Year: 2018
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The aim of this study was to find and describe the genetic background of a new form of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Late-onset spinal motor neuronopathy (LOSMoN), later named spinal muscular atrophy, Jokela type (SMAJ), is a relatively benign autosomal dominant form of a lower motor neuron disorder. Disease onset is after the age of 30-40 years, and SMAJ is characterized by initial painful cramps and fasciculations affecting the proximal and distal muscles of the upper and lower limbs. The disease is slowly progressive, resulting in weakness and mild to moderate muscle atrophy later in life. SMAJ was originally identified in two families in Eastern Finland. The genome-wide scan study performed for these families showed that the disease is linked to chromosome 22q11.2-q13.2. The disease-associated haplotype was identical in both families, suggesting a founder effect. The founder hypothesis was also confirmed later, as several other unrelated patients carrying the same haplotype were identified. The disease-causing mutation, c.197G>T p.G66V in CHCHD10, was detected by whole-genome sequencing. The mutation was present in all then identified 55 SMAJ patients belonging to 17 families. At the same time, other dominant mutations in CHCHD10 were described to cause a wide range of neurological disorders. CHCHD10 was the first SMA-causing gene identified that encodes for a mitochondrial protein. The prevalence and clinical outcome of CHCHD10 mutations in Finnish neuromuscular disease patients were clarified in a screening study. The only detected mutation was c.197G>T p.G66V, and all patients carrying this mutation had a phenotype restricted to SMAJ. The prevalence of c.197G>T p.G66V was estimated to be around 4/100 000 in Finland, i.e. approximately 200 symptomatic SMAJ patients. The results of this study confirm that SMAJ is a genetically distinct entity caused by a dominant mutation c.197G>T p.G66V in CHCHD10. This finding enables genetic testing of SMAJ, providing patients with an accurate diagnosis and prognosis. According to our genotyping results, c.197G>T p.G66V is a founder mutation in Finland, all SMAJ patients having common ancestry. SMAJ was shown to be relatively common in Finland. It is clearly the most common CHCHD10-related disease reported, and in Finland it may be the most common form of SMA. Because SMAJ seems to be absent from other populations, it can be considered a part of the Finnish disease heritage.
Source: Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja
Author: Sini Penttilä
Language: English
Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2883511798