Childhood-onset autosomal recessive ataxias: a cross-sectional study from Turkey

This study is aimed at establishing molecular classification and phenotypic correlation of childhood-onset ARAs in Southeast Anatolia of Turkey. Sixty-five children (aged 0 to 18) from 40 unrelated families who were analyzed through hereditary ataxia NGS panel between the years of 2015 –2018 were selected for the study. Seventeen different, clinically significant ARA-related pathogenic variants were detected in 33 of 40 families (82.5%), 12 of which were noted to be unreported variants. Among these 33 families, 24 hadATM-related (72.72%), four hadSACS-related (12.12%), three hadCOQ8A-related (9.09%), and two hadAPTX-related (6.06%) pathogenic variants. The c.3576G>A (p.K1192=) was the most common homozygous pathogenicATM variant (33.33%) that was associated with milder phenotype of ataxia telangiectasia (AT) with the onset of age of 3. Patients withSACS variants demonstrated developmental delay and progressive ataxia before the age of 3. Slowly progressive ataxia and intellectual disability were the common clinical manifestations of the patients with homozygous c.1396delG (p. E466Rfs*11) pathogenic variant inCOQ8A. Homozygous APTX c.689T>G (p.V230G) pathogenic variant was identified in two patients who had chief complaint of ataxic gait onset after puberty. The most common types of ARAs in this region are AT- and Charlevoix-Saguenay-type spastic ataxia.ATM gene analysis should be performed foremost on children presenting early-onset ataxia from Southeastern Anatolia. ...
Source: Neurogenetics - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research