OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical phenotypic and genetic characteristics of three children with Paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD) and Self-limited familial infantile epilepsy (SeLIE) caused by PRRT2 gene mutation. METHODS: Three children with PKD and SeLIE caused by PRRT2 gene mutation (children 1-3) who were treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from November 2022 to August 2023 were selected as the research subjects. A retrospective study was conducted to collect the clinical and family history data of the three children. 2 mL of peripheral venous blood from children 1-3 and parents of children 1-2 were collected (parents of children refused to undergo genetic testing and no blood samples were collected), genomic DNA was extracted, whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed, and Sanger sequencing method was used for verification. According to the Classification Standards and Guidelines for Genetic Variants formulated by the American Society of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) (hereinafter referred to as the "ACMG Guidelines"), the pathogenicity of the variant loci detected in three children was rated, and the detrimental loci of the variant loci were analyzed by multiple bioinformatics software. This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Ethics No. 2024-KY-0881-002). RESULTS: The clinical data and genetic test results of the three children in this study are as follows. Child 1: female, age of onset of 4 months and 10 days, with seizures, manifested as sudden cessation of movements, staring in both eyes, cyanosis of the lips, paleness, and stiffness and shaking of limbs. The results of genetic testing showed that child 1 had maternal PRRT2 gene c.583_584dup (p.P196Afs*34) frameshift variant, which was rated as a pathogenic variant (PVS1 PM2_Supporting PP4) according to ACMG guidelines. According to the clinical manifestations and genetic test results of child 1, he was diagnosed with SeLIE and took oral sodium valproate [0.5 mL/(kg.d)], and was still taking medication at the follow-up of 2 years old, and did not have seizures again after 5 months of age. Child 2: male, age of onset of 10 years old, manifested as dystonia after sudden movement. The results of genetic testing showed that child 2 had PRRT2 gene mutations: paternal c.649dupC (p.R217Pfs*8) frameshift variant and maternal c.445C>A (p.Q149K) mutation. Among them, c.649dupC was a reported pathogenic variant, and according to ACMG guidelines, c.445C>A variant was rated as a variant of unknown clinical significance (PM2_Supporting), with a high probability of benignness. According to the clinical manifestations and genetic test results of the child 2, he was diagnosed with PKD, and was followed up with oral oxcarbazepine 9 mg/(kg.d) until 12 years and 2 months, and was still on the drug, and there was no recurrence of the seizure of the form of dyskinesia after taking the drug. Child 3: male, age of onset of 11 years old, manifested by dystonia after sudden exercise. The results of genetic testing showed that child 3 had a missense variant of PRRT2 gene c.904G>C (p.D302H), and his parents refused genetic testing, and the source of the mutation was unknown, and the variant was rated as a variant of unknown clinical significance (PM2_Supporting+PP3_Moderate+PP4) according to ACMG guidelines. According to the clinical manifestations and genetic test results of child 3, he was diagnosed with PKD, and was treated with oral oxcarbazepine 10 mg/(kg.d) for 1 year and then discontinued on his own, and was followed up at the age of 17, and there was no recurrence of the seizure of the form of movement disorder after taking the drug. CONCLUSION One case of SeLIE and two cases of PKD caused by PRRT2 gene mutations responded well to anti-seizure drugs. In this study, four variant loci of PRRT2 gene were found: c.583_584dup, c.904G>C, c.649dupC, c.445C>A, among which c.583_584dup were new variants, enriching the variant spectrum of PRRT2 gene.
Humans ; Male ; Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics* ; Female ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Mutation ; Child, Preschool ; Infant ; Phenotype ; Dystonia/genetics* ; Retrospective Studies ; Child

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical characteristics and genetic etiology of a child with Christianson syndrome (CS). METHODS: A 1-year-and-5-month-old boy with CS diagnosed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in April 2021 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. Peripheral blood samples were obtained from the child and his parents, followed by genomic DNA extraction and whole exome sequencing (WES). Candidate variant was validated by Sanger sequencing. This study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Ethics No. 2024-KY-1103-001). RESULTS: The child has manifested with seizures, microcephaly, and global developmental delay. WES revealed that he has harbored a novel de novo hemizygous nonsense variant of the SLC9A6 gene, namely c.1014G>A (p.W338*). Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the variant was rated as pathogenic. CONCLUSION The hemizygous c.1014G>A nonsense variant of the SLC9A6 gene probably underlay the pathogenesis in this child. Above discovery has expanded mutational spectrum of the SLC9A6 gene and enabled definite diagnosis of the child.
Humans ; Male ; Infant ; Microcephaly/genetics* ; Spasms, Infantile/genetics* ; Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers/genetics* ; Exome Sequencing ; Intellectual Disability/genetics* ; Genetic Diseases, X-Linked/genetics* ; Mutation ; Seizures/genetics* ; Ataxia ; Epilepsy ; Ocular Motility Disorders

Objective:To explore the clinical and genetic characteristics of a child with mental retardation, language and motor developmental delay and epilepsy.Methods:A Child who was admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in March 2020 for intermittent seizures for over two months was Selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the child was collected. Peripheral blood samples of the child and his parents were collected and subjected to high throughput sequencing. Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing and bioinformatic analysis.Results:The clinical manifestations of the child have included mental retardation, language and motor developmental delay, and seizures. High-throughput sequencing revealed that he has harbored a hemizygous splice site variant (NM_032591.3: c.1030-1G>C) of the SLC9A7 gene, which was inherited from his mother and unreported previously. Conclusion:The hemizygous splice site variant (NM_032591.3: c. 1030-1G>C) of the SLC9A7 gene probably underlay the disease in this child. Above finding has provided a basis for clinical diagnosis and genetic counseling.

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis is described as a complex process in which new microvessels sprout from endothelial cells of existing vasculature. This study aimed to determine whether long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) H19 induced the angiogenesis of gastric cancer (GC) and its possible mechanism. METHODS: Gene expression level was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Cell counting kit-8, transwell, 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), colony formation assay, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) angiogenesis assay as well as Matrigel plug assay were conducted to study the proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of GC in vitro and in vivo . The binding protein of H19 was found by RNA pull-down and RNA Immunoprecipitation (RIP). High-throughput sequencing was performed and next Gene Ontology (GO) as well as Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis was conducted to analyze the genes that are under H19 regulation. Methylated RIP (me-RIP) assay was used to investigate the sites and abundance among target mRNA. The transcription factor acted as upstream of H19 was determined through chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and luciferase assay. RESULTS: In this study, we found that hypoxia-induced factor (HIF)-1α could bind to the promoter region of H19, leading to H19 overexpression. High expression of H19 was correlated with angiogenesis in GC, and H19 knocking down could inhibit cell proliferation, migration and angiogenesis. Mechanistically, the oncogenic role of H19 was achieved by binding with the N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) reader YTH domain-containing family protein 1 (YTHDF1), which could recognize the m 6 A site on the 3'-untransated regions (3'-UTR) of scavenger receptor class B member 1 (SCARB1) mRNA, resulting in over-translation of SCARB1 and thus promoting the proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of GC cells. CONCLUSION HIF-1α induced overexpression of H19 via binding with the promoter of H19, and H19 promoted GC cells proliferation, migration and angiogenesis through YTHDF1/SCARB1, which might be a beneficial target for antiangiogenic therapy for GC.
Humans ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation/genetics* ; Endothelial Cells/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/genetics* ; Hypoxia ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; RNA ; RNA, Long Noncoding/metabolism* ; RNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism* ; Scavenger Receptors, Class B/metabolism* ; Stomach Neoplasms/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical and genetic characteristics of a child with clinical manifestations of hypoplasia, epilepsy and abnormal face. METHODS: The clinical data of the child were collected. The peripheral blood samples of the patient and his parents were extracted for high-throughput sequencing, and Sanger sequencing verification and bioinformatics analysis were performed to detect suspected pathogenic variants. RESULTS: The clinical manifestations of the child were overall developmental backwardness, seizures, autism, and special facial appearance. High throughput sequencing showed that there was a heterozygous mutation of exon 11: c.1920_c.1927delCCTCTACC (p.Ser641Rfs*31) of the DYRK1A gene. The same variant was found in neither of her parents, suggesting that it has a denovo origin. CONCLUSION The exon11: c.1920_c.1927delCCTCTACC (p.Ser641Rfs*31) mutation in DYRK1A gene was the genetic etiology of the case, which enriches the pathogenic gene spectrum of DYRK1A and provides the basis for clinical diagnosis and genetic counseling.
Arthrogryposis ; Child ; Facies ; Female ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability/genetics* ; Mutation

Objective:To study the profile of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the peripheral blood of children with drug-resistant epilepsy, and to find diagnostic biomarkers for early identification of drug-resistant epilepsy in children.Methods:Retrospective study.Five peripheral blood samples were collected from children in drug-resistant epilepsy group (group R), drug-responsive epilepsy group (group F) composed of the children with epilepsy in pediatric neurology clinic of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2018 to June 2019 and healthy control group (group J) composed of healthy children who underwent physical examination in the children′s health care clinic at the same time for analyzing miRNA profiles by high-throughput sequencing.In addition, peripheral blood samples were collected from children in R′ group (5 cases), F′ group (7 cases) and J′ group (6 cases) similarly for validating expression levels of 11 candidate miRNAs by quantificational real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were plotted to analyze the diagnostic potential of 7 targeted miRNAs in distinguishing children with drug-resistant epilepsy from drug-responsive epilepsy.Target genes of the 7 validated miRNAs were predicted using online databases, which were then analyzed by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and gene ontology (GO). Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test was used for comparison among the three groups.Results:High-throughput sequencing found that compared with group F, there were 68 differentially expressed miRNAs in group R, involving 22 up-regulated and 46 down-regulated miRNAs.qPCR results showed that, expression trends of 7 miRNAs (let-7f, miR-99a-5p, miR-99b-5p, and miR-125a-5p, miR-125b-5p, miR-142-5p, miR-100) were consistent with high-throughput sequencing results among the 11 selected miRNAs.ROC analysis found that when the cut-off values of miR-99a-5p, miR-99b-5p, miR-125a-5p, miR-125b-5p, miR-142-5p and miR-100 were greater than 0.56, 1.00, 3.17, 2.24, 2.09 and 0.59, respectively, their area under curve (AUC) (≥0.871), sensitivity (≥80.0%) and specificity (≥85.7%) were relatively high, which were expected to be diagnostic marker for drug-resistant epilepsy in children.Among them, the diagnostic potential of miR-125b-5p was the best.Bioinformatics analysis found that miR-125b-5p was enriched in the regulation of hypoxia inducible factor-1 signaling pathway, insulin signaling pathway, pluripotent stem cell signaling pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, sphingomyelin signaling pathway, neurotrophic protein signaling pathway and mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway.Conclusions:The miRNA profile in the whole blood of children with drug-resistant epilepsy is significantly different from that in children with drug-responsive epilepsy.miR-125b-5p is expected to be a potential biomarker of drug-resistant epilepsy in children.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics of autoimmune glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) astrocytopathy in children.Methods:Eleven children with autoimmune GFAP astrocytopathy with positive GFAP antibody in serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid were collected in our hospital from January 2020 to February 2022. The clinical data of these children were analyzed retrospectively.Results:Among the 11 children, there were 6 males and 5 females, and the age of onset ranged from 3 years old and 10 months to 12 years old. The main clinical manifestations included fever ( n=8), headache ( n=5), vomiting ( n=6), ataxia ( n=2), limb weakness ( n=4), cranial nerve involvement ( n=6), disturbance of consciousness ( n=4), abnormal mental behavior ( n=3), seizures ( n=1), and autonomic nervous dysfunction ( n=3). Meningoencephalomyelitis was noted in one child, meningoencephalitis in one, encephalomyelitis in 7, and encephalitis was noted in two children. MRI showed brain involvement in all children, spinal cord involvement in 8 children, and optic nerve involvement in one child. Abnormal enhancement in different parts of cerebral lobe, meninges, sulcus, optic nerve and spinal cord were found in 3 children. Four children were positive for GFAP antibody in cerebrospinal fluid and serum, 3 patients were positive for GFAP antibody in cerebrospinal fluid, and 4 children were positive for GFAP antibody in serum. Four children were complicated with multiple antibodies, mainly myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody. Tumor screening was all negative. All of the 11 children responded to immunotherapy, but two of them relapsed; one left visual and motor function impairment. Conclusions:The clinical manifestations of autoimmune GFAP astrocytopathy in children are diverse and non-specific, and the lesions mainly involve meninx, brain, spinal cord and optic nerve. Most children respond well to glucocorticoid treatment and have a good prognosis; but there is still a certain recurrence rate, and some children may leave neurological damage.

Objective:To analyze the clinical and genotype features of infants with epilepsy caused by RYR2 gene mutations, and explore the correlation between RYR2 gene mutations and epilepsy. Methods:The clinical characteristics and genetic test results of 2 infants with epilepsy caused by RYR2 gene mutations, admitted to Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in December 2020 or May 2022, were retrospectively analyzed. The related literature was reviewed. Results:These 2 infants had onset at the infancy (4 and 9 months after birth), characterized by repeated unprovoked seizures; 1 patient had abnormal dynamic electrocardiogram results without malignant ventricular arrhythmia; 1 patient showed abnormal discharge in interictal electroencephalogram, which was effectively controlled after treatment with levetiracetam oral solution. Whole exon sequencing revealed heterozygous missense mutation of the RYR2 gene c.14767A>G(p.Met4923Val) in 1 child, heterozygous missense mutation of the RYR2 gene c.14014A>G(p.Met4672Val) in 1 child, and no other known epilepsy pathogenic gene mutation was found in 2 children. American Society for Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines evaluated 2 mutations as pathogenic mutations (PS2+PM1+PM2+PP2+PP3). Conclusion:RYR2 gene is potentially a novel epilepsy gene.

The clinical data of a child with anti-(α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid, AMPA2) receptor antibody encephalitis after herpes simplex encephalitis was retrospectively analyzed.The child was a 9-year-old female developing abnormal mental behavior after fever.The auxiliary examination of the first hospital displayed, cerebrospinal fluid: sugar qualitative (+ ), white blood cell count 32×10 6/L, albumin measurement (immune turbidity method) 317.00 mg/L, immunoglobulin IgG 45.80 mg/L.Herpes simplex virus (+ ). Skull magnetic resonance imaging showed: abnormal signal at the top of the frontal frontotemporal, considering intracranial infection.Video electroencephalogram: the background is diffuse slow wave, a small amount of multifocal spikes, sharp waves, spine slow wave release, left frontal, and temporal sacral protrusions.One partial seizure may be detected during the awake period.The diagnosis was " herpes simplex virus encephalitis" , and the body temperature of the child returned to normal after anti-infection and hormone therapy.However, there were still cognitive impairments, irritability, and no language communication.After 2 years, there was no abnormality in routine biochemical and viral cerebrospinal fluid examination.Serum and cerebrospinal fluid autoimmune encephalitis-related antibody spectrum: anti-NMDA, AMPA1/2, GABAB receptor antibody and anti-CASPR2, LGI1 antibodies were negative in serum.The anti-AMPA2 receptor antibody in the cerebrospinal fluid was weakly positive, and the final diagnosis was anti-AMPA2 receptor antibody encephalitis.After the application of hormones, the children′s cognition improved, mood was more stable than before, and language communication improved as well.Anti-AMPA2 receptor antibody encephalitis can be observed in children, and may be related to immune response after viral infection.For patients of viral encephalitis with poor treatment or disease relapse and progression, the possibility of autoimmune encephalitis should be considered.

The clinical data of a child with paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD) and being diagnosed and treated in the Department of Pediatrics of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in October 2018 were analyzed retrospectively.The male patient was 13 years old.The clinical manifestation was the change of body position, and the temporary movement cannot appear.The manifestations included the turning of head to one side, the falling back of neck, head shaking, swinging, the tightly hugging of hands in front of the chest, the touching of two tiptoes to the ground, numb sole, and ache.Gene detection: chromosome 16p11.2 (chr16: 29594293-30189789) had about 595.5 kb heterozygosity deletion.A total of 8 cases of 16p11.2 microdeletion in children with PKD were reported in details.16p11.2 microdeletion is another form of gene expression that causes PKD.16p11.2 microdeletion should be screened for genetic evaluation in patients with PKD.