263.4 kb deletion within the TCF4 gene consistent with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, inherited from a mosaic parent with normal phenotype.

Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS) is a rare neurodevelopmental genetic disorder, remaining under-diagnosed due to similarities with other known genetic syndromes. It is mainly characterized by severe intellectual disability, overbreathing, a typical facial gestalt, tendency to epilepsy and is caused by TCF4 haploinsufficiency. We report on a 14-year old boy, born to healthy non-consanguineous parents, with a PTHS spectrum phenotype, presenting with moderate to severe developmental delay, severe speech delay and facial dysmorphism. Genetic investigation using array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) with a 400K custom array, revealed a 263.4 kb deletion within the TCF4 gene, removing exons 4-9. Parental array-CGH analysis was also performed, indicating paternal mosaicism for the same deletion. The mosaicism was confirmed by Quantitative Real-Time PCR. The current report describes a new TCF4 deletion associated with a PTHS phenotype. Moreover, it is the first case to our knowledge, where such a deletion is shown to be inherited from a clinically unaffected mosaic parent. Our results highlight the importance of parental testing in this setting for more accurate and focused prenatal diagnosis. The level and tissue-specificity of mosaicism in the father would be an interesting direction for further studies.

Kousoulidou L ，Tanteles G ，Moutafi M ，Sismani C ，Patsalis PC ，Anastasiadou V ... -  《-》

Somatic mosaicism in a mother of two children with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome.

Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by intellectual disability, unusual face and breathing abnormalities and can be caused by haploinsufficiency of TCF4. The majority of cases are sporadic. Somatic mosaicism was reported infrequently. We report on a proband with typical manifestations of PTHS and his younger brother with a less striking phenotype. In both, a heterozygous frameshift mutation (c.1901_1909delinsA, p.Ala634AspfsX67) was found in exon 19 of TCF4. The same mutation was found at low levels in DNA extracted from the mother's blood, urine and saliva. This report of familial recurrence with somatic mosaicism in a healthy mother has important consequences for genetic counseling. We suggest careful studies in parents of other patients with PTHS to determine the frequency of germline and somatic mosaicism for TCF4 mutations.

Steinbusch CV ，van Roozendaal KE ，Tserpelis D ，Smeets EE ，Kranenburg-de Koning TJ ，de Waal KH ，Zweier C ，Rauch A ，Hennekam RC ，Blok MJ ，Schrander-Stumpel CT ... -  《-》

Novel comprehensive diagnostic strategy in Pitt-Hopkins syndrome: clinical score and further delineation of the TCF4 mutational spectrum.

Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS), characterized by severe intellectual disability and typical facial gestalt, is part of the clinical spectrum of Rett-like syndromes. TCF4, encoding a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor, was identified as the disease-causing gene with de novo molecular defects. While PTHS appears to be a recognizable clinical entity, it seems to remain underdiagnosed, especially when facial gestalt is less typical. With the aim to facilitate the diagnosis of PTHS and to increase its rate and specificity, we have investigated 33 novel patients and defined a Clinical Diagnosis Score. Analysis of 112 individuals (79 previously reported and 33 novel patients) allowed us to delineate the TCF4 mutational spectrum, with 40% point mutations, 30% small deletions/insertions, and 30% deletions. Most of these were private mutations and generated premature stop codons. Missense mutations were localized in the bHLH domain, which is a mutational hotspot. No obvious difference was observed between patients harboring truncating, missense mutations, or deletions, further supporting TCF4 haploinsufficiency as the molecular mechanism underlying PTHS. In this study, we have summarized the current knowledge of TCF4 molecular pathology, reported all the mutations in the TCF4 database (http://www.LOVD.nl/TCF4), and present a novel and comprehensive diagnostic strategy for PTHS.

Whalen S ，Héron D ，Gaillon T ，Moldovan O ，Rossi M ，Devillard F ，Giuliano F ，Soares G ，Mathieu-Dramard M ，Afenjar A ，Charles P ，Mignot C ，Burglen L ，Van Maldergem L ，Piard J ，Aftimos S ，Mancini G ，Dias P ，Philip N ，Goldenberg A ，Le Merrer M ，Rio M ，Josifova D ，Van Hagen JM ，Lacombe D ，Edery P ，Dupuis-Girod S ，Putoux A ，Sanlaville D ，Fischer R ，Drévillon L ，Briand-Suleau A ，Metay C ，Goossens M ，Amiel J ，Jacquette A ，Giurgea I ... -  《-》

Pitt-Hopkins syndrome-associated mutations in TCF4 lead to variable impairment of the transcription factor function ranging from hypomorphic to dominant-negative effects.

Sepp M ，Pruunsild P ，Timmusk T 《-》

Impairment of different protein domains causes variable clinical presentation within Pitt-Hopkins syndrome and suggests intragenic molecular syndromology of TCF4.

Pitt-Hopkins syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by severe intellectual disability and a distinctive facial gestalt. It is caused by haploinsufficiency of the TCF4 gene. The TCF4 protein has different functional domains, with the NLS (nuclear localization signal) domain coded by exons 7-8 and the bHLH (basic Helix-Loop-Helix) domain coded by exon 18. Several alternatively spliced TCF4 variants have been described, allowing for translation of variable protein isoforms. Typical PTHS patients have impairment of at least the bHLH domain. To which extent impairment of the remaining domains contributes to the final phenotype is not clear. There is recent evidence that certain loss-of-function variants disrupting TCF4 are associated with mild ID, but not with typical PTHS. We describe a frameshift-causing partial gene deletion encompassing exons 4-6 of TCF4 in an adult patient with mild ID and nonspecific facial dysmorphisms but without the typical features of PTHS, and a c.520C > T nonsense variant within exon 8 in a child presenting with a severe phenotype largely mimicking PTHS, but lacking the typical facial dysmorphism. Investigation on mRNA, along with literature review, led us to suggest a preliminary phenotypic map of loss-of-function variants affecting TCF4. An intragenic phenotypic map of loss-of-function variants in TCF4 is suggested here for the first time: variants within exons 1-4 and exons 4-6 give rise to a recurrent phenotype with mild ID not in the spectrum of Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (biallelic preservation of both the NLS and bHLH domains); variants within exons 7-8 cause a severe phenotype resembling PTHS but in absence of the typical facial dysmorphism (impairment limited to the NLS domain); variants within exons 9-19 cause typical Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (impairment of at least the bHLH domain). Understanding the TCF4 molecular syndromology can allow for proper nosology in the current era of whole genomic investigations.

Bedeschi MF ，Marangi G ，Calvello MR ，Ricciardi S ，Leone FPC ，Baccarin M ，Guerneri S ，Orteschi D ，Murdolo M ，Lattante S ，Frangella S ，Keena B ，Harr MH ，Zackai E ，Zollino M ... -  《-》