Frequency of mitochondrial transfer RNA mutations and deletions in 225 patients presenting with respiratory chain deficiencies.

Objective: To evaluate the frequency of pathogenic mtDNA transfer RNA mutations and deletions in biochemically demonstrable respiratory chain (RC) deficiencies in paediatric and adult patients.

Methods: We screened for deletions and sequenced mitochondrial transfer RNA genes in skeletal muscle DNA from 225 index patients with clinical symptoms suggestive of a mitochondrial disorder and with biochemically demonstrable RC deficiency in skeletal muscle.

Results: We found pathogenic mitochondrial DNA mutations in 29% of the patients. The detection rate was significantly higher in adults (48%) than in the paediatric group (18%). Only one pathogenic mutation was detected in the neonatal group. In addition, we describe seven novel transfer RNA sequence variations with unknown pathogenic relevance (six homoplasmic and one heteroplasmic) and 13 homoplasmic polymorphisms. One heteroplasmic transfer RNA(Leu(UUR)) A>G mutation at position 3274 is associated with a distinct neurological syndrome.

Conclusions: We provide an estimation of the frequency of mitochondrial transfer RNA mutations and deletions in paediatric and adult patients with respiratory chain deficiencies.