"Mitochondrial neuropathies": A survey from the large cohort of the Italian Network.

Abstract

Involvement of the peripheral nervous system in mitochondrial disorders has been previously reported. However, the prevalence of peripheral neuropathy in mitochondrial disorders is still unclear. Based on the large database of the "Nation-wide Italian Collaborative Network of Mitochondrial Diseases", we reviewed the clinical data of 1200 patients, with special regard to peripheral neuropathy (mean age at onset 24.3 ± 20.1 years; age at last evaluation 39.8 ± 22.3 years; females 52.7%; childhood onset [before age 16 years] 43.1%). Peripheral neuropathy was present in 143/1156 patients (12.4%), being one of the ten most common signs and symptoms. POLG mutations cause a potentially painful, axonal/mixed, mainly sensory polyneuropathy; TYMP mutations lead to a demyelinating sensory-motor polyneuropathy; SURF1 mutations are associated with a demyelinating/mixed sensory-motor polyneuropathy. The only mtDNA mutation consistently associated with peripheral neuropathy (although less severely than in the above-considered nuclear genes) was the m.8993T > G (or the rarer T > C) changes, which lead to an axonal, mainly sensory polyneuropathy. In conclusion, peripheral neuropathy is one of the most common features of a mitochondrial disorder, and may negatively impact on the quality of life of these patients. Furthermore, the presence or absence of peripheral neuropathy, as well as its specific forms and the association with neuropathic pain (indicative of a POLG-associated disease) can guide the molecular analysis.

• Authors: Michelangelo Mancuso, Daniele Orsucci, Corrado Angelini, Enrico Bertini, Valerio Carelli, Giacomo Pietro Comi, Antonio Federico, Carlo Minetti, Maurizio Moggio, Tiziana Mongini, Paola Tonin, Antonio Toscano, Claudio Bruno, Elena Caldarazzo Ienco, Massimiliano Filosto, Costanza Lamperti, Daria Diodato, Isabella Moroni, Olimpia Musumeci, Elena Pegoraro, Marco Spinazzi, Naghia Ahmed, Monica Sciacco, Liliana Vercelli, Anna Ardissone, Massimo Zeviani, Gabriele Siciliano
• Journal: Neuromuscular disorders : NMD (Neuromuscul Disord) 2016 Apr-May Vol. 26 Issue 4-5 Pg. 272-6 ISSN: 1873-2364 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 27020842 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Age of Onset
• Female
• Humans
• Italy (epidemiology)
• Male
• Mitochondrial Diseases (epidemiology, genetics, physiopathology)
• Peripheral Nervous System Diseases (epidemiology, genetics, physiopathology)
• Prevalence
• Retrospective Studies
• Young Adult