Publications by authors named "Carolina F M Souza"

Article Synopsis
  • - GLUT1 deficiency syndrome is a genetic disorder that leads to low glucose levels in the brain, causing symptoms like seizures, developmental delays, and movement disorders, which can vary in severity.
  • - Treatment typically involves a ketogenic diet that provides an alternative energy source for the brain.
  • - The study identifies a new genetic mutation in a preschool child with atypical symptoms and highlights the need for genetic testing in patients with developmental delays.
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Introduction: Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II) is caused by deficiency of the enzyme iduronate-2-sulfatase; one possible therapy for MPS II is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). It is established that there is excessive production of reactive species in MPS II patients, which can trigger several processes, such as the inflammatory cascade.

Objectives: Our aim was to outline an inflammatory profile and lipoperoxidation of MPS II patients for a better understanding of disease and possible benefits that HSCT can bring in these processes.

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Pathogenic SOX11 variants have been associated with intellectual developmental disorder with microcephaly, and with or without ocular malformations or hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) (IDDMOH, OMIM # 615866). In this article, we report seven new patients with de novo SOX11 variants. Five of the variants are missense, one nonsense, and one whole-gene deletion, most of them are novel variants.

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Biallelic pathogenic variants cause maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) in one of the branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase (BCKDH) complex genes (BCKDHA, BCKDHB, DBT, DLD, and PPM1K) leading to the accumulation of leucine, isoleucine, and valine. This study aimed to perform a molecular diagnosis of Brazilian patients with MSUD using gene panels and massive parallel sequencing. Eighteen Brazilian patients with a biochemical diagnosis of MSUD were analyzed by massive parallel sequencing in the Ion PGM Torrent Server using a gene panel with the BCKDHA, BCKDHB, and DBT genes.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Sweet manioc starch was tested and shows promise as an alternative treatment, with moisture and sugar content analyzed in various samples.
  • * Future clinical trials are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of sweet manioc starch compared to uncooked cornstarch in treating GSD-Ia.
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Mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIB (MPS IIIB) is caused by deficiency of alpha-N-acetylglucosaminidase, leading to storage of heparan sulphate. The disease is characterized by intellectual disability and hyperactivity, among other neurological and somatic features. Here we studied retrospective data from a total of 19 MPS IIIB patients from Brazil, aiming to evaluate disease progression.

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Microcephaly is characterized by an occipitofrontal circumference at least two standard deviations below the mean for age and sex. Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) are commonly associated with microcephaly, due to perturbations in brain development and functioning. Given the extensive genetic heterogeneity of microcephaly, managing patients is hindered by the broad spectrum of diagnostic possibilities that exist before conducting molecular testing.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A 5-year-old patient with ERM was successfully treated with oral dantrolene, leading to less frequent and intense muscle pain, no hospitalizations for rhabdomyolysis, lower creatine phosphokinase levels, and improved walking ability.
  • * This case highlights the potential of oral dantrolene in treating ERM in children, marking the first documented use of this treatment for managing muscle symptoms outside of anesthesia settings.
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Background: Leigh Syndrome (LS) is a rare genetic neurometabolic disorder, that leads to the degeneration of the central nervous system and subsequently, early death. LS can be caused by over 80 mutations in mitochondrial or nuclear DNA. Patient registries are important for many reasons, such as studying the natural history of the disease, improving the quality of care, and understanding the healthcare burden.

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Background: Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is a rare inherited disease of heme biosynthesis resulting in the accumulation of protoporphyrin, characterized by liver failure in a minority of cases. Although liver transplant (LT) is the therapeutic strategy for advanced hepatic disease, it does not correct the primary defect, which leads to recurrence in liver graft. Thus, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an approach for treating EPP.

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Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II) is a disorder caused by a deficient activity of iduronate-2-sulfatase, a lysosomal enzyme responsible for degrading glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). The abnormal storage of GAGs within lysosomes disrupts cellular homeostasis and leads to a severe symptomatology. Patients present neuropsychiatric impairment characterized by mental retardation and impaired cognition.

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Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein deficiencies (GPI-ADs) are commonly associated with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). Cannabidiol (CBD) is approved for the adjunctive treatment of seizures in Dravet/Lennox-Gastaut Syndromes and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. We report on the efficacy and safety of CBD for the treatment of DRE in patients with genetically proven GPI-AD.

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Glycogen storage disease type IV (GSD IV) is an ultra-rare autosomal recessive disease caused by variants in the gene, which encodes the glycogen branching enzyme (GBE). GSD IV accounts for approximately 3% of all GSD. The phenotype of GSD IV ranges from neonatal death to mild adult-onset disease with variable hepatic, muscular, neurologic, dermatologic, and cardiac involvement.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Results showed that 16 of 21 patients had a higher fat mass index, while lean mass was mostly normal, although some adults had decreased skeletal muscle indices.
  • * It was found that the intake of uncooked cornstarch (UCCS) positively correlated with fat mass but negatively impacted lean mass, suggesting a link between UCCS treatment and increased weight in GSD patients.
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Cardiovascular involvement is among the main features of MPS disorders and it is also a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. The range of manifestations includes cardiac valve disease, conduction abnormalities, left ventricular hypertrophy, and coronary artery disease. Here, we assessed the cardiovascular manifestations in a cohort of children and adults with MPS I, II, IV, and VI, as well as the impact of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) on those manifestations.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Poirier-Bienvenu neurodevelopmental syndrome is caused by mutations in the CSNK2B gene and is characterized by symptoms like early-onset seizures and hypotonia. Craniodigital syndrome is also linked to CSNK2B but is less understood.
  • - This report details two cases: a 7-month-old girl with severe hypotonia and epilepsy due to a specific CSNK2B mutation, and a 5-year-old boy with craniodigital syndrome, displaying unique physical features and another mutation.
  • - The findings suggest a potential role of the CSNK2B gene in various neurodevelopmental disorders and associated physical characteristics.
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Mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIB is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by deficiency of the enzyme N-acetyl-alpha-d-glucosaminidase (NAGLU), caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in the NAGLU gene, which leads to storage of heparan sulfate and a series of clinical consequences which hallmark is neurodegeneration. In this study clinical, epidemiological, and biochemical data were obtained from MPS IIIB patients diagnosed from 2004-2019 by the MPS Brazil Network ("Rede MPS Brasil"), which was created with the goal to provide an easily accessible and comprehensive investigation of all MPS types. One hundred and ten MPS IIIB patients were diagnosed during this period.

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Background: Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) is a group of hereditary multisystemic lysosomal disorders. Most neuroimaging studies in MPS have focused on the supratentorial compartment and craniocervical junction abnormalities, and data regarding posterior fossa findings are scarce in the literature. Thus, our purpose is to describe posterior fossa findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of MPS patients.

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Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) deficiency is a rare inborn error of fructose metabolism caused by pathogenic variants in the FBP1 gene. As gluconeogenesis is affected, catabolic episodes can induce ketotic hypoglycemia in patients. FBP1 analysis is the most commonly used approach for the diagnosis of this disorder.

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Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II) is an X-linked inherited disease caused by pathogenic variants in the IDS gene, leading to deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme iduronate-2-sulfatase and consequent widespread storage of glycosaminoglycans, leading to several clinical consequences, with progressive manifestations which most times includes cognitive decline. MPS II has wide allelic and clinical heterogeneity and a complex genotype-phenotype correlation. We evaluated data from 501 Brazilian patients diagnosed with MPS II from 1982 to 2020.

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Aim: Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2) disease is an autosomal recessive inherited neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder caused by deficient tripeptidyl peptidase 1 (TPP1) enzyme, leading to progressive deterioration of neurological functions commonly occurring in children aged 2-4 years and culminating in early death. Atypical cases associated with earlier or later symptom onset, or even protracted course, have already been reported. Such variable manifestations may constitute an additional challenge to early diagnosis and initiation of appropriate treatment.

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Background: Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is an autosomal recessive inherited metabolic disease caused by deficient activity of the branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase (BCKD) enzymatic complex. BCKD is a mitochondrial complex encoded by BCKDHA, BCKDHB, DBT, and DLD genes. MSUD is predominantly caused by Variants in BCKDHA, BCKDHB, and DBT genes encoding the E1α, E1β, and E2 subunits of BCKD complex, respectively.

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Article Synopsis
  • The rs2229611 SNP (:c.*23T>C) is located in the 3'UTR of the glucose-6-phosphatase gene and influences the stability of its mRNA.
  • A study analyzed 116 Brazilian patients using NGS to determine the frequency of the rs2229611:T>C variant.
  • The results indicated that this SNP is linked to glycogenosis Ia (GSD Ia) and is in linkage disequilibrium with the most common pathogenic variants found in this population.
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The aim of this study was to evaluate the oral, dental, and craniofacial features of individuals affected by the chronic forms of acid sphingomyelinase deficiency (ASMD). This study comprised a sample of adult and pediatric patients (n = 8) with chronic ASMD. The individuals underwent oral examinations to evaluate the occurrence of caries, as well as full-mouth periodontal examinations, to assess the occurrence and severity of periodontal diseases.

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