New-Born Screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy : Results of a Latvian Pilot Study

Funding Information: Funding: This research was funded by Latvian Science Council project No 2020/2-0275. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.New disease-modifying treatments have recently been approved for 5q spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and early treatment has been associated with a better clinical outcome. Accordingly, new-born screening (NBS) for SMA should be implemented to ensure early diagnosis of affected individuals. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility and usefulness of NBS for SMA in Latvia. Between February and November of 2021, 10,411 parents consented to participation in the study. DNA testing for the SMN1 exon 7 homozygous deletion was conducted using qPCR with fluorescent locked nucleic acid primers. In the first month of testing, reporting of results took up to a maximum of 17 days after samples arrived in the laboratory. However, following familiarisation with the procedure, the median report time was reduced to 11 days after birth. Forty cases required samples to be taken again due to poor quality of the isolated DNA transpiring from either the quality of the blood punch or manual mistakes during DNA isolation. The SMN1 exon 7 homozygous deletion was identified in two individuals, which was subsequently confirmed by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification. When a NBS sample is taken 48 to 72 h after birth and transported to the laboratory within two working days after collection according to legal requirements, DNA test results can be reported to healthcare professionals before the 12th day of life. Expansion of our SMA 5q NBS procedure to the whole of Latvia is feasible and would facilitate early diagnosis and result in more effective treatment. We strongly advocate that SMA is added to the national Latvia Recommended Uniform Screening Panel.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Overview of Neuromuscular Disorder Molecular Diagnostic Experience for the Population of Latvia

Funding Information: The Article Processing Charge was funded by the authors. Publisher Copyright: © American Academy of Neurology.Background and ObjectivesGenetic testing has become an integral part of health care, allowing the confirmation of thousands of hereditary diseases, including neuromuscular disorders (NMDs). The reported average prevalence of individual inherited NMDs is 3.7-4.99 per 10,000. This number varies greatly in the selected populations after applying population-wide studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of genetic analysis as the first-tier test in patients with NMD and to calculate the disease prevalence and allelic frequencies for reoccurring genetic variants.MethodsPatients with NMD from Latvia with molecular tests confirming their diagnosis in 2008-2020 were included in this retrospective study.ResultsDiagnosis was confirmed in 153 unique cases of all persons tested. Next-generation sequencing resulted in a detection rate of 37%. Two of the most common childhood-onset NMDs in our population were spinal muscular atrophy and dystrophinopathies, with a birth prevalence of 1.01 per 10,000 newborns and 2.08 per 10,000 (male newborn population), respectively. The calculated point prevalence was 0.079 per 10,000 for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy type 1, 0.078 per 10,000 for limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, 0.073 per 10,000 for nondystrophic congenital myotonia, 0.052 per 10,000 for spinobulbar muscular atrophy, and 0.047 per 10,000 for type 1 myotonic dystrophy.DiscussionDNA diagnostics is a successful approach. The carrier frequencies of the common CAPN3, FKRP, SPG11, and HINT1 gene variants as well as that of the SMN1 gene exon 7 deletion in the population of Latvia are comparable with data from Europe. The carrier frequency of the CLCN1 gene variant c.2680C>T p.(Arg894Ter) is 2.11%, and consequently, congenital myotonia is the most frequent NMD in our population.publishersversionPeer reviewe