KCNQ2 encephalopathy: delineation of the electroclinical phenotype and treatment response.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Numis AL
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3929196 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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KCNQ2 encephalopathy: delineation of the electroclinical phenotype and treatment response.
Numis Adam L AL Angriman Marco M Sullivan Joseph E JE Lewis Ann J AJ Striano Pasquale P Nabbout Rima R Cilio Maria R MR
Neurology 20131226 4
Neonatal-onset epilepsies are rare conditions, mostly genetically determined, that can have a benign or severe phenotype.(1,2) There is recent recognition of de novo KCNQ2 mutations in patients with severe neonatal-onset epilepsy with intractable seizures and severe psychomotor impairment, termed KCNQ2 encephalopathy.(3,4) This is a rare condition and all patients reported so far were diagnosed well after the neonatal period.(3,4) We report on 3 new cases of KCNQ2 encephalopathy diagnosed in the ...[more]
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Project description:IntroductionEarly-onset epileptic encephalopathies are among the most severe early-onset epilepsies, leading to progressive neurodegeneration. An increasing number of novel genetic causes continue to be uncovered as the primary etiology.ResultsWe report a girl infant of Semitic (Saudi Arabian) descent who presented with multifocal seizures and later developed intractable infantile spasms and myoclonic seizures. Her clinical features and electroencephalography were consistent with early-onset epileptic encephalopathy. Whole exome sequence analysis showed homozygous novel pathogenic variant (variant p.Q287PfsX27; coding DNA c.858_862delACAAA) in the SYNJ1 gene.ConclusionThis is a newly described early-onset epileptic encephalopathy secondary to a critical reduction of the dual phosphatase activity of SYNJ. Clinical features include early-onset intractable focal, myoclonic seizures, infantile spasms, and hypotonia progressing to spastic quadriparesis, opisthotonus, dystonia, profound developmental delay, and a progressive neurodegenerative course. Brain magnetic resonance imaging is usually normal. Electroencephalography shows diffuse slowing with multifocal epileptiform discharges or modified hypsarrhythmia. These findings further expand the clinical spectrum of synaptic dysregulation in patients with severe epilepsy and emphasize the importance of this biological pathway in seizure pathophysiology.
| S-EPMC7227754 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveKCNQ2-associated developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEE) present with seizures and developmental impairments. The relation between seizures and functional impairments in affected children and the relation of a specific genetic variant to seizure control remains unknown.MethodsParents of children with documented KCNQ2 variants who participated in a structured, online natural history survey provided information about seizure history, functional mobility, hand use, communication function, and feeding independence. Bivariate analyses were performed with nonparametric methods and logistic regression was used for multivariable analyses.ResultsThirty-nine children (20, 51% girls, median age 4.5 years, interquartile range (IQR) 1.9-19.3) had a median age of seizure onset of 1 day (IQR 1-3 days). The most common seizure types were bilateral tonic-clonic (N = 72, 28%) and bilateral tonic (N = 13, 33%). Time since last seizure was <6 months (N = 18, 46%), 6-23 months (N = 11, 28%), and ≥24 months (N = 10 26%). Severe functional impairment was reported for mobility (62%), hand grasp (31%), feeding (59%), and communication (77%). Twenty-eight (72%) were impaired in ≥2 domains. There were only weak and inconsistent associations between seizure recency and individual impairments or number of impairments after adjustment for other factors. The functional location of the variants within the Kv 7.2 protein was not associated with seizure control.InterpretationSeizures in KCNQ2-DEE are often well-controlled, but children have severe impairments regardless. With the increased potential for precision therapies targeting the Kv 7.2 channel or the KCNQ2 gene itself, identifying the most relevant and sensitive clinical endpoints will be critical to ensure successful trials of new therapies.
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Project description:ObjectiveTo advance the understanding of KCNQ2 encephalopathy genotype-phenotype relationships and to begin to assess the potential of selective KCNQ channel openers as targeted treatments.MethodsWe retrospectively studied 23 patients with KCNQ2 encephalopathy, including 11 treated with ezogabine (EZO). We analyzed the genotype-phenotype relationships in these and 70 previously described patients.ResultsThe mean seizure onset age was 1.8 ± 1.6 (SD) days. Of the 20 EEGs obtained within a week of birth, 11 showed burst suppression. When new seizure types appeared in infancy (15 patients), the most common were epileptic spasms (n = 8). At last follow-up, seizures persisted in 9 patients. Development was delayed in all, severely in 14. The KCNQ2 variants identified introduced amino acid missense changes or, in one instance, a single residue deletion. They were clustered in 4 protein subdomains predicted to poison tetrameric channel functions. EZO use (assessed by the treating physicians and parents) was associated with improvement in seizures and/or development in 3 of the 4 treated before 6 months of age, and 2 of the 7 treated later; no serious side effects were observed.ConclusionsKCNQ2 variants cause neonatal-onset epileptic encephalopathy of widely varying severity. Pathogenic variants in epileptic encephalopathy are clustered in "hot spots" known to be critical for channel activity. For variants causing KCNQ2 channel loss of function, EZO appeared well tolerated and potentially beneficial against refractory seizures when started early. Larger, prospective studies are needed to enable better definition of prognostic categories and more robust testing of novel interventions.Classification of evidenceThis study provides Class IV evidence that EZO is effective for refractory seizures in patients with epilepsy due to KCNQ2 encephalopathy.
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Project description:BackgroundNeonatal convulsions are clinical manifestations in a heterogeneous group of disorders with different etiology and outcome. They are attributed to several genetic causes.MethodsWe describe a patient with intractable neonatal seizures who died from respiratory compromise during a status epilepticus.ResultsThis case report provides electroencephalogram (EEG), MRI, genetic analysis, and neuropathological data. Genetic analysis revealed a de novo heterozygous missense mutation in the KCNQ2 gene, which encodes a subunit of a voltage-gated potassium channel. KCNQ2 gene mutation is associated with intractable neonatal seizures. EEG, MRI, data as well as mutation analysis have been described in other KCNQ2 cases. Post-mortem neuropathological investigation revealed mild malformation of cortical development with increased heterotopic neurons in the deep white matter compared to an age-matched control subject. The new finding of this study is the combination of a KCNQ2 mutation and the cortical abnormalities.ConclusionKCNQ2 mutations should be considered in neonates with refractory epilepsy of unknown cause. The mild cortical malformation is an important new finding, though it remains unknown whether these cortical abnormalities are due to the KCNQ2 mutation or are secondary to the refractory seizures.
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Project description:BackgroundTypical patients with KCNQ2 (OMIM# 602235) epileptic encephalopathy present early neonatal-onset intractable seizures with a burst suppression EEG pattern and severe developmental delay or regression, and those patients always fail first-line treatment with sodium channel blockers. Vitamin B6, either pyridoxine or pyridoxal 50-phosphate, has been demonstrated to improve seizure control in intractable epilepsy.MethodsHere, we collected and summarized the clinical data for four independent cases diagnosed with pyridoxine-responsive epileptic encephalopathy, and their exome sequencing data. Moreover, we reviewed all published cases and summarized the clinical features, genetic variants, and treatment of pyridoxine-responsive KCNQ2 epileptic encephalopathy.ResultsAll four cases showed refractory seizures during the neonatal period or infancy, accompanied by global development delay. Four pathogenetic variants of KCNQ2 were uncovered and confirmed by Sanger sequencing: KCNQ2 [NM_172107.4: c.2312C > T (p.Thr771Ile), c.873G > C (p.Arg291Ser), c.652 T > A (p.Trp218Arg) and c.913-915del (p. Phe305del)]. Sodium channel blockers and other anti-seizure medications failed to control their seizures. The frequency of seizures gradually decreased after treatment with high-dose pyridoxine. In case 1, case 2, and case 4, clinical seizures relapsed when pyridoxine was withdrawn, and seizures were controlled again when pyridoxine treatment was resumed.ConclusionOur study suggests that pyridoxine may be a promising adjunctive treatment option for patients with KCNQ2 epileptic encephalopathy.
| S-EPMC9544210 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Kv7 channels are enriched at the axonal plasma membrane where their voltage-dependent potassium currents suppress neuronal excitability. Mutations in Kv7.2 and Kv7.3 subunits cause epileptic encephalopathy (EE), yet the underlying pathogenetic mechanism is unclear. Here, we used novel statistical algorithms and structural modeling to identify EE mutation hotspots in key functional domains of Kv7.2 including voltage sensing S4, the pore loop and S6 in the pore domain, and intracellular calmodulin-binding helix B and helix B-C linker. Characterization of selected EE mutations from these hotspots revealed that L203P at S4 induces a large depolarizing shift in voltage dependence of Kv7.2 channels and L268F at the pore decreases their current densities. While L268F severely reduces expression of heteromeric channels in hippocampal neurons without affecting internalization, K552T and R553L mutations at distal helix B decrease calmodulin-binding and axonal enrichment. Importantly, L268F, K552T, and R553L mutations disrupt current potentiation by increasing phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), and our molecular dynamics simulation suggests PIP2 interaction with these residues. Together, these findings demonstrate that each EE variant causes a unique combination of defects in Kv7 channel function and neuronal expression, and suggest a critical need for both prediction algorithms and experimental interrogations to understand pathophysiology of Kv7-associated EE.
| S-EPMC7075958 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesTo determine the frequency of KCNQ2 mutations in patients with neonatal epileptic encephalopathy (NEE), and to expand the phenotypic spectrum of KCNQ2 epileptic encephalopathy.MethodsEighty-four patients with unexplained NEE were screened for KCNQ2 mutations using classic Sanger sequencing. Clinical data of 6 additional patients with KCNQ2 mutations detected by gene panel were collected. Detailed phenotyping was performed with particular attention to seizure frequency, cognitive outcome, and video-EEG.ResultsIn the cohort, we identified 9 different heterozygous de novo KCNQ2 missense mutations in 11 of 84 patients (13%). Two of 6 missense mutations detected by gene panel were recurrent and present in patients of the cohort. Seizures at onset typically consisted of tonic posturing often associated with focal clonic jerking, and were accompanied by apnea with desaturation. One patient diagnosed by gene panel had seizure onset at the age of 5 months. Based on seizure frequency at onset and cognitive outcome, we delineated 3 clinical subgroups, expanding the spectrum of KCNQ2 encephalopathy to patients with moderate intellectual disability and/or infrequent seizures at onset. Recurrent mutations lead to relatively homogenous phenotypes. One patient responded favorably to retigabine; 5 patients had a good response to carbamazepine. In 6 patients, seizures with bradycardia were recorded. One patient died of probable sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.ConclusionKCNQ2 mutations cause approximately 13% of unexplained NEE. Patients present with a wide spectrum of severity and, although rare, infantile epilepsy onset is possible.
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Project description: Not available
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Project description:BackgroundDevelopmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE) is a condition characterized by severe seizures and a range of developmental impairments. Pathogenic variants in KCNQ2, encoding for potassium channel subunit, cause KCNQ2-related DEE. This study aimed to examine the relationships between genotype and phenotype in KCNQ2-related DEE.MethodsIn total, 12 patients were enrolled in this study for genetic testing, clinical analysis, and developmental evaluation. Pathogenic variants of KCNQ2 were characterized through a whole-cell electrophysiological recording expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The expression levels of the KCNQ2 subunit and its localization at the plasma membrane were determined using Western blot analysis.ResultsSeizures were detected in all patients. All DEE patients showed evidence of developmental delay. In total, 11 de novo KCNQ2 variants were identified, including 10 missense variants from DEE patients and one truncating variant from a patient with self-limited neonatal epilepsy (SeLNE). All variants were found to be loss of function through analysis of M-currents using patch-clamp recordings. The functional impact of variants on M-current in heteromericKCNQ2/3 channels may be associated with the severity of developmental disorders in DEE. The variants with dominant-negative effects in heteromeric channels may be responsible for the profound developmental phenotype.ConclusionThe mechanism underlying KCNQ2-related DEE involves a reduction of the M-current through dominant-negative effects, and the severity of developmental disorders in DEE may be predicted by the impact of variants on the M-current of heteromericKCNQ2/3 channels.
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