Clinical trial NCT00697411: Study of Selected X-Linked Disorders: Aicardi Syndrome
Official title: Pathogenesis of Selected X-Linked Dominant Disorders and New Strategies to Identify the Gene Mutated in Aicardi Syndrome
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Conditions: Aicardi Syndrome
Brain Disorders
Keywords: Aicardi syndrome
Neurodevelopmental disorders
X-linked disorders
Lead sponsor: Baylor College of Medicine
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Aicardi Syndrome Foundation
First posted: 2008-06-13
Enrollment: 500
Sex: ALL
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Observational model: OTHER
Time perspective: PROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Girls with Aicardi syndrome and their unaffected parents. Sometimes additional family members are also enrolled.

Brief summary: Based on our current understanding of Aicardi syndrome, the condition is hypothesized to occur due to a genetic change on the X-chromosome. The research team is investigating Aicardi syndrome to identify the specific gene location associated with the disorder. The investigators are collecting blood and skin biopsy samples from patients and their parents. A permanent cell line is prepared and DNA from the blood and skin samples and cell lines is isolated and then used for genetic testing. The current research includes microarray analysis which which is used to look for duplications or deletions of genetic material, mutation analysis of candidate genes by sequencing, genome-wide sequencing, review of medical records to identify trends suggesting possible candidate genes of interest, and X chromosome inactivation studies.

Detailed description: Aicardi syndrome is a sporadic X-linked dominant, presumably male-lethal, neurodevelopmental disorder. It was initially characterized by agenesis of the corpus callosum, neuronal migration defects, eye abnormalities (chorioretinal lacunae, colobomas of the optic nerve and microphthalmia) and severe early-onset seizures and neurodevelopmental delay. It is now well recognized that other brain abnormalities, such as polymicrogyria, agyria, cysts and heterotopias are common features of Aicardi syndrome. The investigators previously hypothesized that the gene causing Aicardi syndrome and possibly additional phenotypically similar disorders with X-linked inheritance, such as Goltz syndrome or Focal Dermal Hypoplasia, are in or near the region on chromosome Xp22 that is deleted in another condition named microphthalmia with linear skin defects syndrome (MLS), because all three have some clinical similarities. However, interim studies have shown that this is likely not the case because no mutations were found in Aicardi syndrome in human holocytochrome c-type synthetase (HCCS) , the gene that is deleted or mutated in MLS. In addition, a mouse model for MLS has no features of Aicardi syndrome. Furthermore, the ivnestigators identified mutations in PORCN (Xp11.3) in Goltz syndrome patients, but not in Aicardi syndrome patients. Therefore, it is likely that the mutated gene is elsewhere on the X-chromosome.

For this study the investigators are collecting information on patients with clinical findings suggesting a diagnosis of Aicardi syndrome, MLS syndrome or a condition that phenotypically overlaps with these disorders. A detailed family history will be obtained, when indicated, and additional family members will be evaluated after appropriately obtained written voluntary consent. A detailed report of the history or physical findings will be obtained from referring physicians for patients identified at outside facilities, or the participants may be evaluated by the study collaborators. Blood and skin biopsy will be obtained from affected individuals, unaffected parents and from other affected or unaffected family members where indicated. It is anticipated that some severely affected patients will expire; in that case, (post mortem) pathological specimens may be obtained. Occasionally, affected individuals may undergo surgical procedures with removal of tissues; in this case we may obtain tissues that would be otherwise discarded or that are not essential for further diagnostic studies or clinical care of the patient. It is anticipated that these specimens will be extremely valuable for understanding the pathogenesis of the investigated conditions. DNA, RNA or protein will be prepared from leukocytes and from tissues and used for sequencing and mutation analysis and other molecular studies of the identified genes. Permanent lymphoblastoid cell lines will be prepared and stored in the laboratory as a permanent source of DNA for the molecular studies. Cell lines may be made from skin biopsies

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Features suggestive of Aicardi syndrome (not all features must be present)

  * Agenesis of the corpus callosum
  * Chorioretinal lacunae
  * Seizures (infantile spasms)

Exclusion Criteria:

* none

Primary outcomes:
measure: Identifying the change in the genetic information that causes Aicardi syndrome
timeFrame: Through study completion, an average of 20 years
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Houston
country: United States
facility: Baylor College of Medicine
state: Texas
Study officials:
affiliation: Baylor College of Medicine
name: Ignatia B Van den Veyver, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Aicardi, J, Levebre, J, and Lerique-Koechlin, A (1965) A new syndrome: Spasms in flexion, callosal agenesis, ocular abnormalities. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 19, 609-610.
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citation: Prakash SK, Cormier TA, McCall AE, Garcia JJ, Sierra R, Haupt B, Zoghbi HY, Van Den Veyver IB. Loss of holocytochrome c-type synthetase causes the male lethality of X-linked dominant microphthalmia with linear skin defects (MLS) syndrome. Hum Mol Genet. 2002 Dec 1;11(25):3237-48. doi: 10.1093/hmg/11.25.3237.
citation: Schaefer L, Ballabio A, Zoghbi HY. Cloning and characterization of a putative human holocytochrome c-type synthetase gene (HCCS) isolated from the critical region for microphthalmia with linear skin defects (MLS). Genomics. 1996 Jun 1;34(2):166-72. doi: 10.1006/geno.1996.0261.
citation: Schaefer L, Prakash S, Zoghbi HY. Cloning and characterization of a novel rho-type GTPase-activating protein gene (ARHGAP6) from the critical region for microphthalmia with linear skin defects. Genomics. 1997 Dec 1;46(2):268-77. doi: 10.1006/geno.1997.5040.
citation: Stromme P, Mangelsdorf ME, Scheffer IE, Gecz J. Infantile spasms, dystonia, and other X-linked phenotypes caused by mutations in Aristaless related homeobox gene, ARX. Brain Dev. 2002 Aug;24(5):266-8. doi: 10.1016/s0387-7604(02)00079-7.
citation: Van den Veyver IB. Microphthalmia with linear skin defects (MLS), Aicardi, and Goltz syndromes: are they related X-linked dominant male-lethal disorders? Cytogenet Genome Res. 2002;99(1-4):289-96. doi: 10.1159/000071606.
citation: Van den Veyver IB, Cormier TA, Jurecic V, Baldini A, Zoghbi HY. Characterization and physical mapping in human and mouse of a novel RING finger gene in Xp22. Genomics. 1998 Jul 15;51(2):251-61. doi: 10.1006/geno.1998.5350.
citation: Zhang W, Amir R, Stockton DW, Van Den Veyver IB, Bacino CA, Zoghbi HY. Terminal osseous dysplasia with pigmentary defects maps to human chromosome Xq27.3-xqter. Am J Hum Genet. 2000 Apr;66(4):1461-4. doi: 10.1086/302868. Epub 2000 Mar 17.
citation: Sutton VR, Hopkins BJ, Eble TN, Gambhir N, Lewis RA, Van den Veyver IB. Facial and physical features of Aicardi syndrome: infants to teenagers. Am J Med Genet A. 2005 Oct 15;138A(3):254-8. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.30963.
citation: Glasmacher MA, Sutton VR, Hopkins B, Eble T, Lewis RA, Park Parsons D, Van den Veyver IB. Phenotype and management of Aicardi syndrome: new findings from a survey of 69 children. J Child Neurol. 2007 Feb;22(2):176-84. doi: 10.1177/0883073807300298.
citation: Wang X, Reid Sutton V, Omar Peraza-Llanes J, Yu Z, Rosetta R, Kou YC, Eble TN, Patel A, Thaller C, Fang P, Van den Veyver IB. Mutations in X-linked PORCN, a putative regulator of Wnt signaling, cause focal dermal hypoplasia. Nat Genet. 2007 Jul;39(7):836-8. doi: 10.1038/ng2057. Epub 2007 Jun 3.
citation: Fruhman G, Eble TN, Gambhir N, Sutton VR, Van den Veyver IB, Lewis RA. Ophthalmologic findings in Aicardi syndrome. J AAPOS. 2012 Jun;16(3):238-41. doi: 10.1016/j.jaapos.2012.01.008.
citation: Wang X, Sutton VR, Eble TN, Lewis RA, Gunaratne P, Patel A, Van den Veyver IB. A genome-wide screen for copy number alterations in Aicardi syndrome. Am J Med Genet A. 2009 Oct;149A(10):2113-21. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.32976.
citation: Eble TN, Sutton VR, Sangi-Haghpeykar H, Wang X, Jin W, Lewis RA, Fang P, Van den Veyver IB. Non-random X chromosome inactivation in Aicardi syndrome. Hum Genet. 2009 Mar;125(2):211-6. doi: 10.1007/s00439-008-0615-4. Epub 2009 Jan 1.
citation: Hopkins B, Sutton VR, Lewis RA, Van den Veyver I, Clark G. Neuroimaging aspects of Aicardi syndrome. Am J Med Genet A. 2008 Nov 15;146A(22):2871-8. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.32537.
citation: Van den Veyver IB, Panichkul PP, Antalffy BA, Sun Y, Hunter JV, Armstrong DD. Presence of filamin in the astrocytic inclusions of Aicardi syndrome. Pediatr Neurol. 2004 Jan;30(1):7-15. doi: 10.1016/s0887-8994(03)00311-4.
citation: Wong BK, Sutton VR, Lewis RA, Van den Veyver IB. Independent variant analysis of TEAD1 and OCEL1 in 38 Aicardi syndrome patients. Mol Genet Genomic Med. 2017 Jan 25;5(2):117-121. doi: 10.1002/mgg3.250. eCollection 2017 Mar.