Hepatocerebral mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome caused by deoxyguanosine kinase (DGUOK) mutations.

  • Peter Freisinger
  • Nancy Fütterer
  • Erwin Lankes
  • Klaus Gempel
  • Thomas M Berger
  • Johannes Spalinger
  • Alexandra Hoerbe
  • Claudia Schwantes
  • Martin Lindner
  • René Santer
  • Martin Burdelski
  • Hansjörg Schaefer
  • Bernhard Setzer
  • Ulrich A Walker
  • Rita Horváth

Related Research units

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Autosomal recessive mutations in deoxyguanosine kinase (DGUOK) have been identified in the hepatocerebral form of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion syndrome. OBJECTIVES: To describe the clinical spectrum of DGUOK-related mtDNA depletion syndrome in 6 children and to summarize the literature. RESULTS: We identified pathogenic mutations in DGUOK in 6 children with the hepatocerebral form of mtDNA depletion syndrome. We describe the clinical, neuroradiologic, histologic, and genetic features in these children. All children showed severe hepatopathy, while involvement of other organs (skeletal muscle and brain) was variable. We identified 5 novel mutations (1 of them in 2 children) and 2 previously described mutations. Three different mutations affected the initial methionine, suggesting a mutational hot spot. One of our patients underwent liver transplantation; pathologic findings revealed (in addition to diffuse hepatopathy) a hepatocellular carcinoma, implying a possible link between mtDNA depletion syndrome and tumorigenesis. CONCLUSION: We studied 12 children with infantile hepatoencephalopathies and mtDNA depletion syndrome and found pathogenic DGUOK mutations in 6, suggesting that this gene defect is a frequent but not an exclusive cause of the hepatic form of mtDNA depletion syndrome.

Bibliographical data

Original languageGerman
Article number8
ISSN0003-9942
Publication statusPublished - 2006
pubmed 16908739