Jasna Jančić1, Ivana Dejanović2, Janko Samardžić3, Saša Radovanović4, Ana Pepić2, Natalija Kosanović-Jaković5, Mila Ćetković6, Vladimir Kostić7. 1. Clinic of Neurology and Psychiatry for Children and Youth, Medical Faculty, University of Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: jasna.jancic.npk@gmail.com. 2. Clinic of Neurology and Psychiatry for Children and Youth, Medical Faculty, University of Belgrade, Serbia. 3. Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical Faculty, University of Belgrade, Serbia. 4. Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Serbia. 5. Institute of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty, University of Belgrade, Serbia. 6. Institute of Histology and Embryology, Medical Faculty, University of Belgrade, Serbia. 7. Clinic of Neurology, Medical Faculty, University of Belgrade, Serbia.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is the most common mitochondrial disorder. However, few countries have published their population-based findings related to this multisystemic disease. THE AIM: In order to get a better insight into the epidemiological and clinical picture of this maternally inherited disorder, we performed the first population-based clinical and molecular-genetic study of LHON in the Serbian population. METHODS: Prospective study included patients who were diagnosed with LHON after detailed medical examination and molecular-genetic confirmation. RESULTS: We identified 41 individuals from 12 genealogically unrelated families, carrying one of the three "primary" mitochondrial (mt) DNA point mutations associated with LHON. Fourteen of them were clinically affected, giving a minimum point prevalence of 1.9 per 1,000,000. The minimum point prevalence for mtDNA LHON mutations was 5.2 per 1,000,000. Male to female ratio was 6:1. Only one affected patient harboured mutant mtDNA in heteroplasmic condition. All patients were presented with common clinical findings. CONCLUSION: We observed significantly lower prevalence and higher gender ratio than expected. However, frequencies of primary mutations, incidence of heteroplasmy and clinical findings are in accordance with other studies in Caucasoid populations. Our results might be a consequence of poor recognition and misdiagnosis due to lack of diagnostic possibilities of the entity in different region of our country or less likely be in part due to specific haplotype background of Serbian population which should be further investigated.
BACKGROUND:Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is the most common mitochondrial disorder. However, few countries have published their population-based findings related to this multisystemic disease. THE AIM: In order to get a better insight into the epidemiological and clinical picture of this maternally inherited disorder, we performed the first population-based clinical and molecular-genetic study of LHON in the Serbian population. METHODS: Prospective study included patients who were diagnosed with LHON after detailed medical examination and molecular-genetic confirmation. RESULTS: We identified 41 individuals from 12 genealogically unrelated families, carrying one of the three "primary" mitochondrial (mt) DNA point mutations associated with LHON. Fourteen of them were clinically affected, giving a minimum point prevalence of 1.9 per 1,000,000. The minimum point prevalence for mtDNA LHON mutations was 5.2 per 1,000,000. Male to female ratio was 6:1. Only one affected patient harboured mutant mtDNA in heteroplasmic condition. All patients were presented with common clinical findings. CONCLUSION: We observed significantly lower prevalence and higher gender ratio than expected. However, frequencies of primary mutations, incidence of heteroplasmy and clinical findings are in accordance with other studies in Caucasoid populations. Our results might be a consequence of poor recognition and misdiagnosis due to lack of diagnostic possibilities of the entity in different region of our country or less likely be in part due to specific haplotype background of Serbian population which should be further investigated.
Authors: Phepy G A Dawod; Jasna Jancic; Ana Marjanovic; Marija Brankovic; Milena Jankovic; Janko Samardzic; Dario Potkonjak; Vesna Djuric; Sarlota Mesaros; Ivana Novakovic; Fayda I Abdel Motaleb; Vladimir S Kostic; Dejan Nikolic Journal: Genes (Basel) Date: 2020-09-02 Impact factor: 4.096