Objective:To analyze the clinical features of anti-neurofascin-155 (NF155) antibody positive autoimmune nodopathy in children.Methods:This was a case series study. A total of 6 children who were diagnosed accurately as anti-NF155 antibody positive autoimmune nodopathy by cell immunofluorescence assay at the Children′s Hospital of Fudan University from January 2020 to December 2023 were collected. This study retrospectively analyzed 6 pediatric children′s clinical manifestations, laboratory and electrophysiological examination results, and treatment outcomes.Results:Among 6 children with anti-NF155 antibody positive autoimmune nodopathy, there were 4 boys and 2 girls. The onset age of 6 children ranged from 3 years and 8 months to 12 years. All 6 children had extremity weakness (more severe in the distal and the lower extremities than in the upper extremities), 5 children had sensory deficits such as numbness or pain in the extremities, 4 children had tremors and ataxia, 3 children had cranial nerve involvement. Among the 6 children, 4 children had protein-cell separation in cerebrospinal fluid examinations. Among the 6 children, 1 child had central nervous system demyelination, the brain magnetic resonance imaging showed multiple abnormal signals in the bilateral cerebral hemispheres. Four children showed motor and sensory nerve damage in electrophysiological examination, and 2 children only showed motor nerve damage. Three children showed myelin and axonal damage, and 3 children only showed axonal damage. Among the 6 children, 5 children were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin and steroids. Among them, 2 children underwent plasma exchange due to poor efficacy, and subsequently, rituximab was added. There was 1 child changed the treatment with olfatomumab since the symptoms did not significantly improve after using rituximab. After treatment for 4-15 months, 2 children had no clinical symptoms, 1 child had improvement in clinical symptoms, 2 children had no significant improvement in clinical symptoms, and 1 child who did not receive the immunotherapy had no significant change in clinical symptoms.Conclusions:Anti-NF155 antibody positive autoimmune nodopathy in children presents with varying degrees of clinical manifestations. It is mainly characterized by extremity weakness, numbness and pain, often accompanied bytremorsand ataxia. Some pediatric patients may also have central nervous system demyelination. Cerebrospinal fluid and electrophysiological examination are important auxiliary examination methods. If steroid therapy is not effective, plasma exchange and rituximab treatment should be used as soon as possible.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and genetic features of SMC1A gene related disorders. Methods:The data of 5 children with SMC1A gene variants were collected from Children′s Hospital of Fudan University from February 2018 to January 2022. The clinical features, electroencephalogram (EEG), brain imaging and gene testing results were summarized. Results:Among the 5 patients, 4 are females and 1 is male. Two female cases are siblings. One boy had dysmorphic features, consisting of bilateral ptosis, synophrys, a short nose and upturned nasal tip. He also had patent foramen ovale plus atrial septal defect, unilateral cryptorchidism and microcephaly. Three cases had microcephaly. Two girls had patent foramen ovale, and 2 girls had microcephaly. Four cases had epilepsy, and age at seizure onset ranged from 2 to 52 months. Multiple seizure types were observed, including bilateral tonic clonic seizures in 2 patients, and focal seizures in 3 patients. The seizures in 3 cases were in cluster. All patients had developmental delay, including 1 patient with mild and 4 patients with moderate to severe developmental delay. Three patients had slow background activity in EEG. Interictal EEG showed abnormal discharges in 4 patients, including focal discharges in 3 cases and generalized discharges in 1 case. Brain magnetic resonance imaging was normal in 3 patients and showed mild cortical thickening in 1 case. All cases harbored 4 SMC1A gene variants, including 2 missense variants and 2 frameshift variants (c.580_587del, c.2699delG, c.3362G>A, c.1486C>T). Three cases harbored heterozygous SMC1A variants and 2 cases carried somatic mosaic SMC1A variants with 17.5% and 88.1% mosaicism in peripheral blood. The follow-up lasted for 3 months to 4 years. The epilepsy was refractory in 2 cases. During the follow-up, all cases had very slow developmental progress or developmental retardation. All cases had different levels of growth retardation. The scores of Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) phenotypes in 5 cases were 2-6. One case had the combined phenotypes of atypical CdLS and developmental epileptic encephalopathy (DEE). The phenotype was atypical CdLS in 1 case and DEE in 1 case. The phenotypes of 2 cases with SMC1A missense variants were mild, manifesting as non-refractory epilepsy and moderate to severe developmental delay. Conclusions:All of cases with SMC1A gene variants have developmental delay. Most of the patients have clusters of seizures and some dysmorphisms. The phenotypes of SMC1A gene related disorders are diverse. Except CdLS and DEE, there are some patients with mild phenotype due to missense variants of SMC1A gene.

Objective:To analyze the clinical phenotype, copy number variation, treatment and follow-up characteristics of children with typical 16p11.2 deletion syndrome.Methods:The clinical data of 10 children with typical 16p11.2 deletion syndrome who were treated in the Department of Neurology, Children′s Hospital of Fudan University from August 2011 to December 2021 were retrospectively collected, and their clinical phenotype, copy number variation, treatment and follow-up were summarized.Results:Among the 10 children, 4 are female and 6 are male, all with epilepsy. Nine patients had epilepsy in infancy, and the age of onset was 6.0 (4.0, 8.5) months. Four cases had focal seizures (1 with fever), 4 had generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and 2 had focal seizures with generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Eight cases had cluster seizures (more than 2 to 10 seizures within 24 hours), and 1 case had 1 status epilepticus. Nine children did not show obvious developmental delay at the onset of epilepsy, and 1 child had developmental delay at the onset of epilepsy at 14 months of age. One child had parallel toes at left foot, and 1 had macrocephaly and low limb muscle tone. Genetic testing found that 10 children carried typical 16p11.2 heterozygous deletion, the starting position of the deletion fragment was Chr16:29478119-29675016, the ending position was Chr16:30125670-30206112, and the deletion length was 525-712 kb, all of which were considered pathogenic variants. In the antiepileptic drug treatment, 4 children were treated with oxcarbazepine, 2 with sodium valproate, 2 was switched to oxcarbazepine after levetiracetam was ineffective, 1 with levetiracetam combined with sodium valproate, and 1 with levetiracetam in combination with sodium valproate and ketogenic diet, and all 10 children had no seizures. One patient developed episodic exercise-induced dyskinesia at school age, and the seizures decreased after treatment with oxcarbazepine. Follow-up of 10 children found that 9 children had different degrees of developmental delay (language was significantly affected), 3 cases were combined with autism-like manifestations, and 1 case had poor comprehension, learning difficulties, and repeated grades after entering regular primary schools.Conclusion:The typical 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome has the deletion of gene fragments in the proximal region of 16p11.2, characterized by drug-responsive cluster seizures with onset in infancy, which may be accompanied by language delay, autism spectrum disorder and nonspecific malformations.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical features and genetic variant in a child with Cerebral creatine deficiency syndrome (CCDS). METHODS: A child who had presented at the Affiliated Children's Hospital of Fudan University on March 5, 2021 was selected as the study subject. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was carried out for the child, and candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing. The level of creatine in the brain was determined by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. RESULTS: The patient, a 1-year-and-10-month male, had presented with developmental delay and epilepsy. Both his mother and grandmother had a history of convulsions. MRS showed reduced cerebral creatine in bilateral basal ganglia and thalamus. The child was found to harbor a hemizygous splicing variant of the SLC6A8 gene, namely c.1767+1_1767+2insA, which may lead to protein truncation. The variant was not found in the public databases. Both his mother and grandmother were heterozygous carriers for the same variant. CONCLUSION The hemizygous c.1767+1_1767+2insA variant of the SLC6A8 gene probably underlay the CCDS in this child. Discovery of the novel variant has also expanded the mutational spectrum of the SLC6A8 gene.
Humans ; Male ; Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors ; Brain ; Creatine/genetics* ; Heterozygote ; Mothers ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; Plasma Membrane Neurotransmitter Transport Proteins/genetics* ; Infant

Anti-seizure medications (ASMs) are the main therapy for epilepsy.There are many kinds of ASMs with complex mechanism of action, so it is difficult for pharmacists to examine prescriptions.This paper put forward some suggestions on the indications, dosage forms/routes of administration, appropriateness of usage and dosage, combined medication and drug interaction, long-term prescription review, individual differences in pathophysiology of children, and drug selection when complicated with common epilepsy, for the reference of doctors and pharmacists.

Clinical data of two patients with congenital myasthenia syndrome type 22 (CMS22) treated at the Children′s Hospital of Fudan University from February 2019 to November 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, and relevant literatures were reviewed.Both patients were female, aged 3 months 18 days and 3 months 26 days, respectively, with typical clinical features of CMS (postnatal onset, skeletal muscle weakness, feeding difficulties, and delayed motor development). Genetic testing revealed that one patient had a homozygous frameshift mutation of the PREPL gene from maternal uniparental disomy c. 1282_1285del(p.F428fs*18), and the other one had a compound heterozygous mutation, including the paternal homozygous frameshift mutation of the PREPL gene and maternal monoallelic nonsense mutation and splicing mutation c. [1501G>T; 2020+ 1G>T], p.[G501*; -]. Two patients were treated with Pyridostigmine bromide at the age of 6 months old and 4 months old, respectively, and the medication last for 15 months and 3 months (still under treatment), respectively.The treatment was effective.Through literature review, 7 English language articles were retrieved, involving 13 cases (2 cases in the presented study were included). The main clinical symptoms of CMS22 included neonatal onset with feeding difficulties and motor development delay, accompanied by cognitive impairment, growth hormone deficiency, and obesity.Genetic testing is favorable to the early diagnosis, early treatment, and symptom relief.

Objective:To summarize the clinical features of childhood opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS), evaluate severity degree and prognosis using OMS Symptom Severity Standard Rating Scale.Methods:The clinical features,diagnosis, therapeutic regimen and follow-up of 9 children with OMS in Department of Neurology and Oncology Department of Children's Hospital of Fudan University between 2011 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Severity degree and prognosis were evaluated using OMS Symptom Severity Standard Rating Scale.Results:Among the 9 children with OMS, 4 were males and 5 were females. The onset age ranged from 14 months to 5 years, with a median of 17 months. Main symptoms were opsoclonus, myoclonus, ataxia, motor function regression, behavior and mood changes and sleep disorders. Eghit patients were combined with tumor. Seven of them with neuroblastoma were confirmed by surgical pathology, the other one showed spontaneous regression and symptom remission without treatment. Eight patients received hormone combined with intravenous immunoglobulin, of which 3 cases received adrenocorticotropic hormone, while 5 cases received methylprednisolone pulse therapy, with prednisone sequential therapy, decreasing dose gradually. Rituximab was administrated in 3 patients whose annual recurrent time was≥2. Nine patients were divided into 3 groups according to OMS Symptom Severity Standard Rating Scale, 1 of mild degree, 3 of moderate degree, 5 of severe degree. There was no recurrence and sequelae in the mild-degree patient after 3 years follow-up. There was no recurrence and sequelae in 2 of the moderate-degree patients after 1-2 years follow-up. Different degrees of motor, cognitive sequelae were found in 1 of moderate-degree patients and all of severe-degree patients after 1-8 years follow-up.Conclusions:Childhood OMS patients have early onset age. Bad symptom severity before treatment and multiphase course are associated with poor prognosis. OMS Symptom Severity Standard Rating Scale is suitable for estimations of long-term prognosis.

Objective:To explore the clinical phenotype characteristics of early-onset epileptic encephalopathy (EOEE) caused by sodium channel mutations.Methods:A retrospective study was used.A total of 52 EOEE patients treated in the Department of Neurology, Children′s Hospital of Fudan University and Department of Neurology, Wuhan Children′s Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology from June 2016 to June 2019 were recruited.Peripheral blood samples of 52 patients and their parents were collected for analyzing pathogenic mutations by the next generation sequencing and copy number variations of whole exons in family. Chi- square test was used to compare seizure control data among different voltage-gated sodium channel α1 subunit ( SCN1A) mutation types. Results:A total of 35/52 cases (67.3%) were diagnosed as Dravet syndrome, 3/52 cases (5.8%) were West syndrome, and 14/52 cases (26.9%) were non-symptomatic EOEE.The electroencephalogram (EEG) findings showed a large number of multifocal spikes, spike-slow waves, sharp waves, and sharp-slow waves.A total of 45/52 cases (86.5%) showed normal brain magnetic resonance imaging(MRI), 1 case had slightly widened bilateral frontal sulcus, 1 case had widened bilateral temporal pole and frontal top subarachnoid space, and the remaining 5 cases had widened extracerebral space and slightly larger ventricles.Thirteen cases were re-examined with brain MRI, and 3 cases had mild brain atrophy.A total of 43/52 cases (82.7%) were examined with SCN1A gene mutations, of which 28/52 cases (53.8%) were missense mutations, 5/52 cases (9.6%) were nonsense mutations, 7/52 cases (13.5%) were frameshift mutations and 3/52 cases (5.8%) were splice site mutations.A total of 3/52 cases (5.8%) had SCN2A mutations, of which 2/52 cases (3.8%) were missense mutations, and 1/52 case (1.9%) was a frameshift mutation, 1/52 cases (1.9%) carrying the missense mutation of the SCN3A gene.A total of 5/52 cases (9.6%) had missense mutations of the SCN8A gene.After an average of 1-year follow-up, a total of 13/52 cases (25.0%) had more than 1-year control of seizure, of which 6/52 cases (11.5%) with seizure control for more than 2 years, and 4/52 cases (7.7%) with more than 3-year control.Children carrying SCN1A missense mutations were relatively easier to be controlled for seizures than those carrying SCN1A truncation mutations (nonsense mutations+ frameshift mutations) ( P<0.05). In 5 children carrying SCN8A mutations, 2 cases of them had seizures control for more than 1 year after adding Oxcarbazepine, but the improvement of mental motor function was not obvious. Conclusions:In children with EOEE associated with sodium channel gene mutations, SCN1A, SCN2A, SCN3A, and SCN8A mutations were pathogenic factors.Among them, SCN1A was the most common pathogenic gene for EOEE, with the mutation rate of 82.7%.Dravet syndrome was the most common clinical phenotype of EOEE associated with sodium channel gene mutations.Epileptic seizures in children carrying SCN1A missense mutations were easier to be controlled than those with truncated mutation (nonsense mutations + frameshift mutations), suggesting that the gene mutation type was related to the degree of seizures control.Oxcarbazepine was effective in the treatment of EOEE with SCN8A gene mutations, indicating that the combination therapy using anti-epilepsy drugs can be applied to EOEE patients according to the type of gene function.

Christianson syndrome is a rare X-linked disease caused by mutations in the SLC9A6 gene. The clinical manifestations are male developmental delay, language disorder, seizures, mental retardation, ataxia, microcephaly and so on. Two cases of male children with Christianson syndrome were reported. The proband was 1 year and 11 months old. Clinical manifestations include microcephaly, global developmental delay, and seizures. The electroencephalogram showed that the central midline region of spikes and slow waves were emitted, and all exons sequencing detected a mutation in the SLC9A6 gene chrX: 135084373 [c.803+1(IVS6)G>A]. The proband′s brother was 4 years and 8 months old. The clinical manifestations were similar. The electroencephalogram showed spikes and spines in the Rolandic area on both sides. Slow waves and spiny slow waves were emitted. Magnetic resonance imaging suggested brain atrophy. The genetic verification results were consistent with the proband. The SLC9A6 gene c.803+1(IVS6) G>A splicing mutation was a pathogenic mutation in this family.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics of children with tyrosine hydroxylase deficiency (THD) in order to recognize this disease early as to optimize the treatment to improve the prognosis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was done on the clinical data of nine children with THD who were diagnosed at the Children′s Hospital of Fudan University from May 2018 to May 2020, including name, gender, age, age of onset, age of presentation, age of diagnosis, clinical manifestations, head imaging, tyrosine hydroxylase gene mutation, treatment, follow-up, and other results, which were classified according to Willemsen′s method, and the clinical characteristics were summarized and a literature review was carried out.Results:There were five males and four females with the age at onset ranged from newborn to two years and six months (median three months). The duration of diagnosis ranged from four months to five years and seven months (median nine months). The presenting symptom was motor retardation in seven cases. Clinical symptoms included hypokinesia in eight cases, limb dystonia in five cases, truncal hypotonia in four cases, dysphagia/dysarthria in four cases, oculogyric crises in four cases, tremor in three cases, rigidity in three cases, mask faces in three cases, bilateral ptosis in two cases, hypersalivation/sweating in two cases, diurnal fluctuation in two cases, myoclonic jerks in one case, and status dystonicus in one case. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging was normal in seven cases and non-specific in two cases (backward myelination in one case and bilateral ventricle enlargement and decreased white matter in another one). Eight tyrosine hydroxylase gene variants were found, including four missense variants, two frameshift variants, one shear variants and one nonsense variant, as well as three novel variants [c.1505_1518dup (p.R507Afs *23), c.1128_1138del (p.Q377Gfs *12), c.1058A>G(p.H353R)]. All patients were treated with levodopa and benserazide hydrochloride tables. The initial and maintenance doses of type A were 1.7-8.3 mg·kg -1·d -1 and 4.5-20.0 mg·kg -1·d -1, respectively. The initial and maintenance doses of type B were 1.7-12.5 mg·kg -1·d -1 and 4.6-12.0 mg·kg -1·d -1, respectively. In type A, four patients had dyskinesis which was relieved by decreasing the dose or maintaining the same dose of levodopa. One case of type B had dyskinesis which was self-resolving. Conclusions:Although the clinical manifestations of this disease are varied, the initial symptoms in children with onset within the first year of life are mostly hypokinesia, truncal hypotonia, and dystonia in limbs. It is recommended that children with THD, regardless of clinical type, should start at the minimum dose for easy segmentation in the range of 1.0-5.0 mg·kg -1·d -1, and the maintenance dose can be adjusted according to the individual response of the child. The incidence of dyskinesia of this disease is not low, but most can be treated by decreasing the initial dose and delaying the dosage rate.