Brain dopamine-serotonin vesicular transport disease presenting as a severe infantile hypotonic parkinsonian disorder

J Inherit Metab Dis. 2016 Mar;39(2):305-8. doi: 10.1007/s10545-015-9897-6. Epub 2015 Oct 26.

Abstract

Two male siblings from a consanguineous union presented in early infancy with marked truncal hypotonia, a general paucity of movement, extrapyramidal signs and cognitive delay. By mid-childhood they had made little developmental progress and remained severely hypotonic and bradykinetic. They developed epilepsy and had problems with autonomic dysfunction and oculogyric crises. They had a number of orthopaedic problems secondary to their hypotonia. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neurotransmitters were initially normal, apart from mildly elevated 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid, and the children did not respond favourably to a trial of levodopa-carbidopa. The youngest died from respiratory complications at 10 years of age. Repeat CSF neurotransmitters in the older sibling at eight years of age showed slightly low homovanillic acid and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid levels. Whole-exome sequencing revealed a novel mutation homozygous in both children in the monoamine transporter gene SLC18A2 (p.Pro237His), resulting in brain dopamine-serotonin vesicular transport disease. This is the second family to be described with a mutation in this gene. Treatment with the dopamine agonist pramipexole in the surviving child resulted in mild improvements in alertness, communication, and eye movements. This case supports the identification of the causal mutation in the original case, expands the clinical phenotype of brain dopamine-serotonin vesicular transport disease and confirms that pramipexole treatment may lead to symptomatic improvement in affected individuals.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Brain / drug effects
  • Brain / metabolism*
  • Brain Diseases / drug therapy
  • Brain Diseases / genetics*
  • Brain Diseases / metabolism*
  • Carbidopa / therapeutic use
  • Child
  • Dopamine / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Levodopa / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Parkinsonian Disorders / drug therapy
  • Parkinsonian Disorders / genetics*
  • Parkinsonian Disorders / metabolism*
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / genetics
  • Serotonin / metabolism*

Substances

  • Serotonin
  • Levodopa
  • Carbidopa
  • Dopamine