#2245 ECYSCO, a European cystinosis cohort
Authors: Servais Aude , Bramki Khalil , Greco Marcella , Levtchenko Elena , Ariceta Gema , Hogan Julien , Bacchetta Justine , Bertholet-Thomas Aurélia , Lemoine Sandrine , Emma Francesco , Gueguen Sonia , Niaudet Patrick 
Published: May 2024

Background and Aims

Cystinosis is a rare multisystem lysosomal storage disease due to variants in the CTNS gene, coding for the carrier protein cystinosin, a lysosome membrane transporter, causing cystine accumulation. Specific treatment by cysteamine decreases renal and extrarenal complications frequency in cystinosis patients but data on long-term manifestations of the disease are lacking. The aim of the ECYSCO cohort is to describe the natural history of the disease and the effect of treatments.

Methods

We set up a European, multi-centre, longitudinal, non-interventional cohort, ECYSCO, that uses observational study methods to collect uniform data. 243 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of cystinosis and followed in 25 French and 5 European centers (Belgium, Italy, Spain and Germany) were included. Data are collected on the secure RaDiCo platform, via an e-CRF (REDCap).

Results

Data from 177 patients (50.8% male) were analyzed. Median age at diagnosis was 1.3 years [IQ 0.9; 1.8], with earlier diagnosis since the 1980s, but no further improvement in the 2000s. Genetic analysis was available for 158 patients: 46 (31.9%) presented with homozygous 57kb deletion in the CTNS gene, 57 (39.6%) with heterozygous 57kb deletion associated with another variant and 46 (26.4%) with other variants. The type of variant had no impact on the age at diagnosis. Median age at cysteamine start was 1.6 years (IQ 1.0-3.0). An improvement on age at treatment start was observed after the 1990s. All but 7 patients were treated with cysteamine. Sixty-seven patients received immediate release formulation (Cystagon®) and 103 received extended release formulation (Procysbi®). Median white blood cell cystine level was 1.2 nmol ½ cystine/mg protein (IQ 0.6; 2.2). The median duration of treatment was 21.5 years [IQ 11.7; 31.1]. 165 (93,2%) patients also received cysteamine ocular gel, Cystadrops®.

Median age at inclusion was 18.4 years (IQ 10.4; 30.6). At that time, 104 patients (57.8%) had reached kidney failure (KF). There was no impact of genotype on age at KF. Median age at KF was 12.9 years [IQ 9.9; 18.0]. A 5-year gain in renal survival was observed after the 1990s. 102 patients (56.7%) received a kidney transplant. Among these transplanted patients: 76 (74.5%) received 1 transplant, 23 (22.5%) received 2 consecutive transplants, and 3 (2.9%) received 3. Median eGFR in the remaining patients was 58.9 ml/min [IQ 40.4; 82.2]. Extrarenal manifestations included hypothyroidism in 29 (16.4%) patients, diabetes mellitus in 15 (8.4%), skeletal manifestations in 89 (53.6%), myopathy in 28 (17.9%), and neurological disorders in 21 (13.5%).

Skeletal manifestations involved patients before dialysis/transplantation in 46% of cases. The main complications in these patients were genu valgum (62.9%), genu varum (11.1%), kyphosis (21.2%), fractures (20.4%), and 12.6% required surgery. Patients with myopathy were dialysed or transplanted in 58.8% of cases.

Conclusion

Cystinosis is a good example of a pediatric disease with multiorgan involvement extending into adult care. More than half of patients are adults and have reached kidney failure even if age at renal replacement therapy start has increased. The high frequency of extra-renal manifestations demonstrates the importance of a multidisciplinary follow up of these patients.