz szükséges. Továbbá az egyre hatásosabb kezeléseknek köszönhetően a korábbinál hosszabb lesz a betegséglefolyás, és így olyan betegségekben jelentkezhet igény a felnőttellátásra, amelyekben korábbról nincsen tapasztalat. Esetenként olyan új klinikai tünetegyüttesek jelenhetnek meg, melyek a klinikusok számára még ismeretlenek. Az átvezetési folyamat a legtöbb ritka betegségben egyelőre nem rendelkezik egységes irányelvekkel, annak ellenére sem, hogy ezek szerepe vitathatatlan. Irodalmi adatok alapján a jó gyakorlat szerint a felnőttellátásba való áttérésnek minden esetben egyénre szabottan, előzetesen kidolgozott terv szerint kell történnie. Ideális esetben egy átvezetést segítő koordinátor támogatja a betegeket, aki tartja a kapcsolatot a gyermekgyógyásszal, a felnőttszakorvossal, a pácienssel és annak szüleivel is. A beteg gyermek felnőtté válásának támogatása mellett a gondozók szükségletei is fontos szerepet kapnak az átvezetés során. Az optimális átvezetést elsősorban a folyamatban részt vevők oktatásával, a folyamatot leíró protokollok fejlesztésével, valamint a megfelelő infrastruktúra biztosításával lehet megvalósítani. Orv Hetil. 2022; 163(51): 2021–2026.

Összefoglaló. A fejlett társadalmak egészségügyi rendszereinek legnagyobb kihívását az öregedéssel összefüggő, korfüggő betegségek jelentik. Annak megértéséhez, hogy az egyes genetikai variánsoknak mi a szerepük egy korfüggő betegség kialakulásában, meg kell ismerkednünk magával az öregedési folyamattal, az egészséges hosszú élettel asszociált, valamint az adott populációra jellegzetes variánsokkal is. A Semmelweis Egyetem Genomikai Medicina és Ritka Betegségek Intézete a Nemzeti Bionika Program keretén belül a Magyar Genomikai Egészségtárház felállítását tűzte ki célul, időskoruk mellett is egészséges önkéntesek teljesgenom-szekvenciáinak és kapcsolódó fenotípusadatainak katalogizálásával és elemzésével, létrehozva az első magyar teljes genomi referencia-adatbázist. Fontos szempont volt, hogy a kutatás az egészséges öregedést vizsgáló nemzetközi projektekhez is kapcsolódást biztosítson, így lehetőséget teremtve a különböző országokból származó adatok harmonizálására és közös elemzésére. A kutatás résztvevőinek 49%-a 70–80 éves, 36%-a 81–90 éves, 14%-uk pedig 90 év feletti; a nemek aránya 44/56%-os megoszlást mutatott a férfiak és a nők között. A résztvevők csaknem fele (46%) egyedül él. Magas a felsőfokú végzettségűek aránya (46%), a résztvevők 61%-a hosszú időn át sportolt, 70%-uk sosem dohányzott. A vizsgálati alanyok szülei is magas életkort éltek meg, az édesapáknál 74,3, az édesanyák esetében pedig 80,47 év volt a halálozáskori átlagéletkor. Adattárházunk elsőként tervez hozzáférést biztosítani egy magyar teljes genomi referencia-adatbázishoz, amely a genetikusan meghatározott betegségek és fenotípusok kutatásában és a klinikai gyakorlatban is alapvető fontosságú. A projekt bioinformatikai fejlesztései a genetikai/genomikai információk többszintű elérését támogatják a személyes adatok védettségét megőrző statisztikai elemzési és mesterségesintelligencia-eljárások segítségével. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(27): 1079–1088. Summary. Genetics has proven to be a a successful approach in the study of ageing. To understand the role of each genetic variant in the development of an age-dependent disease, we need to become familiar with the ageing process itself and with the population-specific variants. The Institute of Genomic Medicine and Rare Disorders of the Semmelweis University within the framework of the National Bionics Program set up a data collection, the Hungarian Genomic Data Warehouse, by cataloging and analyzing complete genome sequences and related phenotype data of healthy volunteers, which also serves as a reference national Hungarian genomic database. The structure of the data warehouse allows interoperability with the most important international research projects on ageing. 49% of the participants in the Hungarian Genomic Data Warehouse were 70–80 years old, 36% were 81–90, 14% over 90 years old. The gender ratio was 44/56% between men and women. The proportion of people with higher education is high (46%), 61% of the participants played sports for a long time, and 70% never smoked. The parents of the participants also lived a high age, with an average age at death of 74.3 years for fathers and 80.47 years for mothers. The Hungarian Genomic Data Warehouse can provide vital and timely support in personalized medicine, especially in the research and diagnosis of genetically inherited disorders. The long-term goal of these bioinformatic developments is to provide access at multiple levels to the genomic data using privacy-preserving data analysis methods in genomics. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(27): 1079–1088.

Absztrakt: A nukleárisan kódolt POLG-gén fehérjeterméke kulcsszerepet játszik a mitokondriális DNS replikációjának fenntartásában, és hibája különböző súlyosságú, több szervrendszert érintő betegségeket okoz. A klinikai spektrum rendkívül tág, a leggyakrabban előforduló tünetek közé tartozik többek között a ptosis, a myoclonus, az epilepszia, a myopathia, a szenzoros ataxia, a parkinsonizmus, a kognitív hanyatlás és az infertilitás is. Ma már ismert, hogy a Parkinson-kór kialakulása során a mitokondriális diszfunkció is nagy jelentőséggel bír a substantia nigra dopaminerg sejtjeinek elhalásában. Ezért a POLG-génben bekövetkező változások befolyásolhatják a különböző örökletes neurodegeneratív betegségeknek, így a monogénes parkinsonizmusnak a kialakulását is. A Parkinson-kór és a POLG kapcsolatáról azonban még kevés az elérhető információ, és ez idáig a magyar populációra vonatkozó adatok sem álltak rendelkezésünkre. Vizsgálatunk során 67 magyar, a parkinsonizmus tüneteit mutató páciens esetében újgenerációs szekvenálást végeztünk, és a POLG-génben található, potenciálisan káros variánsokat elemeztük. 3 beteg esetében azonosítottunk potenciálisan kóroki eltérést. Közleményünkkel arra szeretnénk felhívni a figyelmet, hogy a parkinsonizmus differenciáldiagnózisa során az esetleges POLG genetikai érintettségét is figyelembe kell venni. Különösen olyan plusztünetek jelenlétekor, mint az ophthalmoparesis, a nem vascularis típusú fehérállományi laesiók, a pszichiátriai komorbiditás és a tünetek viszonylag korai indulása. Korábbi irodalmi adatok és saját tapasztalataink alapján összefoglaltuk a POLG-asszociált parkinsonizmus lehetséges diagnosztikai megközelítését is. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(20): 821–828.

Pompe disease (PD) is a rare lysosomal disease caused by the deficient activity of acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA) enzyme due to mutations in the GAA gene. The enzymatic deficiency leads to the accumulation of glycogen within the lysosomes. Clinically, the disease has been classically classified in infantile and childhood/adult forms. Presently cc. close to 600 mutations distributed throughout the whole gene have been reported. The c.-32-13T>G splice mutation that is very common in patients of Caucasian origin affected by the childhood/adult form of the disease, with an allelic frequency close to 70%. Enzyme replacement treatment (ERT) is available for the patients with Pompe disease (Myozyme). In this paper, we are presenting the long term follow up of 13 adult onset cases treated more than 5 years. The longest follow up was 15 years. To evaluate the treatment efficacy, the 6 minutes walking test (6MWT) and the respiratory functions were monitored annually. The analysis revealed that at the beginning of ERT for 3-4 years the 6MWT had been generally increasing, then it declined, and after 10 years it was lower in 77% of the cases than it had been at the start of the treatment. In 23% of the cases the 6MWT increased during the follow up time. Only one of the patients become wheelchair dependent during the follow-up period. The respiratory function showed similar results especially in supine position. A high degree of variability was observed among patients in their responses to the treatment, which only partially associated with the antibody titer against the therapeutic protein. The efficacy of the ERT was associated with the type of the disease causing mutation, the baseline status of the disease, the lifestyle and the diet of the patient. The long-term follow up of the patients with innovative orphan drugs is necessary to really understand the value of the treatment and the need of the patients.

Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) 40 is an extremely rare subtype of the phenotypically and genetically diverse autosomal dominant ataxias caused by mutations of the CCDC88C gene. Most reported cases of SCA40 are characterized by late-onset cerebellar ataxia and variable extrapyramidal features; however, there is a report of a patient with early-onset spastic paraparesis as well. Here, we describe a novel missense CCDC88C mutation (p.R203W) in the hook domain of the DAPLE protein encoded by the CCDC88C gene that was identified in a female patient who developed late-onset ataxia, dysmetria and intention tremor. To explore the molecular consequences of the newly identified and previously described CCDC88C mutations, we carried out in vitro functional tests. The CCDC88C alleles were expressed in HEK293 cells, and the impact of the mutant DAPLE protein variants on JNK pathway activation and apoptosis was assessed. Our results revealed only a small-scale activation of the JNK pathway by mutant DAPLE proteins; however, increased JNK1 phosphorylation could not be detected. Additionally, none of the examined mutations triggered proapoptotic effect. In conclusion, we identified a novel mutation of the CCDC88C gene from a patient with spinocerebellar ataxia. Our results are not in accord with previous observations and do not support the primary role of the CCDC88C mutations in induction of JNK pathway activation in ataxia. Therefore, we propose that CCDC88C mutations may exert their effects through different and possibly in much broader, yet unexplored, biological processes.

Background Perrault syndrome is a genetically heterogenous, very rare disease, characterized clinically by sensorineural hearing loss, ovarian dysfunction and neurological symptoms. We present the case of a 33 years old female patient with TWNK-associated Perrault syndrome. The TWNK gene is coding the mitochondrial protein Twinkle and currently there are only two reports characterizing the phenotype of TWNK-associated Perrault syndrome. None of these publications reported about special brain MRI alterations and neuropathological changes in the muscle and peripheral nerves. Case presentation Our patients with TWNK-dependent Perrault syndrome had severe bilateral hypoacusis, severe ataxia, polyneuropathy, lower limb spastic paraparesis with pyramidal signs, and gonadal dysgenesis. Psychiatric symptoms such as depression and paranoia were present as well. Brain MRI observed progressive cerebellar hyperintensive signs associated with cerebellar, medulla oblongata and cervical spinal cord atrophy. Light microscopy of the muscle biopsy detected severe neurogenic lesions. COX staining was centrally reduced in many muscle fibers. Both muscle and sural nerve electron microscopy detected slightly enlarged mitochondria with abnormal cristae surrounded by lipid vacuoles. In the sural nerve, dystrophic axons had focally uncompacted myelin lamellae present. Genetic investigation revealed multiple mtDNA deletion and compound heterozygous mutations of the TWNK gene (c.1196 A > G, c.1358 G > A). Conclusion This study demonstrates that TWNK associated Perrault syndrome has a much broader phenotype as originally published. The coexistence of severe hypoacusis, spastic limb weakness, ataxia, polyneuropathy, gonadal dysgensia, hyperintense signals in the cerebellum and the presence of the mtDNA multiple deletion could indicate the impairment of the TWNK gene. This is the first report about pyramidal tract involvement and cerebellar MRI alteration associated with TWNK-related Perrault syndrome.

In this letter-to-the-editor the Task Force on Gender and Diversity issues in Neurology founded under the auspices of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) addresses various gender issues that are arising during the COVID-19 pandemic. These issues concern different aspects, spanning from gender disparities in health care workforce to gender differences amongst patients suffering from COVID-19, risk factors, occurrence of neurological complications and (outcomes of) management. Due to the continuous flow of COVID-19 related papers this review cannot be comprehensive. We attempted to select the most relevant literature on this topic.

IntroductionPhospholipase A2-associated Neurodegeneration (PLAN) is a group of neurodegenerative diseases associated with the alterations of PLA2G6. Some phenotype-genotype association are well known but there is no clear explanation why some cases can be classified into distinct subgroups, while others follow a continuous clinical spectrum.MethodsLong-term neurological, and psychiatric follow-up, neuropathological, radiological, and genetic examinations, were performed in three affected girls and their family.ResultsTwo 24-years old twins and their 22-years old sister harbored the p.P622S, and p.R600W mutation in PLA2G6. The age of onset and the most prominent presenting symptoms (gaze palsy, ataxia, dystonia, psychomotor regression indicated atypical neuroaxonal dystrophy (ANAD), however, optic atrophy, severe tetraparesis would fit into infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy (INAD). All siblings had hyperintensity in the globi pallidi and substantiae nigrae which is reported in ANAD, whereas it is considered a later neuroradiological marker in INAD. The slow progression, rigidity, bradykinesis, and the prominent psychiatric symptoms indicate PLA2G6-related dystonia-parkinsonism. Abnormal mitochondria, lipid accumulation and axonal spheroids were observed in the muscle and nerve tissue. Brain deposition appeared 6 years following the initial cerebellar atrophy. Mild MRI alterations were detected in the asymptomatic carrier parents.ConclusionThe colorful clinical symptoms, the slightly discordant phenotype, and the neuroimaging data in the family supports the view that despite the distinct definition of age-related phenotypes in PLAN, these are not strict disease categories, but rather a continuous phenotypic spectrum. The mild MRI alterations of the parents and the family history suggest that even heterozygous pathogenic variants might be associated with clinical symptoms, although systematic study is needed to prove this.

Abstract: Introduction: Congenital sensorineural hearing loss is one of the most common sensory defects affecting 1–3 children per 1000 newborns. There are a lot of causes which result in congenital hearing loss, the most common is the genetic origin, but infection, cochlear malformation or other acquired causes can be reasons as well. Aim: The aim of this study was to establish the etiological factors of congenital profound sensorineural hearing loss in children who underwent cochlear implantation. Results: Our results show that the origin of the hearing loss was discovered in 62.9% of our patients. The most common etiological factor was the c.35delG mutation of the gap junction protein β-2 gene, the allele frequency was 38.7% in our cohort. Infection constituted to 10.1%, and meningitis and cytomegalovirus infection were the second most common cause. 79.9% of our patients received sufficient hearing rehabilitation before the end of the speech development’s period (6 years old), but 11.2% of our cases were still diagnosed late. Conclusions: Based on our data we can state that genetic evaluation is crucial in the diagnostic process of congenital profound sensorineural hearing loss. Sufficient hearing rehabilitation affects the whole life of the child, and by late cochlear implantation the speech development falls behind. We can decrease the ratio of the late implantation with the new protocol of newborn hearing screening, and with sufficient information provided to the colleagues, so the children may be referred to the proper center for rehabilitation without delay. Orv Hetil. 2019; 160(21): 822–828.

Pompe disease is caused by the accumulation of glycogen in the lysosomes due to a deficiency of the lysosomal acid-α-glucosidase (GAA) enzyme. Depending on residual enzyme activity, the disease manifests two distinct phenotypes. In this study, we assess an enzymatic and genetic analysis of Hungarian patients with Pompe disease. Twenty-four patients diagnosed with Pompe disease were included. Enzyme activity of acid-α-glucosidase was measured by mass spectrometry. Sanger sequencing and an MLPA of the GAA gene were performed in all patients. Twenty (83.33%) patients were classified as having late-onset Pompe disease and four (16.66%) had infantile-onset Pompe disease. Fifteen different pathogenic GAA variants were detected. The most common finding was the c.-32-13 T &gt, G splice site alteration. Comparing the α-glucosidase enzyme activity of homozygous cases to the compound heterozygous cases of the c.-32-13 T &gt, G disease-causing variant, the mean GAA activity in homozygous cases was significantly higher. The lowest enzyme activity was found in cases where the c.-32-13 T &gt, G variant was not present. The localization of the identified sequence variations in regions encoding the crucial protein domains of GAA correlates with severe effects on enzyme activity. A better understanding of the impact of pathogenic gene variations may help earlier initiation of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) if subtle symptoms occur. Further information on the effect of GAA gene variation on the efficacy of treatment and the extent of immune response to ERT would be of importance for optimal disease management and designing effective treatment plans.

Introduction Rhabdomyolysis is a syndrome characterized by a rapid necrosis of muscle fibers and the release of muscle-derived metabolic products into the circulatory system. A rare cause of rhabdomyolysis is paraneoplastic polymyositis. Case presentation A 67-year-old man was diagnosed with paraneoplastic polymyositis and rhabdomyolysis caused by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Intravenous steroid was used as a symptomatic therapy for rhabdomyolysis, and the tumour was removed by left hemihepatectomy to treat the underlying cause. After muscle strength gradually improved, steroid therapy was discontinued. The patient was reoperated multiple times due to bleeding and bile leakage. Following the operations, his overall state and muscle strength further improved. Despite that, the patient's condition worsened again, and eventually, he died of candida albicans pneumonia and sepsis. Discussion HCC is an extremely rare cause of paraneoplastic polymyositis and rhabdomyolysis. Treatment is challenging, as none of the few available case reports record long term survival and less than half of the reports record muscle strength improvement. In our case, the patient was treated with systemic steroid therapy and resection of the tumour. The patient's muscle strength temporarily improved, but subsequently, the patient died. Conclusion Our case confirms the importance of a definitive treatment of HCC, as we achieved a significant improvement in muscle strength by removing the tumour. On the other hand, our paper highlights the dangers of double-sided steroid therapy, which, combined with the essential, effective treatment of rhabdomyolysis, may have contributed to the development of postoperative complications and candida sepsis leading to death., Highlights • Hepatocellular carcinoma is an extremely rare cause of paraneoplastic polymyositis. • Definitive treatment of paraneoplastic polymyositis is surgical removal of the tumour. • Steroid therapy is an essential treatment of polymyositis and rhabdomyolysis. • Steroid therapy also increases the risk of postoperative complications. • Steroid therapy, combined with surgical treatment may lead to increased postoperative risk.

There is increasing evidence that several mitochondrial abnormalities are present in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Decreased alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (αKGDHc) activity was identified in some patients with AD. The αKGDHc is a key enzyme in the Krebs cycle. This enzyme is very sensitive to the harmful effect of reactive oxygen species, which gives them a critical role in the Alzheimer and mitochondrial disease research area. Previously, several genetic risk factors were described in association with AD. Our aim was to analyze the associations of rare damaging variants in the genes encoding αKGDHc subunits and AD. The three genes (OGDH, DLST, DLD) encoding αKGDHc subunits were sequenced from different brain regions of 11 patients with histologically confirmed AD and the blood of further 35 AD patients. As a control group, we screened 134 persons with whole-exome sequencing. In all subunits, a one–one rare variant was identified with unknown significance based on American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) classification. Based on the literature research and our experience, R263H mutation in the DLD gene seems likely to be pathogenic. In the different cerebral areas, the αKGDHc mutational profile was the same, indicating the presence of germline variants. We hypothesize that the heterozygous missense R263H in the DLD gene may have a role in AD as a mild genetic risk factor.

Összefoglaló. A fejlett társadalmak egészségügyi rendszereinek legnagyobb kihívását az öregedéssel összefüggő, korfüggő betegségek jelentik. Annak megértéséhez, hogy az egyes genetikai variánsoknak mi a szerepük egy korfüggő betegség kialakulásában, meg kell ismerkednünk magával az öregedési folyamattal, az egészséges hosszú élettel asszociált, valamint az adott populációra jellegzetes variánsokkal is. A Semmelweis Egyetem Genomikai Medicina és Ritka Betegségek Intézete a Nemzeti Bionika Program keretén belül a Magyar Genomikai Egészségtárház felállítását tűzte ki célul, időskoruk mellett is egészséges önkéntesek teljesgenom-szekvenciáinak és kapcsolódó fenotípusadatainak katalogizálásával és elemzésével, létrehozva az első magyar teljes genomi referencia-adatbázist. Fontos szempont volt, hogy a kutatás az egészséges öregedést vizsgáló nemzetközi projektekhez is kapcsolódást biztosítson, így lehetőséget teremtve a különböző országokból származó adatok harmonizálására és közös elemzésére. A kutatás résztvevőinek 49%-a 70-80 éves, 36%-a 81-90 éves, 14%-uk pedig 90 év feletti; a nemek aránya 44/56%-os megoszlást mutatott a férfiak és a nők között. A résztvevők csaknem fele (46%) egyedül él. Magas a felsőfokú végzettségűek aránya (46%), a résztvevők 61%-a hosszú időn át sportolt, 70%-uk sosem dohányzott. A vizsgálati alanyok szülei is magas életkort éltek meg, az édesapáknál 74,3, az édesanyák esetében pedig 80,47 év volt a halálozáskori átlagéletkor. Adattárházunk elsőként tervez hozzáférést biztosítani egy magyar teljes genomi referencia-adatbázishoz, amely a genetikusan meghatározott betegségek és fenotípusok kutatásában és a klinikai gyakorlatban is alapvető fontosságú. A projekt bioinformatikai fejlesztései a genetikai/genomikai információk többszintű elérését támogatják a személyes adatok védettségét megőrző statisztikai elemzési és mesterségesintelligencia-eljárások segítségével. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(27): 1079-1088. Summary. Genetics has proven to be a a successful approach in the study of ageing. To understand the role of each genetic variant in the development of an age-dependent disease, we need to become familiar with the ageing process itself and with the population-specific variants. The Institute of Genomic Medicine and Rare Disorders of the Semmelweis University within the framework of the National Bionics Program set up a data collection, the Hungarian Genomic Data Warehouse, by cataloging and analyzing complete genome sequences and related phenotype data of healthy volunteers, which also serves as a reference national Hungarian genomic database. The structure of the data warehouse allows interoperability with the most important international research projects on ageing. 49% of the participants in the Hungarian Genomic Data Warehouse were 70-80 years old, 36% were 81-90, 14% over 90 years old. The gender ratio was 44/56% between men and women. The proportion of people with higher education is high (46%), 61% of the participants played sports for a long time, and 70% never smoked. The parents of the participants also lived a high age, with an average age at death of 74.3 years for fathers and 80.47 years for mothers. The Hungarian Genomic Data Warehouse can provide vital and timely support in personalized medicine, especially in the research and diagnosis of genetically inherited disorders. The long-term goal of these bioinformatic developments is to provide access at multiple levels to the genomic data using privacy-preserving data analysis methods in genomics. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(27): 1079-1088.

Background De novo mutations (DNMs) have been implicated in the etiology of schizophrenia (SZ), a chronic debilitating psychiatric disorder characterized by hallucinations, delusions, cognitive dysfunction, and decreased community functioning. Several DNMs have been identified by examining SZ cases and their unaffected parents; however, in most cases, the biological significance of these mutations remains elusive. To overcome this limitation, we have developed an approach of using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines from each member of a SZ case-parent trio, in order to investigate the effects of DNMs in cellular progenies of interest, particularly in dentate gyrus neuronal progenitors. Methods We identified a male SZ patient characterized by early disease onset and negative symptoms, who is a carrier of 3 non-synonymous DNMs in genes LRRC7, KHSRP, and KIR2DL1. iPSC lines were generated from his and his parents’ peripheral blood mononuclear cells using Sendai virus-based reprogramming and differentiated into neuronal progenitor cells (NPCs) and hippocampal dentate gyrus granule cells. We used RNASeq to explore transcriptomic differences and calcium (Ca2+) imaging, cell proliferation, migration, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial assays to characterize the investigated NPC lines. Results NPCs derived from the SZ patient exhibited transcriptomic differences related to Wnt signaling, neuronal differentiation, axonal guidance and synaptic function, and decreased Ca2+ reactivity to glutamate. Moreover, we could observe increased cellular proliferation and alterations in mitochondrial quantity and morphology. Conclusions The approach of reprograming case-parent trios represents an opportunity for investigating the molecular effects of disease-causing mutations and comparing these in cell lines with reduced variation in genetic background. Our results are indicative of a partial overlap between schizophrenia and autism-related phenotypes in the investigated family. Limitations Our study investigated only one family; therefore, the generalizability of findings is limited. We could not derive iPSCs from two other siblings to test for possible genetic effects in the family that are not driven by DNMs. The transcriptomic and functional assays were limited to the NPC stage, although these variables should also be investigated at the mature neuronal stage.

BackgroundMarfan syndrome (MFS) is a systemic connective tissue disorder with life-threatening manifestations affecting the ascending aorta. MFS is caused by dominant negative (DN) and haploinsufficient (HI) mutations of theFBN1gene. Our aim was to identify mutations of MFS patients with high detection rate and to investigate the use of a gene panel for patients with Marfanoid habitus. We also aimed to examine correlations between genotype and cardiovascular manifestations to predict “malignant” mutations.Methods136 individuals were enrolled. In the first phase, next-generation sequencing (NGS) and Sanger sequencing were performed for 57 patients to screen theFBN1gene, followed by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) in negative cases. For repeated negative results, NGS gene panel involving 9 genes was used. In the second phase, 79 patients were tested primarily with the same gene panel, negative samples were tested by MLPA.Results84 pathogenic mutations were detected, out of which 78 affectedFBN1, 6 non-FBN1mutations (2TGFB2, 1TGFBR2, 2TGFBR1, 1SMAD3) are associated with Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS). LDS patients had lower systemic score and they were younger, but their aortic involvement did not differ. MLPA detected 4 multi-exon deletions ofFBN1gene, which could not be identified by our first-step screening method. Aortic involvement (aortic dissection and/or dilation) did not differ significantly among HI and DN mutations (p = 0.061). Combined group of HI and DN mutations eliminating a disulphide-bonding cysteine (DN Cys) had significantly higher aortic involvement rate than DN mutations not eliminating a disulphide-bonding cysteine (DN non-Cys) (p p = 0.042 andp = 0.015, respectively).ConclusionsDue to the relevant number of mutations affecting genes other thanFBN1, preferred approach for testing individuals with Marfanoid habitus is using a gene panel rather than single-gene analysis, followed by MLPA for negative samples. DN Cys and HI mutations should be considered as risk factors for aortic involvement. Genetic testing for patients with Marfanoid features and a systemic score under 7 is recommended, as LDS patients may have lower scores, but they may have severe cardiovascular manifestations.

Pompe disease (PD) is a rare lysosomal disease caused by the deficient activity of acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA) enzyme due to mutations in the GAA gene. The enzymatic deficiency leads to the accumulation of glycogen within the lysosomes. Clinically, the disease has been classically classified in infantile and childhood/adult forms. Presently cc. close to 600 mutations distributed throughout the whole gene have been reported. The c.-32-13TG splice mutation that is very common in patients of Caucasian origin affected by the childhood/adult form of the disease, with an allelic frequency close to 70%. Enzyme replacement treatment (ERT) is available for the patients with Pompe disease (Myozyme). In this paper, we are presenting the long term follow up of 13 adult onset cases treated more than 5 years. The longest follow up was 15 years. To evaluate the treatment efficacy, the 6 minutes walking test (6MWT) and the respiratory functions were monitored annually. The analysis revealed that at the beginning of ERT for 3-4 years the 6MWT had been generally increasing, then it declined, and after 10 years it was lower in 77% of the cases than it had been at the start of the treatment. In 23% of the cases the 6MWT increased during the follow up time. Only one of the patients become wheelchair dependent during the follow-up period. The respiratory function showed similar results especially in supine position. A high degree of variability was observed among patients in their responses to the treatment, which only partially associated with the antibody titer against the therapeutic protein. The efficacy of the ERT was associated with the type of the disease causing mutation, the baseline status of the disease, the lifestyle and the diet of the patient. The long-term follow up of the patients with innovative orphan drugs is necessary to really understand the value of the treatment and the need of the patients.A Pompe-kór (PD) egy ritka lizoszomális tárolási betegség, amit a GAA gén mutációja következtében kialakuló α-glü­kozidáz (GAA) enzim elégtelen mûködése okoz. Az enzim­deficientia a glikogén lizoszomális felszaporodásához vezet. A betegségnek két klinikai formája ismert, az újszülöttkori, valamint a késôi forma. Jelenleg a betegség hátterében a GAA génnek közel 600 mutációja ismert. A kaukázusi populációban a késôi forma hátterében a c.-32-13TG mutáció a leggyakoribb, az allélfrekvencia közel 70%. A Pompe-kórt enzimpótló terápiával (ERT) tudjuk kezelni, kéthetente Myozyme infúzió adásával. Közleményünkben 13, több mint öt éve kezelt, késôi kezdetû formában szen­vedô beteg hosszú távú követését mutatjuk be. A leg­hosszabb követési idô 15 év volt. A kezelés eredmé­nyességének megítélésére évente mértük a 6 perces járó­távolságot és a légzésfunkciót. Az adatok alapján a 6 per­ces járótávolság az enzimpótló kezelés indítása után körülbelül 3-4 évig javult, ezt követôen az esetek többségében a megtett távolság csökkent. A több mint 10 éves követés után a kezdeti 6 perces járótávolsághoz képest romlást tapasztaltunk az esetek 77%-ában, javulást az esetek 23%-ában. A követés ideje alatt mindössze egyetlen beteg került kerekesszékbe. A légzésfunkció, különösen fekvô helyzetben hasonlóan alakult. A betegek terápiára adott válaszában nagy variabilitást figyeltünk meg, ami csak részben mutatott összefüggést a terápiás fehérje ellen termelôdô antitestszinttel. Az ERT eredményessége jelentôsen függött a betegséget okozó mutáció típusától, a betegség státuszától a kezelés kezdetekor, a beteg fizikai aktivitásától és táplálkozási szokásaitól. Az innovatív orphan gyógyszerekkel kezelt betegek hosszú távú követése kiemelkedôen fontos ahhoz, hogy megismerjük a kezelés valós hasznát és a betegek igényeit.

The protein product of the nuclear-encoded POLG gene plays a key role in the maintenance of mitochondrial DNA replication, and its failure causes multi-system diseases with varying severity. The clinical spectrum is extremely wide, and the most common symptoms include ptosis, myoclonus, epilepsy, myopathy, sensory ataxia, parkinsonism, cognitive decline and infertility. Now, it is known that mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson's disease plays a key role in the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Therefore, changes in the POLG gene may influence the development of various hereditary neurodegenerative diseases, including monogenic parkinsonism. However, only limited information is available on the relationship between Parkinson's disease and POLG gene and until now, there are no available data about the Hungarian population. In our study, we performed a next-generation sequencing study of 67 Hungarian patients with parkinsonism and analyzed the potentially damaging alterations in the POLG gene. 3 patients have been identified with a potential pathogen variant. In this study, we would like to call attention to the fact that during the differential diagnosis of parkinsonism, the possible involvement of POLG gene should be kept in mind. Especially in the presence of additional symptoms, such as ophthalmoparesis, non-vascular white matter lesions, psychiatric comorbidity, and relatively early age of onset, the POLG gene should be taken into consideration. Based on previous data from the literature and our own experience, we have summarized a possible diagnostic approach for POLG-associated parkinsonism. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(20): 821-828.A nukleárisan kódolt POLG-gén fehérjeterméke kulcsszerepet játszik a mitokondriális DNS replikációjának fenntartásában, és hibája különböző súlyosságú, több szervrendszert érintő betegségeket okoz. A klinikai spektrum rendkívül tág, a leggyakrabban előforduló tünetek közé tartozik többek között a ptosis, a myoclonus, az epilepszia, a myopathia, a szenzoros ataxia, a parkinsonizmus, a kognitív hanyatlás és az infertilitás is. Ma már ismert, hogy a Parkinson-kór kialakulása során a mitokondriális diszfunkció is nagy jelentőséggel bír a substantia nigra dopaminerg sejtjeinek elhalásában. Ezért a POLG-génben bekövetkező változások befolyásolhatják a különböző örökletes neurodegeneratív betegségeknek, így a monogénes parkinsonizmusnak a kialakulását is. A Parkinson-kór és a POLG kapcsolatáról azonban még kevés az elérhető információ, és ez idáig a magyar populációra vonatkozó adatok sem álltak rendelkezésünkre. Vizsgálatunk során 67 magyar, a parkinsonizmus tüneteit mutató páciens esetében újgenerációs szekvenálást végeztünk, és a POLG-génben található, potenciálisan káros variánsokat elemeztük. 3 beteg esetében azonosítottunk potenciálisan kóroki eltérést. Közleményünkkel arra szeretnénk felhívni a figyelmet, hogy a parkinsonizmus differenciáldiagnózisa során az esetleges POLG genetikai érintettségét is figyelembe kell venni. Különösen olyan plusztünetek jelenlétekor, mint az ophthalmoparesis, a nem vascularis típusú fehérállományi laesiók, a pszichiátriai komorbiditás és a tünetek viszonylag korai indulása. Korábbi irodalmi adatok és saját tapasztalataink alapján összefoglaltuk a POLG-asszociált parkinsonizmus lehetséges diagnosztikai megközelítését is. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(20): 821–828.

Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental disorder characterized by positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. Negative symptoms are usually present from the prodromal phase; early diagnosis and management of negative symptoms is a major health concern since an insidious onset dominated by negative symptoms is associated with a worse outcome. Antipsychotic medications, which are effective for treating positive symptoms, are generally ineffective for treating negative or cognitive symptoms. We present a 23-year-old woman showing severe symptoms at her first visit to our department. The patient’s parents reported that their daughter had experienced several years of psychosocial decline and putative psychiatric symptoms, but no medical attention had been previously sought; as such, the diagnosis of schizophrenia with predominantly negative symptoms was very much delayed. Early onset of schizophrenia, longer duration of untreated psychosis, and severe negative symptoms, which have limited treatment options, suggested a poor prognosis. We initiated monotherapy with cariprazine, a novel antipsychotic that has recently been proven efficacious in treating schizophrenia with predominantly negative symptoms. This report describes a 52-week cariprazine treatment regimen and follows the patient’s impressive clinical improvement confirmed by PANSS and CGI scores, and psychological tests.

Introduction Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by a homozygous deletion of the survival motor neuron (SMN) 1 gene. Nusinersen is an antisense oligonucleotide enhancing the production of the SMN protein. It has received approval by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in 2017, based on the clinical trials demonstrating the effectiveness of nusinersen in several types of SMA. In Hungary, the first patient received nusinersen treatment in April 2018. Our aim is to summarize our experience regarding the efficacy, safety and tolerability of nusinersen in our patients. Methods Data were collected retrospectively in all types of SMA patients (type 1–3) starting treatment with nusinersen in Hungary between April 2018 and December 2019. Motor functions were evaluated at baseline, at the fourth and all following injections. Results By 31st December 2019, nusinersen therapy was initiated in 54 patients at either of the two Hungarian treatment centres. Mean age of the patients at the start of the treatment was 6.3 years (±5,4 range 0.4–17.9). 13 patients are type 1 (mean 0.78 ± 0.27, range 0.4–1.5 yrs), 21 patients are type 2 (mean 4.5 ± 3.3, range 1.3–12 yrs), 23 patients are type 3 (mean 10.9 ± 5.2, range 2.9–17.9 yrs). Fourteen patients had severe scoliosis, four of them underwent spine stabilizing surgery. During the study period 340 injections were administered without any new safety concerns emerging. The data of 38 patients, who had completed the first six treatments, were included in the final statistical analysis. Motor function has improved in most of the children. By the 307th day visit, on average, a 14.9 (±5,1) point improvement was measured on the CHOP INTEND scale in type 1 patients (p = 0.016). All patients with type 1 SMA who performed the motor evaluation (7/10) have improved by more than four (7-21) points. Regarding type 2 patients, a 7.2 (range -2- 17) point increase from baseline (p Conclusion According to our results nusinersen has the same safety and tolerability profile as in the clinical trials. In a heterogenic patient population of SMA type 1 and 2, nusinersen showed similar efficacy as seen in the pivotal studies. A clinically and statistically significant improvement of motor functions was also detectable in type 3 patients with heterogeneous age distribution.

Abstract: Next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies reshape the diagnostics of rare neurological diseases. In the background of certain neurological symptoms, such as ataxia, many acquired and genetic causes may be present. Variations in a given gene can present with variable phenotypes, too. Because of this phenomenon, the conventional one gene sequencing approach often fails to identify the genetic background of a disease. Next generation sequencing panels allow to sequence 50–100 genes simultaneously, and if the disease stratification is not possible based on the clinical symptoms, whole exome sequencing can help in the diagnostic of genetic disorders with atypical presentation. This case study is about the exome sequencing of a patient with cerebellar ataxia. Genetic investigations identified rare variants in the SPG11 gene in association with the clinical phenotype, which gene was originally described in the background of hereditary spastic paraparesis. Our article highlights that in certain cases the variability of the leading presenting symptom makes it hard to select the correct gene panel. In our case the variants in the gene, formerly associated to hereditary spastic paraparesis, resulted in cerebellar ataxia initially, so even an ataxia NGS gene panel would not detect those. Orv Hetil. 2018; 159(28): 1163–1169.

Complete mitochondrial genomics is an effective tool for studying the demographic history of human populations, but there is still a deficit of mitogenomic data in European populations. In this paper, we present results of study of variability of 80 complete mitochondrial genomes in two Hungarian populations from eastern part of Hungary (Szeged and Debrecen areas). The genetic diversity of Hungarian mitogenomes is remarkably high, reaching 99.9% in a combined sample. According to the analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), European populations showed a low, but statistically significant level of between-population differentiation (Fst = 0.61%, p = 0), and two Hungarian populations demonstrate lack of between-population differences. Phylogeographic analysis allowed us to identify 71 different mtDNA sub-clades in Hungarians, sixteen of which are novel. Analysis of ancestry-informative mtDNA sub-clades revealed a complex genetic structure associated with the genetic impact of populations from different parts of Eurasia, though the contribution from European populations is the most pronounced. At least 8% of ancestry-informative haplotypes found in Hungarians demonstrate similarity with East and West Slavic populations (sub-clades H1c23a, H2a1c1, J2b1a6, T2b25a1, U4a2e, K1c1j, and I1a1c), while the influence of Siberian populations is not so noticeable (sub-clades A12a, C4a1a, and probably U4b1a4).

OBJECTIVE: Next-generation sequencing is increasingly utilized worldwide as a research and diagnostic tool and is anticipated to be implemented into everyday clinical practice. Since Central-Eastern European attitude toward genetic testing, especially broad genetic testing, is not well known, we performed a survey on this issue among Hungarian participants. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among patients and patient relatives at our neurogenetic outpatient clinic. Members of the general population were also recruited via public media. We used chi-square testing and binary logistic regression to examine factors influencing attitude. RESULTS: We identified a mixed attitude toward genetic testing. Access to physician consultation positively influenced attitude. A higher self-determined genetic familiarity score associated with higher perceived genetic influence score, which in turn associated with greater willingness to participate in genetic testing. Medical professionals constituted a skeptical group. CONCLUSIONS: We think that given the controversies and complexities of the next-generation sequencing field, the optimal clinical translation of NGS data should be performed in institutions which have the unique capability to provide interprofessional health education, transformative biomedical research, and crucial patient care. With optimization of the clinical translational process, improvement of genetic literacy may increase patient engagement and empowerment. RELEVANCE OF THE ARTICLE FOR PREDICTIVE, PREVENTIVE, AND PERSONALIZED MEDICINE: The paper highlights that in countries with relatively low-genetic literacy, a special strategy is needed to enhance the implementation of personalized medicine.

Background The etiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is very heterogeneous. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been described in ASD; however, primary mitochondrial disease has been genetically proven in a small subset of patients. The main goal of the present study was to investigate correlations between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) changes and alterations of genes associated with mtDNA maintenance or ASD. Methods Sixty patients with ASD and sixty healthy individuals were screened for common mtDNA mutations. Next generation sequencing was performed on patients with major mtDNA deletions (mtdel-ASD) using two gene panels to investigate nuclear genes that are associated with ASD or are responsible for mtDNA maintenance. Cohorts of healthy controls, ASD patients without mtDNA alterations, and patients with mitochondrial disorders (non-ASD) harbouring mtDNA deletions served as comparison groups. Results MtDNA deletions were confirmed in 16.6% (10/60) of patients with ASD (mtdel-ASD). In 90% of this mtdel-ASD children we found rare SNVs in ASD-associated genes (one of those was pathogenic). In the intergenomic panel of this cohort one likely pathogenic variant was present. In patients with mitochondrial disease in genes responsible for mtDNA maintenance pathogenic mutations and variants of uncertain significance (VUS) were detected more frequently than those found in patients from the mtdel-ASD or other comparison groups. In healthy controls and in patients without a mtDNA deletion, only VUS were detected in both panel. Conclusions MtDNA alterations are more common in patients with ASD than in control individuals. MtDNA deletions are not isolated genetic alterations found in ASD; they coexist either with other ASD-associated genetic risk factors or with alterations in genes responsible for intergenomic communication. These findings indicate that mitochondrial dysfunction is not rare in ASD. The occurring mtDNA deletions in ASD may be mostly a consequence of the alterations of the causative culprit genes for autism or genes responsible for mtDNA maintenance, or because of the harmful effect of environmental factors. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12993-018-0135-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Our study analyzed lymphocyte subpopulations of 32 monozygotic twins and compared the level of the catalytic reverse transcriptase protein subunit (hTERT) in T lymphocytes (Tly), helper- (Th), cytotoxic- (Tc) and regulatory T cell (Treg) subgroups. Four variables related to telomere and mitochondrial biology were simultaneously assessed, applying multi-parametric flow cytometry, TRAP-ELISA assay and qPCR standard curve method on peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples of genetically matched individuals. Twin data of telomerase activity (TA), hTERT protein level, telomere length (TL) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) were analyzed for co-twin similarity. The present study has provided novel information by demonstrating very high intraclass correlation (ICC) of hTERT protein level in T lymphocytes (0.891) and in both Th (0.896), Treg (0.885) and Tc (0.798) cell subgroups. When comparing results measured from PBMCs, intraclass correlation was also high for telomere length (0.815) and considerable for mtDNA copy number (0.524), and again exceptionally high for the rate-limiting telomerase subunit, hTERT protein level (0.946). In contrast, telomerase activity showed no co-twin similarity (ICC 0). By comparing relative amounts of hTERT protein levels in different lymphocyte subgroups of twin subjects, in Treg cells significantly higher level could be detected compared to Tly, Th or Tc cell subgroups. This is the first study that simultaneously analyzed co-twin similarity in MZ twins for the above four variables and alongside assessed their relationship, whereby positive association was found between TL and mtDNAcn.

The genetic analysis of early-onset Parkinsonian disorder (EOPD) is part of the clinical diagnostics. Several genes have been implicated in the genetic background of Parkinsonism, which is clinically indistinguishable from idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. The identification of patient’s genotype could support clinical decision-making process and also track and analyse outcomes in a comprehensive fashion. The aim of our study was to analyse the genetic background of EOPD in a Hungarian cohort and to evaluate the clinical usefulness of different genetic investigations. The age of onset was between 25 and 50 years. To identify genetic alterations, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (n = 142), Sanger sequencing of the most common PD-associated genes (n = 142), and next-generation sequencing (n = 54) of 127 genes which were previously associated to neurodegenerative disorders were carried out. The genetic analysis identified several heterozygous damaging substitutions in PD-associated genes (C19orf12, DNAJC6, DNAJC13, EIF4G1, LRRK2, PRKN, PINK1, PLA2G6, SYNJ1). CNVs in PRKN and SNCA genes were found in five patients. In our cohort, nine previously published genetic risk factors were detected in three genes (GBA, LRRK2, and PINK1). In nine cases, two or three coexisting pathogenic mutations and risk variants were identified. Advances of sequencing technologies make it possible to aid diagnostics of PD by widening the scope of analysis to genes which were previously linked to other neurodegenerative disorders. Our data suggested that rare damaging variants are enriched versus neutral variants, among PD patients in the Hungarian population, which raise the possibility of an oligogenic effect. Heterozygous mutations of multiple recessive genes involved in the same pathway may perturb the molecular process linked to PD pathogenesis. Comprehensive genetic assessment of individual patients can rarely reveal monogenic cause in EOPD, although it may identify the involvement of multiple PD-associated genes in the background of the disease and may facilitate the better understanding of clinically distinct phenocopies. Due to the genetic complexity of the disease, genetic counselling and management is getting more challenging. Clinical geneticist should be prepared for counselling of patients with coexisting disease-causing mutations and susceptibility factors. At the same time, genomic-based stratification has increasing importance in future clinical trials.

Background Parkinsonism is a complex multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder, in which genetic and environmental risk factors may both play a role. Among environmental risk factors cocaine was earlier ambiguously linked to Parkinsonism. Former single case reports described Parkinsonism in chronic cocaine users, but an epidemiological study did not confirm an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease. Here we report a patient, who developed Parkinsonism in young age after chronic cocaine use, in whom a homozygous LRRK2 risk variant was also detected. Case presentation The patient was investigated because of hand tremor, which started after a 1.5-year period of cocaine abuse. Neurological examination suggested Parkinsonism, and asymmetrical pathology was confirmed by the dopamine transporter imaging study. The genetic investigations revealed a homozygous risk allele in the LRRK2 gene. After a period of cocaine abstinence, the patient’s symptoms spontaneously regressed, and the dopamine transporter imaging also returned to near-normal. Conclusions This case report suggests that cocaine abuse indeed might be linked to secondary Parkinsonism and serves as an example of a potential gene-environmental interaction between the detected LRRK2 risk variant and cocaine abuse. The reversible nature of the DaTscan pathology is a unique feature of this case, and needs further evaluation, whether this is incidental or can be a feature of cocaine related Parkinsonism.

Absztrakt

Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous. Former genetic studies suggested that both common and rare genetic variants play a role in the etiology. In this study, we aimed to analyze rare variants detected by next generation sequencing (NGS) in an autism cohort from Hungary. Methods We investigated the yield of NGS panel sequencing of an unselected ASD cohort (N = 174 ) for the detection of ASD associated syndromes. Besides, we analyzed rare variants in a common disease-rare variant framework and performed rare variant burden analysis and gene enrichment analysis in phenotype based clusters. Results We have diagnosed 13 molecularly proven syndromic autism cases. Strongest indicators of syndromic autism were intellectual disability, epilepsy or other neurological plus symptoms. Rare variant analysis on a cohort level confirmed the association of five genes with autism (AUTS2, NHS, NSD1, SLC9A9, and VPS13). We found no correlation between rare variant burden and number of minor malformation or autism severity. We identified four phenotypic clusters, but no specific gene was enriched in a given cluster. Conclusion Our study indicates that NGS panel gene sequencing can be useful, where the clinical picture suggests a clinically defined syndromic autism. In this group, targeted panel sequencing may provide reasonable diagnostic yield. Unselected NGS panel screening in the clinic remains controversial, because of uncertain utility, and difficulties of the variant interpretation. However, the detected rare variants may still significantly influence autism risk and subphenotypes in a polygenic model, but to detect the effects of these variants larger cohorts are needed.

We describe a family with a novel TNPO3 mutation of limb–girdle muscular dystrophy D2 (or LGMD 1F), a rare muscle disorder with autosomal dominant inheritance, first identified in an Italo-Spanish family where the causative defect has been found to be due to TNPO3 gene mutation, encoding transportin-3 protein (TNPO3). We present the clinical, histopathological and muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features in two patients, mother and son Hungarian origin, affected by LGMD D2 and correlate their clinical, MRI and histopathological data found in this condition. The affected son presented early pelvic girdle muscle weakness and thin muscles similar to a congenital myopathy; the mother was less compromised and had an LGMD phenotype. Muscle MRI showed a very pronounced lower limb muscle atrophy in both patients. The most relevant change obtained in the child muscle biopsy was a generalized type 1 fibre atrophy. The two patients presented the same mutation, but a different phenotype has been observed in mother and son.

Succinate-CoA ligase (SUCL) is a heterodimer enzyme composed of Suclg1 α-subunit and a substrate-specific Sucla2 or Suclg2 β-subunit yielding ATP or GTP, respectively. In humans, the deficiency of this enzyme leads to encephalomyopathy with or without methylmalonyl aciduria, in addition to resulting in mitochondrial DNA depletion. We generated mice lacking either one Sucla2 or Suclg2 allele. Sucla2 heterozygote mice exhibited tissue- and age-dependent decreases in Sucla2 expression associated with decreases in ATP-forming activity, but rebound increases in cardiac Suclg2 expression and GTP-forming activity. Bioenergetic parameters including substrate-level phosphorylation (SLP) were not different between wild-type and Sucla2 heterozygote mice unless a submaximal pharmacological inhibition of SUCL was concomitantly present. mtDNA contents were moderately decreased, but blood carnitine esters were significantly elevated. Suclg2 heterozygote mice exhibited decreases in Suclg2 expression but no rebound increases in Sucla2 expression or changes in bioenergetic parameters. Surprisingly, deletion of one Suclg2 allele in Sucla2 heterozygote mice still led to a rebound but protracted increase in Suclg2 expression, yielding double heterozygote mice with no alterations in GTP-forming activity or SLP, but more pronounced changes in mtDNA content and blood carnitine esters, and an increase in succinate dehydrogenase activity. We conclude that a partial reduction in Sucla2 elicits rebound increases in Suclg2 expression, which is sufficiently dominant to overcome even a concomitant deletion of one Suclg2 allele, pleiotropically affecting metabolic pathways associated with SUCL. These results as well as the availability of the transgenic mouse colonies will be of value in understanding SUCL deficiency.