Publications by authors named "Elzbieta Szczepanik"

Purpose: Biallelic PIGN variants have been described in Fryns syndrome, multiple congenital anomalies-hypotonia-seizure syndrome (MCAHS), and neurologic phenotypes. The full spectrum of clinical manifestations in relation to the genotypes is yet to be reported.

Methods: Genotype and phenotype data were collated and analyzed for 61 biallelic PIGN cases: 21 new and 40 previously published cases.

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We report on the first Polish patient diagnosed with the Aicardi-Goutières syndrome 5 (AGS5). AGS is caused by mutations in one of 9 genes () which stimulate the type I interferon response. The diagnosis was confirmed by identifying a compound heterozygous mutation p.

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Objective: Epilepsy is common in patients with PIGN diseases due to biallelic variants; however, limited epilepsy phenotyping data have been reported. We describe the epileptology of PIGN encephalopathy.

Methods: We recruited patients with epilepsy due to biallelic PIGN variants and obtained clinical data regarding age at seizure onset/offset and semiology, development, medical history, examination, electroencephalogram, neuroimaging, and treatment.

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Congenital microcephaly causes smaller than average head circumference relative to age, sex and ethnicity and is most usually associated with a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders. The underlying etiology is highly heterogeneous and can be either environmental or genetic. Disruption of any one of multiple biological processes, such as those underlying neurogenesis, cell cycle and division, DNA repair or transcription regulation, can result in microcephaly.

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Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEE) constitute an expanding group of severely disabling and, most frequently, drug-resistant disorders starting in the first year of life. Among them, there is DEE43, caused by dominant mutations in the GABRB3 gene. We present first neuropathological findings in a novel, molecularly confirmed case with the fatal course.

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PIGT is one of over 29 glycosylphosphatidylinositol biosynthesis defect genes. Mutations cause genetically determined disorders characterized mainly by epilepsy with fever-sensitivity, central hypotonia, psychomotor delay and congenital malformations. The disease is known as multiple congenital anomalies-hypotonia-seizures syndrome 3 (MCAHS3) or glycosylphosphatidylinositol biosynthesis defect-7.

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Vertical nystagmus is a known clinical feature, is however rarely observed in a specific neurodevelopmental disorder. Based on our experience with Polish patients with glycosylphosphatidylinositol biosynthesis defects (GPIBD) due to PIGN variants, supported by literature review, we have verified the clinical significance of this feature in PIGN-related disorder. We hope to underline the clinical implication of vertical nystagmus in the evaluation of patients with developmental encephalopathy with epilepsy, which may accelerate the neurological diagnosis process by orientating it towards PIGN-GPIBD.

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Unlabelled: . Evaluation of efficacy and safety of autologous adipose-derived regenerative cells (ADRCs) treatment in autoimmune refractory epilepsy. .

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Objective: Copy number variations (CNVs) represent a significant genetic risk for several neurodevelopmental disorders including epilepsy. As knowledge increases, reanalysis of existing data is essential. Reliable estimates of the contribution of CNVs to epilepsies from sizeable populations are not available.

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Subacute neuroregression in association with raised neopterin and overexpression of interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) could indicate a type 1 interferonopathy. Here we describe a novel immunotherapy-responsive, clinico-immunological and imaging phenotype with evidence of innate immune activation. Three children (patient 1: 22-month-old boy; patient 2: 5-year-old girl; patient 3: 4-year-old girl) presented with asymmetric bilateral mixed dystonia and spasticity, regression in language (expressive more than receptive) and bulbar symptoms with no evidence of seizures.

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Malformations of cortical development (MCDs) manifest with structural brain anomalies that lead to neurologic sequelae, including epilepsy, cerebral palsy, developmental delay, and intellectual disability. To investigate the underlying genetic architecture of patients with disorders of cerebral cortical development, a cohort of 54 patients demonstrating neuroradiologic signs of MCDs was investigated. Individual genomes were interrogated for single-nucleotide variants (SNV) and copy number variants (CNV) with whole-exome sequencing and chromosomal microarray studies.

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Alexander Disease (ALXDRD) is an autosomal dominant leukodystrophy caused by mutation in one allele of GFAP gene, encoding glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Most cases occur due to de novo. There are three clinical subtypes of ALXDRD: infantile, juvenile and adult form, but congenital form is also outlined.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focused on understanding the neurodevelopmental effects of SYNGAP1 mutations and how these genetic changes relate to clinical symptoms in patients.
  • Researchers analyzed genetic data from 251 patients with neurodevelopmental disorders and identified 17 individuals with unique SYNGAP1 mutations, with developmental delays and various neurological symptoms being common.
  • The findings suggest that SYNGAP1-related encephalopathy typically presents with early developmental delays followed by epilepsy, which often includes generalized seizures, and that the severity of epilepsy does not directly correlate with behavioral issues or cognitive impairments.
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Metabolites of cerebrospinal biogenic amines (dopamine and serotonin)are an important tool in clinical research and diagnosis of children with neurotransmitter disorders. In this article we focused on finding relationships between the concentration of biogenic amine metabolites, age, and gender. We analyzed 148 samples from children with drug resistant seizures of unknown etiology and children with mild stable encephalopathy aged 0-18 years.

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Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the intra-/interfamilial phenotypic heterogeneity due to variants at the highly evolutionary conservative p.Arg1596 residue in the Nav1.1 subunit.

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Introduction: West Syndrome (WS) (infantile myoclonic encephalopathy with hypsarrhythmia--IMEH) belongs to the infantile epileptic encephalopathies and is characterized by infantile spasms, hypsarrythmia in EEG, and abnormal psychomotor development of children.

Aim: Evaluation of the EEG patterns of patients with WS, correlation of the EEG patterns with the cause of epilepsy and an assessment of the influence of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs).

Case Reports: EEG patterns of four children with symptomatic WS of different etiology (tuberous sclerosis, brain defects, autoimmune) were analyzed before and during treatment with various antiepileptic drugs.

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The Aim: To present the molecular and clinical characteristics of three children with glucose deficiency syndrome, an inborn rare metabolic disease, caused by mutations in the SLC2A1 gene.

Material And Methods: The investigation was carried out in three children: two girls and one boy showing symptoms of GLUT1 deficiency syndrome (GLUT1-DS). They were referred for SLC2A1 gene analysis.

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Unlabelled: The Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD) is a rare X-linked recessive hypomyelination disorder caused by mutations of the proteolipid protein1 gene (PLP1). There is a spectrum of PLP1-related disorders from very severe connatal PMD, through classical PMD to mild spastic paraplegia type 2 (SPG2), with some correlation between the type of mutation and the phenotype. In general, missense mutations give rise to more severe forms of the disease, deletions and null mutations to mild PMD and SPG2.

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Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is a rare lysosomal disorder caused by deficient activity of arylsulfatase A or the lack of saposin B, which results in the accumulation of sulfatide in the oligodendrocytes and in the Schwann cells. Three main clinical types of MLD can be distinguished according to the age of onset and the dynamics of clinical outcome: late infantile, juvenile, and adult. We report on a case of late infantile MLD presenting with cerebellar ataxia as the only first clinical sign preceding even changes in white matter visible in MR imaging.

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Unlabelled: Diseases caused by mutations in SCN1A are currently named Genetic Epilepsies with Febrile Seizures Plus, and this term stands for expanded spectrum of syndrome previously called as GEFS+ (Generalized Epilepsy with Febrile Seizures Plus). SCN1A is the uniquely identified gene directly linked to specific type of epilepsy, and its testing has been included in the screening processes.

The Aim: To diagnose and describe epileptic syndromes caused by SCN1A mutations.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Dravet syndrome is a serious epilepsy disorder that begins in infancy, causing hard-to-treat seizures and cognitive decline, with most cases linked to mutations in the SCN1A gene.
  • - Researchers studied a group of nine individuals with Dravet syndrome who didn't have SCN1A mutations and discovered three with new mutations in the CHD2 gene, leading to severe seizures and intellectual disabilities.
  • - Using zebrafish models, scientists demonstrated that CHD2 mutations result in seizure-like behaviors, confirming their role in causing this form of epilepsy.
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The authors present the first case of regression of cystic lesions on brain MRI in a newborn after therapeutic hypothermia in Poland. Multicystic encephalopathy is the most severe form of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and its regression is described very rarely in the literature. Magnetic resonance imaging is an accepted, optimal method of evaluation of the brain and establishing prognosis in children with HIE.

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Copy-number variants (CNVs) collectively represent an important cause of neurodevelopmental disorders such as developmental delay (DD)/intellectual disability (ID), autism, and epilepsy. In contrast to DD/ID, for which the application of microarray techniques enables detection of pathogenic CNVs in -10-20% of patients, there are only few studies of the role of CNVs in epilepsy and genetic etiology in the vast majority of cases remains unknown. We have applied whole-genome exon-targeted oligonucleotide array comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) to a cohort of 102 patients with various types of epilepsy with or without additional neurodevelopmental abnormalities.

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