Diagnosis of inborn errors of metabolism within the expanded newborn screening in the Madrid region

We present the results of our experience in the diagnosis of inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) since the Expanded Newborn Screening was implemented in our Region. Dried blood samples were collected 48 h after birth. Amino acids and acylcarnitines were quantitated by mass spectrometry (MS)/MS. Newborns with alterations were referred to the clinical centers for follow‐up. Biochemical and molecular genetic studies for confirmation of a disease were performed. In the period 2011 to 2019, 592 822 children were screened: 902 of them were referred for abnormal results. An IEM was confirmed in 222 (1/2670): aminoacidopathies: 89 hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA) (51 benign HPA, 32 phenylketonuria, 4 DNAJC12 defect, and 2 primapterinuria), 6 hypermethioninemia, 3 tyrosinemia type 1 (TYR‐1), 1 TYR‐3, 4 maple syrup urine disease (MSUD), 2 branched‐chain amino acid transferase 2 deficiency, 2 homocystinuria, 1 cystinuria, 2 ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, 2 citrullinemia type I (CTLN1); FAO defects: 43 medium‐chain acyl‐CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD), 13 very long‐chain acyl‐CoA dehydrogenase deficiency, 2 long‐chain 3‐hydroxyacyl‐CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (LCHADD), 1 multiple acyl‐coA dehydrogenation deficiency, 11 systemic primary carnitine deficiency, 2 carnitine palmitoyltransferase type 2 (CPT‐II) deficiency, 1 CPT‐I deficiency; organic acidurias: 12 glutaric aciduria type 1 (GA‐1), 4 methylmalonic acidemia (MMA), 7 MMA including combined cases with homocystinuria (MMAHC), 6 propionic acidemia (PA), 7 3‐methylcrotonyl‐CoA carboxylase, 1 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl‐CoA lyase deficiency lyase deficiency. Only 19 infants (8.5%) were symptomatic at newborn screening result (1 LCHADD, 5 PA, 1 CPT‐II deficiency, 1 MMA, 3 MMAHC, 2 MSUD, 2 OTC deficiency, 1 CTLN1, 1 MCADD, 2 TYR‐1). No false negative cases were identified. Genetic diagnosis was conclusive in all biochemically confirmed cases, except for two infants with HPA, identifying pathogenic variants in 32 different genes. The conditions with the highest incidence were HPA (1/6661) and MCAD deficiencies (1/13 787).

[Newborn Screening Program in the Community of Madrid: evaluation of positive cases.]

OBJECTIVE

Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is being used for newborn screening since this laboratory testing technology increases the number of metabolic disorders that can be detected from dried blood-spot specimens. In the Community of Madrid, it was implemented in March 2011 and it includes 13 aminoacidopathies, fatty acid oxidation disorders and organic acidemias. The aim of this study was to describe our experience and evaluate the screening positive cases in a period of 9 years (2011-2019).

METHODS

During the period of the study, a total of 592.822 neonates were screened with this expanded program by MS/MS in the Community of Madrid. Amino acids, acylcarnitines, and succinylacetone were quantified in all samples that met the quality criteria. Means, medians, percentiles and standard deviation of the analytes and ratios of interest were calculated.

RESULTS

901 patients (0,15 %) with a positive screening test were referred to clinical evaluation. 230 patients were diagnosed of 30 different inborn errors of metabolism (prevalence 1:2577), 11 of which were not included as a target in the Community of Madrid newborn screening program. The global positive predictive value was 25,6 %. During this period of time, two false negative cases were detected. The most prevalent disorders were phenylketonuria/hyperphenylalaninemia and medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (1:6444 and 1:13174 respectively). 93 % of the patients were detected in the presymptomatic stage.

CONCLUSIONS

During the last 9 years a large number of cases of IEM have been detected with an acceptable global positive predictive value. These results confirm the utility of inborn errors of metabolism newborn screening as a public health program.

[Prevalence of frequent recessive diseases in the Spanish population through DNA analyses on samples from the neonatal screening]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Cystic fibrosis (CF) and the nonclassical forms of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (NC21OHD) are frequent autosomal recessive diseases. Their frequencies in the Caucasian population are the ones applied to the management of the diseases (1:2500 and 1:1000, respectively). The aim of this study was to learn about the adequacy of these figures to the Spanish population.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

Study of the recurrent mutation (about 50% of alleles) in each entity, DF508 or Val281Leu, respectively, in 300 anonymous consecutive samples (600 alleles) from the Comunidad de Madrid neonatal screening. PCR specific amplifications of the CFTR and CYP21A2 genes and direct analyses of DF508 and Val281Leu mutations were performed.

RESULTS

Allele frequencies of DF508 and Val281Leu were 0.005 and 0.038 (carrier frequencies 1.1% and 7.5%, respectively). Taking into consideration the percentage of these mutations in patient alleles, 48% for CF and for 57% NC21OHD, disease frequencies of about 1:8028 (CF) and 1:230 (NC21OHD) were estimated. The standard error calculated for these data were 0.6% and 1.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

We have found that CF is less frequent and NC21OHD more frequent in the Spanish population than in other Caucasian populations.