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Screening for Niemann-Pick Type C Disease in a Memory Clinic Cohort.

ABSTRACT: Niemann-Pick type C disease (NPC) is a neurovisceral lysosomal storage disorder with a heterogeneous phenotype including ataxia, cognitive impairment, impairment of vertical saccades, and psychiatric symptoms, among many others. Based on clinical, genetic, and biomarker findings, recent guidelines put forward a screening for atypical and oligosymptomatic forms of NPC in clinical niches with an increased risk. Here, we report methods and results of a negative screening study in the niche of a memory clinic. We retrospectively and prospectively identified 83 patients with unclassified cognitive impairment (15 dementia, 46 mild cognitive impairment, and 22 progressive subjective cognitive decline) before 60 years of age (82 patients between 41 and 60 years). We explored the prevalence of clinical features compatible with NPC and measured plasma levels of chitotriosidase and cholestantriol. The NPC suspicion index indicated high probability for NPC in 3 and moderate probability in 16 patients. Prevalent (>5%) neurological and psychiatric features were depression, seizures, ataxia, dysarthria, and psychotic symptoms. Vertical gaze palsy without parkinsonism was observed in one patient. Cholestantriol levels were only abnormal in one patient. Chitotriosidase levels were susceptible to slight elevations that were reproducible in only two of five patients. Our study does not exclude NPC among memory clinic patients. Instead, we suggest conducting prospective screening studies in younger cohorts that include a focused neurological examination. Excluding minor cognitive impairment and discarding depression as an independent disease symptom probably further improve screening effectivity but may delay or miss therapeutic options in early or mild disease.

SUBMITTER: Traschutz A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6323013 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Screening for Niemann-Pick Type C Disease in a Memory Clinic Cohort.

Traschütz Andreas A Heneka Michael Thomas MT

JIMD reports 20180906

Niemann-Pick type C disease (NPC) is a neurovisceral lysosomal storage disorder with a heterogeneous phenotype including ataxia, cognitive impairment, impairment of vertical saccades, and psychiatric symptoms, among many others. Based on clinical, genetic, and biomarker findings, recent guidelines put forward a screening for atypical and oligosymptomatic forms of NPC in clinical niches with an increased risk. Here, we report methods and results of a negative screening study in the niche of a mem ...[more]

PMID: 30187371

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Project description:OBJECTIVES:The aim of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the auditory phenotype in Niemann-Pick disease, type C1 (NPC1), to understand better the natural history of this complex, heterogeneous disorder, and to define further the baseline auditory deficits associated with NPC1 so that use of potentially ototoxic interventions (e.g., 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin) may be more appropriately monitored and understood. DESIGN:Fifty patients with NPC1 ranging in age from 4 months to 21 years (mean = 9.3 years) enrolled in a natural history/observational study at the National Institutes of Health. The auditory test battery included, when possible, immittance audiometry, pure-tone and speech audiometry, otoacoustic emission testing, and a neurotologic auditory brainstem response study. Longitudinal data were collected on a subset of patients. RESULTS:Over half of the cohort exhibited hearing loss involving the high frequencies ranging from a slight to moderate degree, and 74% of patients presented with clinically significant hearing loss involving the frequencies most important to speech understanding (0.5, 1, 2, 4 kHz). Despite the heterogeneity of the sample, results among patients were sufficiently consistent to implicate retrocochlear dysfunction in the majority (66%) of individuals, with (22%) or without (44%) accompanying cochlear involvement. Some patients (10%) presented with a profile for auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder. The combination of cross-sectional and longitudinal data indicates these patients are at risk for a progressive decline in auditory function. CONCLUSIONS:This is the largest cohort of patients with NPC1 evaluated comprehensively for auditory dysfunction, and results implicate the pathological processes of NPC1 in the manifestation of hearing loss. Patients with NPC1 should be monitored audiologically throughout their lives, beginning at the time of diagnosis. Clinicians and researchers should be aware of this historically overlooked aspect of the phenotype.

Project description:BackgroundNiemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is a rare, progressive, neurodegenerative disease associated with neurovisceral manifestations resulting from lysosomal dysfunction and aberrant lipid accumulation. A multicentre, prospective observational study (Clinical Trials.gov ID: NCT02435030) of individuals with genetically confirmed NPC1 or NPC2 receiving routine clinical care was conducted, to prospectively characterize and measure NPC disease progression and to investigate potential NPC-related biomarkers versus healthy individuals. Progression was measured using the abbreviated 5-domain NPC Clinical Severity Scale (NPCCSS), 17-domain NPCCSS and NPC clinical database (NPC-cdb) score. Cholesterol esterification and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) levels were assessed from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), cholestane-3β,5α-,6β-triol (cholestane-triol) from serum, and unesterified cholesterol from both PBMCs and skin biopsy samples. The inter- and intra-rater reliability of the 5-domain NPCCSS was assessed by 13 expert clinicians' rating of four participants via video recordings, repeated after ≥ 3 weeks. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated.ResultsOf the 36 individuals with NPC (2-18 years) enrolled, 31 (86.1%) completed the 6-14-month observation period; 30/36 (83.3%) were receiving miglustat as part of routine clinical care. A mean (± SD) increase in 5-domain NPCCSS scores of 1.4 (± 2.9) was observed, corresponding to an annualized progression rate of 1.5. On the 17-domain NPCCSS, a mean (± SD) progression of 2.7 (± 4.0) was reported. Compared with healthy individuals, the NPC population had significantly lower levels of cholesterol esterification (p < 0.0001), HSP70 (p < 0.0001) and skin unesterified cholesterol (p = 0.0006). Cholestane-triol levels were significantly higher in individuals with NPC versus healthy individuals (p = 0.008) and correlated with the 5-domain NPCCSS (Spearman's correlation coefficient = 0.265, p = 0.0411). The 5-domain NPCCSS showed high ICC agreement in inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.995) and intra-rater reliability (ICC = 0.937).ConclusionsProgression rates observed were consistent with other reports on disease progression in NPC. The 5-domain NPCCSS reliability study supports its use as an abbreviated alternative to the 17-domain NPCCSS that focuses on the most relevant domains of the disease. The data support the use of cholestane-triol as a disease monitoring biomarker and the novel methods of measuring unesterified cholesterol could be applicable to support NPC diagnosis. Levels of HSP70 in individuals with NPC were significantly decreased compared with healthy individuals.Trial registrationCT-ORZY-NPC-001: ClincalTrials.gov NCT02435030, Registered 6 May 2015, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02435030 ; EudraCT 2014-005,194-37, Registered 28 April 2015, https://www.clinicaltrialsregister.eu/ctr-search/trial/2014-005194-37/DE . OR-REL-NPC-01: Unregistered.

Project description:Niemann-Pick disease type C (NP-C) is a rare, autosomal recessive, neurodegenerative disease associated with a wide variety of progressive neurological manifestations. Miglustat is indicated for the treatment of progressive neurological manifestations in both adults and children. Since approval in 2009 there has been a vast growth in clinical experience with miglustat. The effectiveness of miglustat has been assessed using a range of measures.Comprehensive review of published data from studies of cellular neuropathological markers and structural neurological indices in the brain, clinical impairment/disability, specific clinical neurological manifestations, and patient survival.Cranial diffusion tensor imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies have shown reduced levels of choline (a neurodegeneration marker), and choline/N-acetyl aspartate ratio (indicating increased neuronal viability) in the brain during up to 5 years of miglustat therapy, as well as a slowing of reductions in fractional anisotropy (an axonal/myelin integrity marker). A 2-year immunoassay study showed significant reductions in CSF-calbindin during treatment, indicating reduced cerebellar Purkinje cell loss. Magnetic resonance imaging studies have demonstrated a protective effect of miglustat on cerebellar and subcortical structure that correlated with clinical symptom severity. Numerous cohort studies assessing core neurological manifestations (impaired ambulation, manipulation, speech, swallowing, other) using NP-C disability scales indicate neurological stabilization over 2-8 years, with a trend for greater benefits in patients with older (non-infantile) age at neurological onset. A randomized controlled trial and several cohort studies have reported improvements or stabilization of saccadic eye movements during 1-5 years of therapy. Swallowing was also shown to improve/remain stable during the randomized trial (up to 2 years), as well as in long-term observational cohorts (up to 6 years). A meta-analysis of dysphagia - a potent risk factor for aspiration pneumonia and premature death in NP-C - demonstrated a survival benefit with miglustat due to improved/stabilized swallowing function.The effects of miglustat on neurological NP-C manifestations has been assessed using a range of approaches, with benefits ranging from cellular changes in the brain through to visible clinical improvements and improved survival.

Dataset Information

Screening for Niemann-Pick Type C Disease in a Memory Clinic Cohort.

Publications

Screening for Niemann-Pick Type C Disease in a Memory Clinic Cohort.

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