Broadening the phenotypic and molecular spectrum of FINCA syndrome: Biallelic NHLRC2 variants in 15 novel individuals

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributed

Contributors

  • Henrike L Sczakiel - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Author)
  • Max Zhao - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Author)
  • Brigitte Wollert-Wulf - , Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) (Author)
  • Magdalena Danyel - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Author)
  • Nadja Ehmke - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Author)
  • Corinna Stoltenburg - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Author)
  • Nadirah Damseh - , Al-Makassed Islamic Charitable Society Hospital, Al-Quds University (Author)
  • Motee Al-Ashhab - , Al-Makassed Islamic Charitable Society Hospital, Al-Quds University (Author)
  • Tugce B Balci - , Western University (Author)
  • Matthew Osmond - , University of Ottawa (Author)
  • Andrea Andrade - , Western University (Author)
  • Jens Schallner - , Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (Author)
  • Joseph Porrmann - , Institute of Clinical Genetics (Author)
  • Kimberly McDonald - , University of Mississippi (Author)
  • Mingjuan Liao - , OPKO Health, Inc. (Author)
  • Henry Oppermann - , University Hospital Leipzig (Author)
  • Konrad Platzer - , University Hospital Leipzig (Author)
  • Nadine Dierksen - , Evangelisches Krankenhaus Oberhausen (Author)
  • Majid Mojarrad - , Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (Author)
  • Atieh Eslahi - , Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (Author)
  • Behnaz Bakaeean - , Islamic Azad University (Author)
  • Daniel G Calame - , Baylor College of Medicine (Author)
  • James R Lupski - , Baylor College of Medicine (Author)
  • Zahra Firoozfar - , Palindrome (Author)
  • Seyed Mohammad Seyedhassani - , Dr. Seyedhassani Medical Genetic Center (Author)
  • Seyed Ahmad Mohammadi - , Meybod Genetics Research Center (Author)
  • Najwa Anwaar - , Children's Hospital Lahore (Author)
  • Fatima Rahman - , Children's Hospital Lahore (Author)
  • Dominik Seelow - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Author)
  • Martin Janz - , Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) (Author)
  • Denise Horn - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Author)
  • Reza Maroofian - , University College London (Author)
  • Felix Boschann - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Author)

Abstract

FINCA syndrome [MIM: 618278] is an autosomal recessive multisystem disorder characterized by fibrosis, neurodegeneration and cerebral angiomatosis. To date, 13 patients from nine families with biallelic NHLRC2 variants have been published. In all of them, the recurrent missense variant p.(Asp148Tyr) was detected on at least one allele. Common manifestations included lung or muscle fibrosis, respiratory distress, developmental delay, neuromuscular symptoms and seizures often followed by early death due to rapid disease progression.Here, we present 15 individuals from 12 families with an overlapping phenotype associated with nine novel NHLRC2 variants identified by exome analysis. All patients described here presented with moderate to severe global developmental delay and variable disease progression. Seizures, truncal hypotonia and movement disorders were frequently observed. Notably, we also present the first eight cases in which the recurrent p.(Asp148Tyr) variant was not detected in either homozygous or compound heterozygous state.We cloned and expressed all novel and most previously published non-truncating variants in HEK293-cells. From the results of these functional studies, we propose a potential genotype-phenotype correlation, with a greater reduction in protein expression being associated with a more severe phenotype.Taken together, our findings broaden the known phenotypic and molecular spectrum and emphasize that NHLRC2-related disease should be considered in patients presenting with intellectual disability, movement disorders, neuroregression and epilepsy with or without pulmonary involvement.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)905-917
Number of pages13
JournalEuropean journal of human genetics : EJHG
Volume31
Issue number8
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2023
Peer-reviewedNo

External IDs

PubMedCentral PMC10400545
Scopus 85159342910

Keywords

Keywords

  • Humans, Disease Progression, Fibrosis, HEK293 Cells, Intellectual Disability/genetics, Movement Disorders, Phenotype, Seizures/genetics, Syndrome

Library keywords