Neuroacanthocytosis

A case of McLeod syndrome caused by a nonsense variation c.942G>A in the XK gene: A case report

McLeod syndrome is a rare XK gene-related progressive, debilitating disease involving multiple systems. The blood group phenotypes in McLeod syndrome patients usually display the Kx antigen loss and a decrease in the Kell blood group system antigen expression. This paper describes a 41-year-old male Chinese patient with McLeod syndrome. He first attended a hospital in 2015 and developed progressively worsening symptoms 4 years ago. As the disease progressed, the patient exhibited memory loss, unresponsiveness, and chorea and displayed elevated creatine kinase levels. However, McLeod syndrome could not be diagnosed by these signs and laboratory results. The patient was readmitted to the hospital in 2020 and was suspected of having McLeod syndrome. Serological analysis of the Kell blood group system and genotyping for the XK blood group system were performed, revealing the weak expression of the K antigen and the negative K antigen. Sequencing of the coding region of the XK gene showed a hemizygous c.942G>A variation in the XK gene, which resulted in a premature stop codon at position 314 (p.Trp314Ter). Therefore, the patient was diagnosed with McLeod syndrome. In conclusion, this paper presents a case of McLeod syndrome caused by a nonsense variation c.942G>A in the XK gene. The analysis of the XK gene and blood group antigen is helpful for the diagnosis of McLeod syndrome and for distinguishing it from many other diseases.

Movement disorders and neuropathies: overlaps and mimics in clinical practice

Movement disorders as well as peripheral neuropathies are extremely frequent in the general population; therefore, it is not uncommon to encounter patients with both these conditions. Often, the coexistence is coincidental, due to the high incidence of common causes of peripheral neuropathy, such as diabetes and other age-related disorders, as well as of Parkinson disease (PD), which has a typical late onset. Nonetheless, there is broad evidence that PD patients may commonly develop a sensory and/or autonomic polyneuropathy, triggered by intrinsic and/or extrinsic mechanisms. Similarly, some peripheral neuropathies may develop some movement disorders in the long run, such as tremor, and rarely dystonia and myoclonus, suggesting that central mechanisms may ensue in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Although rare, several acquired or hereditary causes may be responsible for the combination of movement and peripheral nerve disorders as a unique entity, some of which are potentially treatable, including paraneoplastic, autoimmune and nutritional aetiologies. Finally, genetic causes should be pursued in case of positive family history, young onset or multisystemic involvement, and examined for neuroacanthocytosis, spinocerebellar ataxias, mitochondrial disorders and less common causes of adult-onset cerebellar ataxias and spastic paraparesis. Deep phenotyping in terms of neurological and general examination, as well as laboratory tests, neuroimaging, neurophysiology, and next-generation genetic analysis, may guide the clinician toward the correct diagnosis and management.

Morphometric and Nanomechanical Features of Erythrocytes Characteristic of Early Pregnancy Loss

Early pregnancy loss (EPL) is estimated to be between 15 and 20% of all adverse pregnancies. Approximately, half of EPL cases have no identifiable cause. Herein, we apply atomic force microscopy to evaluate the alteration of morphology and nanomechanics of erythrocytes from women with EPL with unknown etiology, as compared to healthy pregnant (PC) and nonpregnant women (NPC). Freshly isolated erythrocytes from women with EPL differ in both the roughness value (4.6 ± 0.3 nm, p < 0.05), and Young’s modulus (2.54 ± 0.6 MPa, p < 0.01) compared to the values for NPC (3.8 ± 0.4 nm and 0.94 ± 0.2 MPa, respectively) and PC (3.3 ± 0.2 nm and 1.12 ± 0.3 MPa, respectively). Moreover, we find a time-dependent trend for the reduction of the cells’ morphometric parameters (cells size and surface roughness) and the membrane elasticity—much faster for EPL than for the two control groups. The accelerated aging of EPL erythrocytes is expressed in faster morphological shape transformation and earlier occurrence of spiculated and spherical-shaped cells, reduced membrane roughness and elasticity with aging evolution. Oxidative stress in vitro contributed to the morphological cells’ changes observed for EPL senescent erythrocytes. The ultrastructural characteristics of cells derived from women with miscarriages show potential as a supplementary mark for a pathological state.

Hereditary Chorea Associated With and Aggravated by Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Chorea is caused by a number of conditions, including genetic, metabolic derangements, infections, drugs, toxins, tumors, and disorders of the immune and inflammatory system of the body. Huntington's disease (HD) is the most common genetic cause of chorea. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune condition. Common symptoms include oral ulcers, joint pain, malar or discoid rashes, photosensitivity, and blood dyscrasias. It can involve the heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain. SLE can cause neuropsychiatric manifestations like psychosis, seizures, headache, confusion, and stroke. Chorea is a known symptom of SLE. HD is now recognized to involve more than one system and is associated with a number of comorbid conditions. We report the first case of hereditary choreiform disorder associated with and aggravated by SLE. This is also the first case report of probable Huntington disease from Balochistan, Pakistan. We report a 19-year-old girl with choreiform disorder and a family history of chorea. Choreiform disorder was present in her paternal grandmother and uncles. She presented with fever, cough, and aggravation of choreiform movements of upper and lower limbs for 10 days. She also complained of pain in the small joints of her hands and feet, oral ulcers, hair loss, and aggravation of choreiform movements for two and half months. Probable differential diagnoses of HD, Wilson's disease, and other types of hereditary chorea, aggravated by infections, SLE, or Covid-19, were made. Her initial lab results revealed pancytopenia, increased D-dimers and serum ferritin, positive antinuclear antibodies (ANA), and anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA). Her C3 and C4 complement factors were low. The rest of the lab test results, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) coronavirus disease (COVID-19), blood culture, and malaria, were negative. Thus, a diagnosis of hereditary chorea associated with and aggravated by SLE was made. Hereditary choreiform disorders can be associated with and aggravated by autoimmune conditions like SLE. Thus, it is recommended to be vigilant and have a low threshold for diagnosing co-existing autoimmune conditions like SLE in patients with hereditary choreiform disorder.

Combined Dendritic and Axonal Deterioration Are Responsible for Motoneuronopathy in Patient-Derived Neuronal Cell Models of Chorea-Acanthocytosis

Chorea acanthocytosis (ChAc), an ultra-rare devastating neurodegenerative disease, is caused by mutations in the VPS13A gene, which encodes for the protein chorein. Affected patients suffer from chorea, orofacial dyskinesia, epilepsy, parkinsonism as well as peripheral neuropathy. Although medium spinal neurons of the striatum are mainly affected, other regions are impaired as well over the course of the disease. Animal studies as well as studies on human erythrocytes suggest Lyn-kinase inhibition as valuable novel opportunity to treat ChAc. In order to investigate the peripheral neuropathy aspect, we analyzed induced pluripotent stem cell derived midbrain/hindbrain cell cultures from ChAc patients in vitro. We observed dendritic microtubule fragmentation. Furthermore, by using in vitro live cell imaging, we found a reduction in the number of lysosomes and mitochondria, shortened mitochondria, an increase in retrograde transport and hyperpolarization as measured with the fluorescent probe JC-1. Deep phenotyping pointed towards a proximal axonal deterioration as the primary axonal disease phenotype. Interestingly, pharmacological interventions, which proved to be successful in different models of ChAc, were ineffective in treating the observed axonal phenotypes. Our data suggests that treatment of this multifaceted disease might be cell type and/or neuronal subtype specific, and thus necessitates precision medicine in this ultra-rare disease.

Efficacy of Deep Brain Stimulation in a Patient with Genetically Confirmed Chorea-Acanthocytosis

Chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc) is a rare autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease due to mutation of the VPS13A gene encoding the protein chorein. ChAc is a slowly progressive disorder that typically presents in early adulthood, and whose clinical features include chorea and dystonia with involuntary lip, cheek, and tongue biting. Some patients also have seizures. Treatment for ChAc is symptomatic. A small number of ChAc patients have been treated with bilateral deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the globus pallidus interna (GPi), and we now present an additional case. Patient chart, functional measures, and laboratory findings were reviewed from the time of ChAc diagnosis until 6 months after DBS surgery. Here, we present a case of ChAc in a 31-year-old male positive for VPS13A gene mutations who presented with chorea, tongue biting, dysarthria, weight loss, and mild cognitive dysfunction. DBS using monopolar stimulation with placement slightly lateral to the GPi was associated with significant improvement in chorea and dysarthria. This case adds to the current state of knowledge regarding the efficacy and safety of bilateral GPi-DBS for symptomatic control of drug-resistant hyperkinetic movements seen in ChAc. Controlled trials are needed to better assess the impact and ideal target of DBS in ChAc.

Novel VPS13A Gene Mutations Identified in Patients Diagnosed with Chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc): Case Presentation and Literature Review

Chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc) is a rare autosomal recessive inherited syndrome characterized by hyperkinetic movements, seizures, cognitive impairment, neuropsychiatric symptoms, elevated serum biochemical indicators and acanthocytes detection in peripheral blood smear. Vacuolar protein sorting 13A (VPS13A) gene mutations have been proven to be genetically responsible for the pathogenesis of ChAc. Herein, based on the typical clinical symptoms and neuroimaging features, we present two suspected ChAc cases which are further genetically confirmed by four novel VPS13A gene mutations. Nevertheless, the sharp contrast between the population base and published ChAc reports implies that ChAc is considerably underdiagnosed in China. Therefore, we conclude several suggestive features and propose a diagnostic path of ChAc from a clinical, genetic and neuroimaging perspective, aiming to facilitate the diagnosis and management of ChAc in China.

Cooccurrence of Chorea-Acanthocytosis and Mesial Temporal Sclerosis: A Possible Role of Caudate Nucleus

Chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc) is an orphan disease, caused by mutations on chromosome 9. Epileptic seizures of mesial temporal origin can be a predominant symptom. We report on a 29-year-old woman with ChAc and bilateral MTS. Previously, few patients with coexisting ChAc and MTS were reported. The underlying pathophysiology is unknown, and further studies are needed.

Is postoperative encephalopathy with choreoathetosis an acquired form of neuroacanthocytosis?

Postoperative encephalopathy with choreoathetosis ("postpump chorea") is a rare complication of open-heart surgery and, in particular, the employment of a cardiopulmonary bypass pump. It almost exclusively occurs in young children. While risk factors and the underlying histopathology have been identified, the pathogenesis of postpump chorea, crucially, remains largely unknown. Transient cerebral hypoperfusion associated with cardiopulmonary bypass is considered a likely candidate mechanism, but the evidence is insufficient and inconclusive. It is hypothesized in this article, that postpump chorea may be caused by mechanical trauma to red blood cells and resulting acanthocytosis. These dysfunctional erythrocytes could then lead to damage to the globus pallidus and disease development akin to that presumed in neuroacanthocytosis. In patients with neuroacanthocytosis an association between acanthocytosis and basal ganglia pathology has been suggested. To test the mechanism hypothesized here, the effects of cardiopulmonary bypass on erythrocyte morphology and function could be systematically tested in children undergoing cardiac surgery. Ideally, the extent of erythrocyte damage could be correlated with the risk of developing postpump chorea. Finally, if the proposed hypothesis is supported by empirical findings, efforts to reduce blood cell damage during extracorporeal circulation in children might prevent this devastating complication.

Genetic and degenerative disorders primarily causing other movement disorders

In this chapter, we will discuss the contributions of structural and functional imaging to the diagnosis and management of genetic and degenerative diseases that lead to the occurrence of movement disorders. We will mainly focus on Huntington's disease, Wilson's disease, dystonia, and neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation, as they are the more commonly encountered clinical conditions within this group.

Movement disorders in systemic diseases

Movement disorders, classically involving dysfunction of the basal ganglia commonly occur in neurodegenerative and structural brain disorders. At times, however, movement disorders can be the initial manifestation of a systemic disease. In this article we discuss the most common movement disorders which may present in infectious, autoimmune, paraneoplastic, metabolic and endocrine diseases. Management often has to be multidisciplinary involving primary care physicians, neurologists, allied health professionals including nurses, occupational therapists and less frequently neurosurgeons. Recognizing and treating the underlying systemic disease is important in order to improve the neurological symptoms.

Neuroacanthocytosis in china: a review of published reports

Background

Neuroacanthocytosis (NA) syndromes are a group of rare diseases characterized by the presence of acanthocytes and neuronal multisystem pathology, including chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc), McLeod syndrome (MLS), Huntington's disease-like 2 (HDL-2), and pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN). China has the largest population in the world, which makes it a good location for investigating rare diseases like NA.

Methods

We searched Medline, ISI Proceedings, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang Data for literature published through December 31, 2013 for all the published Chinese NA case reports and extracted the clinical and laboratory findings.

Results

A total of 42 studies describing 66 cases were found to be eligible for inclusion. Age of symptom onset ranged from 5 to 74 years. The most common findings included hyperkinetic movements (88%), orofacial dyskinesia (80%), dystonia (67%), and dysarthria (68%), as well as caudate atrophy or enlarged lateral ventricles on neuroimaging (64%), and elevated creatine kinase (52%). Most cases were not confirmed by any specific molecular tests. Only two cases were genetically studied and diagnosed as ChAc or MLS.

Discussion

In view of the prevalence of NA syndromes in other countries, the number of patients in China appears to be underestimated. Chinese NA patients may benefit from the establishment of networks that offer specific diagnoses and care for rare diseases.

Primary dystonias and genetic disorders with dystonia as clinical feature of the disease

Dystonia is probably the most common form of movement disorder encountered in the clinical practice. It is characterized by sustained muscle contractions, usually producing twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures or positions. Dystonias can be classified in several ways, including primarily by the clinical phenomenology or by the underlining etiology, in particular to understand if the presentation is genetically determined. By advances of genetics, including contemporary genomic technologies, there is a growing understanding of the molecular underpinnings of genetically determined dystonias. The intricacy of information requires a user friendly, novel database that may efficiently serve clinicians to inform of advances of the field and to diagnose and manage these often complex cases. Here we present an up to date, comprehensive review - in tabulated formats - of genetically determined primary dystonias and complex Mendelian disorders with dystonia as central feature. The detailed search up to December 24, 2012, identified 24 hereditary primary dystonias (DYT1 to DYT 25) that are mostly monogenic disorders, and a larger group (>70) of genetic syndromes in which dystonia is one of the characteristic clinical features. We organized the findings not only by individual information (name of the conditions, pattern of inheritance, chromosome and gene abnormality, clinical features, relevant ancillary tests and key references), but also provide symptom-oriented organization of the clinical entities for efficient inquiries.

The first case report of McLeod syndrome in a Chinese patient

We report the first case of McLeod syndrome (MLS) in a 47-year-old Chinese man who presented with progressive limb weakness, chorea of feet, red blood cell acanthocytosis, absence of Kx red blood cell antigen and weak expression of Kell antigens. The diagnosis of MLS was confirmed by genetic testing showing a hemizygous mutation of XK gene. We review literature on neuroacanthocytosis in the Chinese population.

Clinical and molecular research of neuroacanthocytosis

Neuroacanthocytosis is an autosomal recessive or dominant inherited disease characterized by widespread, non-specific nervous system symptoms, or spiculated "acanthocytic" red blood cells. The clinical manifestations typically involve chorea and dystonia, or a range of other movement disorders. Psychiatric and cognitive symptoms may also be present. The two core neuroacanthocytosis syndromes, in which acanthocytosis is atypical, are autosomal recessive chorea-acanthocytosis and X-linked McLeod syndrome. Acanthocytes are found in a smaller proportion of patients with Huntington's disease-like 2 and pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration. Because the clinical manifestations are diverse and complicated, in this review we present features of inheritance, age of onset, neuroimaging and laboratory findings, as well as the spectrum of central and peripheral neurological abnormalities and extraneuronal involvement to help distinguish the four specific syndromes.