Association Between Lysine Reduction Therapies and Cognitive Outcomes in Patients With Pyridoxine-Dependent Epilepsy

Curtis R Coughlin; Laura A Tseng; Levinus A Bok; Hans Hartmann; Emma Footitt; Pasquale Striano; Brahim M Tabarki; Roelineke J Lunsing; Sylvia Stockler-Ipsiroglu; Shanlea Gordon; Johan L K Van Hove; Jose E Abdenur; Monica Boyer; Nicola Longo; Ashley Andrews; Mirian C H Janssen; Annemiek van Wegberg; Chitra Prasad; Asuri N Prasad; Molly M Lamb; Frits A Wijburg; Sidney M Gospe Jr; Clara van Karnebeek; International PDE Consortium

doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000201222

Association Between Lysine Reduction Therapies and Cognitive Outcomes in Patients With Pyridoxine-Dependent Epilepsy

Neurology. 2022 Dec 5;99(23):e2627-e2636. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000201222.

Authors

Curtis R Coughlin¹, Laura A Tseng², Levinus A Bok², Hans Hartmann², Emma Footitt², Pasquale Striano², Brahim M Tabarki², Roelineke J Lunsing², Sylvia Stockler-Ipsiroglu², Shanlea Gordon², Johan L K Van Hove², Jose E Abdenur², Monica Boyer², Nicola Longo², Ashley Andrews², Mirian C H Janssen², Annemiek van Wegberg², Chitra Prasad², Asuri N Prasad², Molly M Lamb², Frits A Wijburg², Sidney M Gospe Jr², Clara van Karnebeek²; International PDE Consortium

Affiliations

¹ From the Section of Clinical Genetics and Metabolism (C.R.C., J.L.K.V.H.), Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora; Department of Pediatrics (L.A.T., F.A.W., C.v.K.), Emma Children's Hospital and Amsterdam Gastroenterology Endocrinology Metabolism, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam; United for Metabolic Diseases (L.A.T., C.v.K.); Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology (L.A.B.), Máxima Medical Center, Veldhoven, the Netherlands; Clinic for Pediatric Kidney (H.H.), Liver, and Metabolic Diseases, Hannover Medical School, Germany; Department of Metabolic Paediatrics (E.F.), Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit (P.S.), IRCCS "G. Gaslini" Institute, Genova; Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (P.S.), University of Genova, Italy; Prince Sultan Military Medical City (B.M.T.), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Paediatric Neurology (R.J.L.), University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, the Netherlands; Division of Biochemical Genetics (S.S.-I.), BC Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute (S.G.), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Division of Metabolic Disorders (J.E.A., M.B.), CHOC Children's Hospital, Orange, CA; Division of Medical Genetics (N.L., A.A.), Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City; Department of Internal Medicine (M.C.H.J.), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen; Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (A.v.W.), Dietetics and Intestinal Failure, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Gelderland, the Netherlands; Department of Pediatrics (C.P., A.N.P.), Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Epidemiology and Center for Global Health (M.M.L.), Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora; Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics (S.M.G.), University of Washington, Seattle; Seattle Children's Research Institute (S.M.G.), WA; Department of Pediatrics (S.M.G.), Duke University, Durham, NC; and Department of Human Genetics (C.v.K.), Amsterdam Reproduction and Development, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. curtis.coughlin@cuanschutz.edu.
² From the Section of Clinical Genetics and Metabolism (C.R.C., J.L.K.V.H.), Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora; Department of Pediatrics (L.A.T., F.A.W., C.v.K.), Emma Children's Hospital and Amsterdam Gastroenterology Endocrinology Metabolism, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam; United for Metabolic Diseases (L.A.T., C.v.K.); Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology (L.A.B.), Máxima Medical Center, Veldhoven, the Netherlands; Clinic for Pediatric Kidney (H.H.), Liver, and Metabolic Diseases, Hannover Medical School, Germany; Department of Metabolic Paediatrics (E.F.), Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit (P.S.), IRCCS "G. Gaslini" Institute, Genova; Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (P.S.), University of Genova, Italy; Prince Sultan Military Medical City (B.M.T.), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Department of Paediatric Neurology (R.J.L.), University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, the Netherlands; Division of Biochemical Genetics (S.S.-I.), BC Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute (S.G.), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Division of Metabolic Disorders (J.E.A., M.B.), CHOC Children's Hospital, Orange, CA; Division of Medical Genetics (N.L., A.A.), Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City; Department of Internal Medicine (M.C.H.J.), Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen; Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (A.v.W.), Dietetics and Intestinal Failure, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Gelderland, the Netherlands; Department of Pediatrics (C.P., A.N.P.), Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Department of Epidemiology and Center for Global Health (M.M.L.), Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora; Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics (S.M.G.), University of Washington, Seattle; Seattle Children's Research Institute (S.M.G.), WA; Department of Pediatrics (S.M.G.), Duke University, Durham, NC; and Department of Human Genetics (C.v.K.), Amsterdam Reproduction and Development, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Abstract

Background and objectives: Pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy (PDE-ALDH7A1) is a developmental epileptic encephalopathy characterized by seizure improvement after pyridoxine supplementation. Adjunct lysine reduction therapies (LRTs) reduce the accumulation of putative neurotoxic metabolites with the goal to improve developmental outcomes. Our objective was to examine the association between treatment with LRTs and cognitive outcomes.

Methods: Participants were recruited from within the International Registry for Patients with Pyridoxine-Dependent Epilepsy from August 2014 through March 2021. The primary outcome was standardized developmental test scores associated with overall cognitive ability. The relationship between test scores and treatment was analyzed with multivariable linear regression using a mixed-effects model. A priori, we hypothesized that treatment in early infancy with pyridoxine and LRTs would result in a normal developmental outcome. A subanalysis was performed to evaluate the association between cognitive outcome and LRTs initiated in the first 6 months of life.

Results: A total of 112 test scores from 60 participants were available. On average, treatment with pyridoxine and LRTs was associated with a nonsignificant increase of 6.9 points (95% CI -2.7 to 16.5) on developmental testing compared with treatment with pyridoxine alone. For the subanalysis, a total of 14 developmental testing scores were available from 8 participants. On average, treatment with pyridoxine and LRTs in the first 6 months of life was associated with a significant increase of 21.9 points (95% CI 1.7-42.0) on developmental testing.

Discussion: Pyridoxine and LRTs at any age was associated with mild improvement in developmental testing, and treatment in early infancy was associated with a clinically significant increase in developmental test scores. These results provide insight into the mechanism of intellectual and developmental disability in PDE-ALDH7A1 and emphasize the importance of treatment in early infancy with both pyridoxine and LRTs.

Classification of evidence: This study provides Class IV evidence that in PDE-ALDH7A1, pyridoxine and LRTs compared with pyridoxine alone is not significantly associated with overall higher developmental testing scores, but treatment in the first 6 months of life is associated with significantly higher developmental testing scores.

MeSH terms

Aldehyde Dehydrogenase
Cognition
Epilepsy* / drug therapy
Epilepsy* / metabolism
Humans
Lysine*
Pyridoxine / therapeutic use

Substances

Lysine
Pyridoxine
Aldehyde Dehydrogenase

Supplementary concepts

Pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy