Postganglionic Sudomotor Assessment in Early Stage of Multiple System Atrophy and Parkinson Disease: A Morpho-functional Study

Background and Objectives:Sudomotor impairment has been recognized as a key feature in differentiating Parkinson disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy-parkinsonian type (MSA-P) with the latter been characterized by diffuse anhidrosis in prospective study including patients in late stage of disease.We aimed to evaluate morphological and functional postganglionic sudomotor involvement in patients with new diagnosis MSA-P and PD to identify possible biomarkers that might be of help in differentiating the two conditions in early stage.Methods:One hundred patients with parkinsonism within 2 years from onset of motor symptoms were included in the study. At time of recruitment, questionnaires to assess non-motor, autonomic and small fiber symptoms were administered and patients underwent post-ganglionic sudomotor function assessment by the dynamic sweat test and punch skin biopsy from distal leg. Skin samples were processed for indirect immunofluorescence with a panel of antibodies including noradrenergic and cholinergic markers. The density of intraepidermal, sudomotor and pilomotor nerve fibers was measured on confocal images using dedicated software. A follow-up visit twelve months after recruitment was performed to confirm the diagnosis.Results:We recruited 57 patients with PD (M/F=36/21; age 63.5±9.4years) and 43 patients with MSA-P (M/F=27/16; age 62.3±9.0 years). Clinical scales and questionnaires showed a more severe clinical picture in MSA-P compared to PD patients. Sweating output and intraepidermal, pilomotor and sudomotor nerve densities, compared to controls, were lower in both groups but with a greater impairment in MSA-P patients. Pilomotor and sudomotor nerve density correlated with sweating function and with non-motor clinical symptoms. A composite sudomotor parameter defined as the arithmetic product of sweat production multiplied by the density of sudomotor fibers, efficiently separated the two populations, the receiver operating characteristics showing an area under the curve of 0.83.Discussion:Dynamic sweat test and the quantification of cutaneous autonomic nerves provided to be a sensitive morpho-functional approach to assess postganglionic component of the sudomotor pathway, revealing a more severe involvement in MSA-P than in PD early in the disease course. This approach can be applied to early differentiate the two conditions.Classification of Evidence:This study provides Class II evidence that post ganglionic sudomotor morpho-functional assessment accurately distinguish PD from MSA-P patients.

Standardized Autonomic Testing in Patients With Probable Radiation-Induced Afferent Baroreflex Failure

Injury of the afferent limb of the baroreflex from neck radiation causes radiation-induced afferent baroreflex failure (R-ABF). Identification and management of R-ABF is challenging. We aimed to investigate the pattern of autonomic dysfunction on standardized autonomic testing in patients with probable R-ABF. We retrospectively analyzed all autonomic reflex screens performed at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, between 2000 and 2020 in patients with probable R-ABF. Additional tests reviewed included ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, plasma norepinephrine, and thermoregulatory sweat test. We identified 90 patients with probable R-ABF. Median total composite autonomic severity score (range, 0–10) was 7 (interquartile range, 6–7). Cardiovascular adrenergic impairment was seen in 85 patients (94.4%), increased blood pressure recovery time after Valsalva maneuver in 71 patients (78.9%; median 17.4 seconds), and orthostatic hypotension in 68 patients (75.6%). Cardiovagal impairment was demonstrated by abnormal heart rate responses to deep breathing (79.5%), Valsalva ratio (87.2%), and vagal baroreflex sensitivity (57.9%). Plasma norepinephrine was elevated and rose appropriately upon standing (722–1207 pg/mL). Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring revealed hypertension, postural hypotension, hypertensive surges, tachycardia, and absence of nocturnal dipping. Blood pressure lability correlated with impaired vagal baroreflex function. Postganglionic sympathetic sudomotor function was normal in most cases; the most frequent thermoregulatory sweat test finding was focal neck anhidrosis (78.9%). Standardized autonomic testing in R-ABF demonstrates cardiovascular adrenergic impairment with orthostatic hypotension, blood pressure lability, and elevated plasma norepinephrine. Cardiovagal impairment is common, while sudomotor deficits are limited to direct radiation effects.

Cystic fibrosis: a diagnosis in an adolescent

Most patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) develop multisystemic clinical manifestations, the minority having mild or atypical symptoms. We describe an adolescent with chronic cough and purulent rhinorrhoea since the first year of life, with diagnoses of asthma, allergic rhinitis and chronic rhinosinusitis. Under therapy with long-acting bronchodilators, antihistamines, inhaled corticosteroids, antileukotrienes and several courses of empirical oral antibiotic therapy, there was no clinical improvement. There was no reference to gastrointestinal symptoms. Due to clinical worsening, extended investigations were initiated, which revealed Pseudomonas aeruginosa in sputum culture, sweat test with a positive result and heterozygosity for F508del and R334W mutations in genetic study which allowed to confirm the diagnosis of CF. In this case, heterozygosity with a class IV mutation can explain the atypical clinical presentation. It is very important to consider this diagnosis when chronic symptoms persist, despite optimised therapy for other respiratory pathologies and in case of isolation of atypical bacterial agents.

Cystás fibrosisban szenvedő nők várandóssága.

Összefoglaló. A cystás fibrosisban szenvedő betegek várható élettartama jelentősen megnőtt az utóbbi évtizedben, egyre több beteg képes saját gyermeket vállalni. Célunk a cystás fibrosisban szenvedő várandós nők perinatalis és anyai történéseinek felmérése saját eseteink és az irodalmi adatok alapján. 14, cystás fibrosisban szenvedő nő 16 várandósságáról számolunk be. Rögzítettük a várandósok életkorát, testtömegét, testmagasságát, testtömegindexét, légzésfunkciós értékeit a graviditás kezdetén és végén. Az anyai átlagéletkor szüléskor 21,6 (18–25) év volt. Az anyák graviditásának kezdetén a testmagasság átlaga 162 (150–175) cm, a testtömeg átlaga 57,6 (42–72) kg, a testtömegindex átlaga 21,4 (19,1–23,2) kg/m2 volt. A graviditás végén a testtömeg átlaga 62 (39–76) kg, a testtömegindex átlaga 23,6 (21,3–24,1) kg/m2 volt. A graviditás alatti súlygyarapodás átlaga 8 (1,5–21,5) kg volt. A légzésfunkciós értékek a graviditás kezdetén 2 betegnél voltak beszűkültek. A graviditás alatt még 2 beteg légzésfunkciós értékei csökkentek. A sikeres graviditások száma 13 volt. 1 anya kétszer szült. A koraszülések száma 1 volt. A várandósság átlagosan a 38. (34–40.) gestatiós hét után 7 esetben császármetszéssel, 6 esetben hüvelyi szüléssel fejeződött be. A vetélések száma 3 volt. Az Apgar-pontszám minden esetben normális volt. 13 gyermek közül 11-nél a verejtékteszt nem volt emelkedett. 2 gyermeknél magas verejtékértékek voltak, egyikük c.1521_1523delCTT-heterozigóta, a másiknál génmutációt nem tudtunk igazolni. A cystás fibrosisban szenvedő nők általában jól tolerálják a várandósságot az esetek többségében. A kórosan beszűkült tüdőfunkcióval, alacsony tápláltsági állapottal és cukorbetegséggel rendelkező nők nagyobb valószínűséggel számíthatnak káros következményekre. Az újszülöttek prognózisa általában jó, de számítani kell a koraszülés és a kis súllyal születés gyakoribb előfordulására. Ideális esetben a várandósságot előzetes tanácsadás útján kell megtervezni, és speciális cystás fibrosis csoportnak kell a várandósok ellátását figyelemmel kísérni, ideértve a cystás fibrosis kezelésében jártas szülészeket is. Kisszámú saját adatunk retrospektív elemzése megerősíti az irodalmi adatok tanúságait. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(28): 1129–1136. Summary. The life expectancy of patients with cystic fibrosis has increased significantly in the last decade, with more and more patients being able to have their own children. The aim of our study was to assess the perinatal and maternal outcome of pregnant women with cystic fibrosis based on our own cases and literature data. We report 16 pregnancies in 14 women with cystic fibrosis. We recorded the age, body weight, height, body mass index, and respiratory function values of pregnant women at the beginning and end of pregnancy. The mean maternal age at childbirth was 21.6 (18–25) years. At the beginning of maternal pregnancy, the mean height was 162 (150–175) cm, the mean body weight was 57.6 (42–72) kg, and the mean body mass index was 21.4 (19.1–23.2) kg/m2. At the end of pregnancy, the mean body weight was 62 (39–76) kg and the mean body mass index was 23.6 (21.3–24.1) kg/m2. The weight gain under pregnancy was mean 8 (1.5–21.5) kg. The respiratory function values at the onset of pregnancy were narrowed in 2 patients. During pregnancy, the respiratory function values of 2 more patients decreased. The number of successful gestations was 13. A mother gave birth twice. The number of premature births was one. The pregnancy after the mean 38. (34–40.) gestational week was completed in 7 cases by cesarean section and in 6 cases by vaginal delivery. The number of miscarriages was 3. The Apgar score was normal in all cases. In 11 of 13 children, the sweat test was not elevated. 2 children had high sweat values, one of them is heterozygous with c.1521_1523delCTT, the other could not prove a gene mutation. Women with cystic fibrosis generally tolerate pregnancy well, in most cases. Women with poor lung function, low nutritional status, and diabetes are more likely to expect adverse consequences. The outcome of the newborns is good in general, but a common occurrence of premature birth and low birth weight is to be expected. Ideally, pregnancy should be planned through prior counseling and the care of pregnant women should be monitored by a specialized cystic fibrosis team, including obstetricians experienced in the treatment of cystic fibrosis. A retrospective analysis of our own small-number data confirms the evidence from the literature data. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(28): 1129–1136.

Two years of newborn screening for cystic fibrosis in North Macedonia: First experience

There is a widely accepted consensus on the benefits of newborn screening (NBS) for cystic fibrosis (CF) in terms of reduced disease severity, improved quality of life, lower treatment burden, and reduced costs. More and more countries in the world are introducing NBS for CF as a national preventive health program. Newborn screening for CF was introduced in the Republic of North Macedonia (RNM) in April, 2019, after a pilot study of 6 months in 2018. A two-step immunoreactive trysinogen (IRT-IRT) algorithm is performed, and then a sweat test for confirmation/exclusion of the CF diagnosis when the IRT values were both over the cutoff (70.0 and 45.0 ng/mL, respectively). In cases with confirmed diagnosis of CF (a sweat chloride concentration >60.0 mmol/L) or with intermediate sweat test results (a sweat chloride concentration of between 30.0 and 59.0 mmol/L), CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) mutation analysis is performed. By the end of 2020, over a period of 27 months, including the pilot study period, a total number of 43,139 newborns were screened for CF. Seventeen (0.039%) newborns were diagnosed with CF. In all newly discovered CF cases by screening, the diagnosis was confirmed by determination of the CFTR mutations. The most common CFTR mutation, F508del, was found with an overall incidence of 70.6%. Other more frequent mutations were G542X (11.8%) and N1303K (5.9%). Four mutations were found in one CFTR allele each: G1349D, G126D, 457TAT>G and CFTRdupexon22, with the last one being newly discovered with unknown consequences. An incredibly large difference was found in the incidence of the disease between the Macedonian and Albanian neonatal population, with almost four time higher prevalence among Albanians (1:4530 vs. 1:1284).

Health Characteristics of Patients with Cystic Fibrosis Whose Genotype Includes a Variant of the Nucleotide Sequence c.3140-16T>A and Functional Analysis of This Variant

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common monogenic autosomal recessive disease, associated with pathogenic variants in the CFTR gene. The splicing variant c.3140-16T>A (3272-16T>A) has been described previously and, according to the Russian CF Patients Registry, occurs with a frequency of 0.34%. The phenotypic features of CF patients with the c.3140-16T>A variant were compared with those of patients with the genotype F508del/F508del. Patients with the allele c.3140-16T>A had higher average age and age at diagnosis, and the allele was present in a greater proportion of adults. Patients carrying the c.3140-16T>A allele were characterised by better physical development indicators, both in adults and in children, had preserved pancreatic function, as well as the absence of a number of complications, and required pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy less often than patients with the F508del/F508del genotype. Sweat test values also were lower in patients with the c.3140-16T>A genotype. According to the results of clinical and laboratory studies, the phenotype of patients with the genetic variant c.3140-16T>A can be considered “mild”. Functional CFTR protein activity in the presence of c.3140-16T>A was evaluated using intestinal current measurements (ICM) and the forskolin-induced swelling assay on organoids obtained from patients’ rectal biopsies. c.3140-16T>A had high residual CFTR channel activity and was amenable to effective pharmacological correction with thea VX-770 potentiator. To evaluate the effect of the variant on CFTR pre-mRNA splicing we performed a minigene assay, as well as RT-PCR analysis of RNA isolated from the nasal epithelium and rectal biopsy of patients. We showed that the c.3140-16T>A variant creates a novel acceptor AG dinucleotide within CFTR intron 19, resulting in a 14-nucleotide extension of exon 20. This frameshift produces a premature termination codon and triggers mRNA degradation by the nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) mechanism. Moreover, we observed that the c.3140-16T>A allele could produce a residual amount of normally spliced transcript, thus explaining the patient’s mild phenotype.

Sweat Testing and Recent Advances

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common fatal genetic disease of the Caucasian population. Sweat testing is the principal diagnostic test for CF, and it is used for the evaluation of infants with positive CF newborn screening (NBS) and in patients with clinical findings suggesting CF. This article describes the classical sweat test method in detail and also provides an overwiew of recent advances.

Cystic fibrosis in disguise – the wolf in sheep’s clothing, a case report

Background Childhood hypoglycemia in combination with hepatomegaly is suspicious for inborn errors of metabolism. Cystic fibrosis typically presents with failure to thrive, pulmonary and gastrointestinal symptoms. Hepatic involvement and hypoglycemia can occur in a significant number of patients, although hepatomegaly is uncommon. Case presentation A 28 months old boy was presented with recurrent upper airways infections, progressive lethargy and weight loss. Clinically hepatomegaly was the main presenting feature and hypoglycemia (minimum 1.4 mmol/l) was noted as were elevated transaminases. The patient did not produce enough sweat to analyze it. Infectious causes for hepatitis were excluded and a broad metabolic work-up initiated. A therapy with starch was initiated to control hypoglycemia. In further course loose stools were reported and pancreatic elastase was found to be reduced. A further sweat test yielded pathological chloride concentration and genetic testing confirmed the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis. Conclusions Cystic fibrosis is a systemic disease and less common presentations need to be considered. Even in the age of CF-newborn screening in many countries CF needs to be ruled out in typical and atypical clinical presentations and diagnostics need to be repeated if inconclusive.