| 1. |
- Keller, Annika, et al.
(author)
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Mutations in the gene encoding PDGF-B cause brain calcifications in humans and mice
- 2013
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In: Nature Genetics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1061-4036 .- 1546-1718. ; 45:9, s. 1077-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Calcifications in the basal ganglia are a common incidental finding and are sometimes inherited as an autosomal dominant trait ( idiopathic basal ganglia calcification (IBGC)). Recently, mutations in the PDGFRB gene coding for the platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGF-R beta) were linked to IBGC. Here we identify six families of different ancestry with nonsense and missense mutations in the gene encoding PDGF-B, the main ligand for PDGF-R beta. We also show that mice carrying hypomorphic Pdgfb alleles develop brain calcifications that show age-related expansion. The occurrence of these calcium depositions depends on the loss of endothelial PDGF-B and correlates with the degree of pericyte and blood-brain barrier deficiency. Thus, our data present a clear link between Pdgfb mutations and brain calcifications in mice, as well as between PDGFB mutations and IBGC in humans.
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| 2. |
- Machaczka, Maciej, et al.
(author)
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Impact of imiglucerase supply shortage on clinical and laboratory parameters in norrbottnian patients with Gaucher disease type 3.
- 2015
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In: Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0004-069X .- 1661-4917. ; 63:1, s. 65-71
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A viral contamination of the production plant producing imiglucerase (Cerezyme™) resulted in an unpredicted worldwide shortage of global supplies during 2009-2010. The aim of the study was to describe the effects of dose reduction of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) in adults with Norrbottnian form of Gaucher disease type 3 (N-GD3). There were ten adults with N-GD3 treated with imiglucerase in the county of Norrbotten in June 2009. Analyzed variables included plasma chitotriosidase activity and concentration of CCL18/PARC, whole blood hemoglobin concentration (Hb) and platelet count (PLT), as well as patients' body weight, subjective complaints and health status measured by the EuroQoL-5D questionnaire. The median duration of ERT shortage lasted for 14 months (10-20 months). The median percentage reduction of imiglucerase dose was 36 % (26-59 %). Hb decreased in four patients, PLT decreased in three patients, chitotriosidase increased in three patients (max. +22 % of baseline), and CCL18/PARC increased in six patients (+14 % to +57 %). The body weight was moderately decreased in one patient. No new bone events were noted. Self-assessment of individual patient's health status was stable in all but one patient. Our results suggest that moderate reduction of ERT dosage lasting for relatively short period of time can lead to worsening in biomarkers of adults with N-GD3. However, this worsening is infrequently translated to clinical worsening of patients. It is possible that CCL18/PARC has a higher sensitivity than chitotriosidase in monitoring of ERT dosing in GD3.
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| 3. |
- Machaczka, Maciej, et al.
(author)
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Novel hyperkinetic dystonia-like manifestation and neurological disease course of Swedish Gaucher patients
- 2018
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In: Blood Cells, Molecules & Diseases. - San Diego : Academic Press. - 1079-9796 .- 1096-0961. ; 68:S1, s. 86-92
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Neuronopathic Gaucher disease type 3 (GD3) is frequent in northern Sweden, whereas GD1 is found throughout the country. In a nation-wide study, we examined neurological manifestations and clinical course in 12 patients with GD3 and 13 patients with GD1.METHODS: The patients were evaluated by standardized neurological assessments. Every sixth month, the GD3 patients were rated with the modified Severity Scoring Tool. At baseline and at the 3years follow-up, patients underwent University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test, Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. When clinical signs were present, additional examinations were undertaken.RESULTS: Marked clinical heterogeneity was evident in both GD3 and GD1 groups. Several GD3 patients had a hitherto unreported rapid and repetitive dystonia-like hyperkinetic movement disorder. Most patients with GD3 have abnormalities of horizontal gaze, ataxia and focal epilepsy, some also had cognitive impairment, anxiety and hyposmia. Six GD3 patients, all homoallelic for L444P GBA1 mutations, have lived beyond 40years of age; and none has developed Parkinsonism. Two of the GD1 patients suffer from Parkinsonism; mild to complete hyposmia was present in six GD3 and five GD1 patients. Neither the group of GD3 nor GD1 patients had detectable progression of their neurological manifestations.CONCLUSIONS: These middle-aged and older Swedish GD3 or GD1 patients are clinically stable over time. However, we have identified unusual clinical features, discordant phenotypes and a hyperkinetic dystonia-like movement disorder which appears unique to this Swedish disease variant and expands the phenotype for GD.
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| 4. |
- Niemelä, Valter, et al.
(author)
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CSF Proenkephalin decreases with the progression of Huntington's disease
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Identifying molecular changes that contribute to the onset and progression of Huntington's disease (HD) is of importance for the development and evaluation of potential therapies. We conducted an unbiased mass-spectrometry proteomic analysis on the cerebrospinal fluid of 12 manifest HD patients (ManHD), 13 presymptomatic gene expansion carriers (pGEC) and 38 controls. In ManHD compared to pGEC 10 proteins were downregulated, and 43 upregulated. Decreased levels of proenkephalin (PENK) and transthyretin along with upregulated proteins (VASN, STC2, SGCE and C7) were all closely linked to HD symptom severity. The decreased PENK levels were replicated in a separate cohort of 23 ManHD and 23 controls where absolute quantitation was performed. We hypothesize that declining PENK levels reflect the degeneration of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) that produce PENK, and that assays for PENK may serve as a surrogate marker for the state of MSNs in HD.
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| 5. |
- Niemelä, Valter, et al.
(author)
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Huntingtons sjukdom – kliniska prövningar inger nu optimism
- 2020
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In: Läkartidningen. - 0023-7205 .- 1652-7518.
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Huntingtons sjukdom är en autosomalt dominant neurodegenerativ sjukdom, som leder till förtidig död. Orsaken är expansion av en CAG-triplett i huntingtingenen.Sjukdomen är vanligast i västerländska befolkningar. Den debuterar typiskt i medelåldern och orsakar framskridande motoriska, kognitiva och psykiska symtom.I dag finns endast symtomlindrande mediciner tillgängliga, men ny molekylärgenetisk teknologi kan komma att möjliggöra behandlingar som minskar nivåerna av muterat huntingtin.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Paucar, Martin, et al.
(author)
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Genetic screening for Huntington disease phenocopies in Sweden : A tertiary center case series focused on short tandem repeat (STR) disorders
- 2023
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In: Journal of the Neurological Sciences. - : Elsevier. - 0022-510X .- 1878-5883. ; 451
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- ObjectiveTo perform a screening for Huntington disease (HD) phenocopies in a Swedish cohort.MethodsSeventy-three DNA samples negative for HD were assessed at a tertiary center in Stockholm. The screening included analyses for C9orf72-frontotemporal dementia/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (C9orf72-FTD/ALS), octapeptide repeat insertions (OPRIs) in PRNP associated with inherited prion diseases (IPD), Huntington's disease-like 2 (HDL2), spinocerebellar ataxia-2 (SCA2), spinocerebellar ataxia 3 (SCA3) and spinocerebellar ataxia-17 (SCA17). Targeted genetic analysis was carried out in two cases based on the salient phenotypic features.ResultsThe screening identified two patients with SCA17, one patient with IPD associated with 5-OPRI but none with nucleotide expansions in C9orf72 or for HDL2, SCA2 or SCA3. Furthermore, SGCE-myoclonic-dystonia 11 (SGCE-M-D) and benign hereditary chorea (BHC) was diagnosed in two sporadic cases. WES identified VUS in STUB1 in two patients with predominant cerebellar ataxia.ConclusionsOur results are in keeping with previous screenings and suggest that other genes yet to be discovered are involved in the etiology of HD phenocopies.
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| 8. |
- Paucar, Martin, et al.
(author)
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Genotype-phenotype analysis in inherited prion disease with eight octapeptide repeat insertional mutation.
- 2013
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In: Prion. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1933-6896 .- 1933-690X. ; 7:6, s. 501-10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A minority of inherited prion diseases (IPD) are caused by four to 12 extra octapeptide repeat insertions (OPRI) in the prion protein gene (PRNP). Only four families affected by IPD with 8-OPRI have been reported, one of them was a three-generation Swedish kindred in which four of seven affected subjects had chorea which was initially attributed to Huntington's disease (HD). Following the exclusion of HD, this phenotype was labeled Huntington disease-like 1 (HDL1). Here, we provide an update on the Swedish 8-OPRI family, describe the clinical features of one of its affected members with video-recordings, compare the four 8-OPRI families and study the effect of PRNP polymorphic codon 129 and gender on phenotype. Surprisingly, the Swedish kindred displayed the longest survival of all of the 8-OPRI families with a mean of 15.1 years from onset of symptoms. Subjects with PRNP polymorphic codon 129M in the mutated allele had significantly earlier age of onset, longer survival and earlier age of death than 129V subjects. Homozygous 129MM had earlier age of onset than 129VV. Females had a significantly earlier age of onset and earlier age of death than males. Up to 50% of variability in age of onset was conferred by the combined effect of PRNP polymorphic codon 129 and gender. An inverse correlation between early age of onset and long survival was found for this mutation.
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| 9. |
- Paucar, Martin, et al.
(author)
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V374A KCND3 Pathogenic Variant Associated With Paroxysmal Ataxia Exacerbations
- 2021
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In: Neurology Genetics. - : American Academy of Neurology. - 2376-7839. ; 7:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: Ataxia channelopathies share common features such as slow motor progression and variable degrees of cognitive dysfunction. Mutations in potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily D member 3 (KCND3), encoding the K+ channel, Kv4.3, are associated with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) 19, allelic with SCA22. Mutations in potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily C member 3 (KCNC3), encoding another K+ channel, Kv3.3, cause SCA13. First, a comprehensive phenotype assessment was carried out in a family with autosomal dominant ataxia harboring 2 genetic variants in KCNC3 and KCND3. To evaluate the physiological impact of these variants on channel currents, in vitro studies were performed.Methods: Clinical and psychometric evaluations, neuroimaging, and genotyping of a family (mother and son) affected by ataxia were carried out. Heterozygous and homozygous Kv3.3 A671V and Kv4.3 V374A variants were evaluated in Xenopus laevis oocytes using 2-electrode voltage-clamp. The influence of Kv4 conductance on neuronal activity was investigated computationally using a Purkinje neuron model.Results: The main clinical findings were consistent with adult-onset ataxia with cognitive dysfunction and acetazolamide-responsive paroxysmal motor exacerbations in the index case. Despite cognitive deficits, fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET displayed hypometabolism mainly in the severely atrophic cerebellum. Genetic analyses revealed the new variant c.1121T>C (V374A) in KCND3 and c.2012T>C (A671V) in KCNC3. In vitro electrophysiology experiments on Xenopus oocytes demonstrated that the V374A mutant was nonfunctional when expressed on its own. Upon equal co-expression of wild-type (WT) and V374A channel subunits, Kv4.3 currents were significantly reduced in a dominant negative manner, without alterations of the gating properties of the channel. By contrast, Kv3.3 A671V, when expressed alone, exhibited moderately reduced currents compared with WT, with no effects on channel activation or inactivation. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated adequate cell membrane translocation of the Kv4.3 V374A variant, thus suggesting an impairment of channel function, rather than of expression. Computational modeling predicted an increased Purkinje neuron firing frequency upon reduced Kv4.3 conductance.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that Kv4.3 V374A is likely pathogenic and associated with paroxysmal ataxia exacerbations, a new trait for SCA19/22. The present FDG PET findings contrast with a previous study demonstrating widespread brain hypometabolism in SCA19/22.
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| 10. |
- Siebzehnrübl, Florian A., et al.
(author)
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Early postnatal behavioral, cellular, and molecular changes in models of Huntington disease are reversible by HDAC inhibition
- 2018
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In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 115:37, s. 8765-8774
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Huntington disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by expanded CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene (HTT). Although mutant HTT is expressed during embryonic development and throughout life, clinical HD usually manifests later in adulthood. A number of studies document neurodevelopmental changes associated with mutant HTT, but whether these are reversible under therapy remains unclear. Here, we identify very early behavioral, molecular, and cellular changes in preweaning transgenic HD rats and mice. Reduced ultrasonic vocalization, loss of prepulse inhibition, and increased risk taking are accompanied by disturbances of dopaminergic regulation in vivo, reduced neuronal differentiation capacity in subventricular zone stem/progenitor cells, and impaired neuronal and oligodendrocyte differentiation of mouse embryo-derived neural stem cells in vitro. Interventional treatment of this early phenotype with the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) LBH589 led to significant improvement in behavioral changes and markers of dopaminergic neurotransmission and complete reversal of aberrant neuronal differentiation in vitro and in vivo. Our data support the notion that neurodevelopmental changes contribute to the prodromal phase of HD and that early, presymptomatic intervention using HDACi may represent a promising novel treatment approach for HD.
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