Glycogen storage disease type III in the Irish population.

Abstract

Glycogen storage disease type III (GSD III) results from mutations of the AGL gene encoding the glycogen debrancher enzyme. The disease has clinical and biochemical heterogeneity reflecting the severity of the AGL mutations. We sought to characterise the molecular defects in our cohort of Irish patients with GSD III. Fifteen patients from eight unrelated Irish families were identified: six males and nine females. The age ranged from 2-39 years old, and all presented in the first 3 years of life. Four patients (of three families) had mild disease with hepatomegaly, mild hypoglycaemia and normal creatine kinase (CK) levels. Five families had more severe disease, with liver and skeletal muscle involvement and elevated CK. Eleven different mutations were identified amongst the eight families. Of the 11, six were novel: p.T512fs, p.S736fs, p.A1400fs, p.K1407fs, p.Y519X and p.D627Y. The family homozygous for p.A1400fs had the most severe phenotype (early-onset hypoglycaemia, massive hepatomegaly, myopathy and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy before age 2 years), which was not halted by aggressive carbohydrate and protein supplementation. Conversely, the only missense mutation identified in the cohort, p.D627Y, was associated with a mild phenotype. The phenotypic diversity in our GSD III cohort is mirrored by the allelic heterogeneity. We describe two novel null mutations in exon 32 in two families with severe GSD III resistant to current treatment modalities. Knowledge of the specific mutations segregating in this cohort may allow for the development of new therapeutic interventions.

• Authors: Ellen Crushell, Eileen P Treacy, J Dawe, M Durkie, Nicholas J Beauchamp
• Journal: Journal of inherited metabolic disease (J Inherit Metab Dis) Vol. 33 Suppl 3 Pg. S215-8 (Dec 2010) ISSN: 1573-2665 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20490926 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Glycogen Debranching Enzyme System
• amylo-1,6-glucosidase

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• DNA Mutational Analysis
• Disease Progression
• Female
• Founder Effect
• Genetic Association Studies
• Genetic Predisposition to Disease
• Glycogen Debranching Enzyme System (deficiency, genetics)
• Glycogen Storage Disease Type III (diagnosis, enzymology, epidemiology, genetics, therapy)
• Heredity
• Heterozygote
• Homozygote
• Humans
• Infant
• Infant, Newborn
• Ireland (epidemiology)
• Male
• Mutation
• Pedigree
• Phenotype
• Severity of Illness Index
• Treatment Outcome
• Young Adult