Dataset Information

Clinical Characteristics of C9ORF72-Linked Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The most common genetic cause of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been linked to a hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9ORF72 gene. The frequency of the C9ORF72 expansion in Finland is among the highest in the world.

Methods

We assessed 73 Finnish patients with FTLD in order to examine the clinical characteristics associated with the expanded C9ORF72. Demographic and clinical features were evaluated. As a potential disease modifier, the apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype was also assessed. Neuropathological analysis was available on 2 expansion carriers and 1 non-carrier.

Results

The C9ORF72 expansion was present in 20 of 70 (29%) probands. Significant associations with the C9ORF72 expansion were observed for concomitant ALS and positive family history of dementia or ALS. Psychoses were detected in both carriers and non-carriers (21 vs. 10%, p = 0.25). The APOE ?4 allele did not cluster among expansion carriers. Numerous p62-positive neuronal inclusions were detected in the cerebellar cortex of the 2 expansion carriers.

Conclusion

In line with the suggested C9ORF72 core phenotype, we also detected a high frequency of neuropsychiatric symptoms; however, these symptoms seem not be specific to C9ORF72-associated FTLD. FTLD should be considered in cases of middle-age-onset psychosis.

SUBMITTER: Kaivorinne AL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3776392 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Clinical Characteristics of C9ORF72-Linked Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration.

Kaivorinne Anna-Lotta AL Bode Michaela K MK Paavola Liisa L Tuominen Hannu H Kallio Mika M Renton Alan E AE Traynor Bryan J BJ Moilanen Virpi V Remes Anne M AM

Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders extra 20130820 1

<h4>Background</h4>The most common genetic cause of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been linked to a hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9ORF72 gene. The frequency of the C9ORF72 expansion in Finland is among the highest in the world.<h4>Methods</h4>We assessed 73 Finnish patients with FTLD in order to examine the clinical characteristics associated with the expanded C9ORF72. Demographic and clinical features were evaluated. As a potential ...[more]

PMID: 24052799

Similar Datasets

Project description:ObjectiveTo identify clinicopathological differences between frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) due to mutations in progranulin (FTLD-GRN) and chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (FTLD-C9ORF72).MethodsWe performed quantitative neuropathologic comparison of 17 FTLD-C9ORF72 and 15 FTLD-GRN with a focus on microglia. For clinical comparisons, only cases with high quality medical documentation and concurring diagnoses by at least two neurologists were included (14 FTLD-GRN and 13 FTLD-C9ORF72). Neuropathological analyses were limited to TDP-43 Type A to assure consistent assessment between the groups, acknowledging that Type A is a minority of C9ORF72 patients. Furthermore, only cases with sufficient tissue from all regions were studied (11 FTLD-GRN and 11 FTLD-C9ORF72). FTLD cases were also compared to age- and sex-matched normal controls. Immunohistochemistry was performed for pTDP-43, IBA-1, CD68, and GFAP. Morphological characterization of microglia was performed in sections of cortex blinded to clinical and genetic information.ResultsFTLD-GRN patients had frequent asymmetric clinical features, including aphasia and apraxia, as well as more asymmetric cortical atrophy. Neuropathologically, FTLD-C9ORF72 had greater hippocampal tau pathology and more TDP-43 neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions. FTLD-GRN had more neocortical microvacuolation, as well as more IBA-1-positive ameboid microglia in superficial cortical layers and in subcortical white matter. FTLD-GRN also had more microglia with nuclear condensation, possibly indicating apoptosis. Microglial morphology with CD68 immunohistochemistry in FTLD-GRN and FTLD-C9ORF72 differed from controls.InterpretationOur findings underscore differences in microglial response in FTLD-C9ORF72 and FTLD-GRN as shown by significant differences in ameboid microglia in gray and white matter. These results suggest the differential contribution of microglial dysfunction in FTLD-GRN and FTLD-C9ORF72 and suggest that clinical, neuroimaging and pathologic differences could in part be related to differences in microglia response.

Project description:An expanded GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat in C9ORF72 is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal lobar degeneration associated with TDP-43 pathology (FTLD-TDP). In addition to TDP-43-positive neuronal and glial inclusions, C9ORF72-linked FTLD-TDP has characteristic TDP-43-negative neuronal cytoplasmic and intranuclear inclusions as well as dystrophic neurites in the hippocampus and cerebellum. These lesions are immunopositive for ubiquitin and ubiquitin-binding proteins, such as sequestosome-1/p62 and ubiquilin-2. Studies examining the frequency of the C9ORF72 mutation in clinically probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) have found a small proportion of AD cases with the mutation. This prompted us to systematically explore the frequency of Alzheimer-type pathology in a series of 17 FTLD-TDP cases with mutations in C9ORF72 (FTLD-C9ORF72). We identified four cases with sufficient Alzheimer-type pathology to meet criteria for intermediate-to-high-likelihood AD. We compared AD pathology in the 17 FTLD-C9ORF72 to 13 cases of FTLD-TDP linked to mutations in the gene for progranulin (FTLD-GRN) and 36 cases of sporadic FTLD (sFTLD). FTLD-C9ORF72 cases had higher Braak neurofibrillary tangle stage than FTLD-GRN. Increased tau pathology in FTLD-C9ORF72 was assessed with thioflavin-S fluorescent microscopy-based neurofibrillary tangle counts and with image analysis of tau burden in temporal cortex and hippocampus. FTLD-C9ORF72 had significantly more neurofibrillary tangles and higher tau burden compared with FTLD-GRN. The differences were most marked in limbic regions. On the other hand, sFTLD and FTLD-C9ORF72 had a similar burden of tau pathology. These results suggest FTLD-C9ORF72 has increased propensity for tau pathology compared to FTLD-GRN, but not sFTLD. The accumulation of tau as well as lesions immunoreactive for ubiquitin and ubiquitin-binding proteins (p62 and ubiquilin-2) suggests that mutations in C9ORF72 may involve disrupted protein degradation that favors accumulation of multiple different proteins.

Dataset Information

Clinical Characteristics of C9ORF72-Linked Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Clinical Characteristics of C9ORF72-Linked Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration.

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