Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is the most common inherited neuropathy. In this study, we aimed to analyze the genetic spectrum and describe phenotypic features in a large cohort from Türkiye. Demographic and clinical findings were recorded. Patients were initially screened for PMP22 duplication. Targeted sequencing or whole-exome sequencing was performed in duplication-negative patients. Overall, 311 patients from 265 families were included. Demyelinating CMT (67.4%) was more common than axonal (20.5%) and intermediate subtypes (11.7%). PMP22 duplication was the most frequent mutation, followed by pathogenic variants in GJB1, MFN2, SH3TC2, and GDAP1 genes. MPZ-neuropathy was rare in our cohort (3.0%). Interestingly, CMT4 is the second most common type after CMT1. Lower extremity weakness and foot deformities were the most frequent presenting complaints. Striking clinical features included a high frequency of scoliosis in SH3TC2, peripheral hyperexcitability in HINT1, and central nervous system findings in GJB1. Autosomal recessive CMT subtypes had higher CMTESv2 scores when compared to autosomal dominant ones (12.39 ± 4.81 vs. 8.36 ± 4.15, p: 0.023). Twenty-one patients used wheelchairs during their last examination. Among them, 16 had an autosomal recessive subtype. Causative variants were identified in 31 genes, including 28 novel pathogenic or likely pathogenic changes. Our findings provided robust data regarding the genetic distribution of CMT in Türkiye, which may pave the path for building population-specific diagnostic gene panels. Rare autosomal recessive subtypes were relatively frequent in our cohort. By analyzing genotype-phenotype correlations, our data may provide clinical clues for clinicians.

Pathogenic, biallelic variants in SORD were identified in 2020 as a novel cause for autosomal-recessive Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) type 2, an inherited neuropathy. SORD codes for the enzyme sorbitol dehydrogenase. Loss of this enzyme's activity leads to an increase of sorbitol in serum. We retrospectively screened 166 patients with axonal neuropathy (predominantly CMT type 2, but including intermediate form of CMT and distal hereditary motor neuropathy (dHMN)) without identified genetic etiology for SORD mutations at a single large German neuromuscular center. Clinical and electrophysiology exam findings were analyzed for genotype-phenotype correlation. Five patients of the total cohort of 166 patients harbored pathogenic variants in SORD (3%). The homozygous frameshift variant c.757delG (p.Ala253Glnfs*27) was the most common (4/5). One additional case carried this variant on one allele only and an additional pathogenic missense variant c.458C > A (p.Ala153Asp) on the other allele. Age of onset ranged from early infancy to mid-twenties, and phenotypes comprised axonal CMT (4) and dHMN (1). Our findings strengthen the importance of screening for pathogenic variants in SORD, especially in patients with genetically unconfirmed axonal neuropathy, especially CMT type 2 and dHMN.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is among the most common group of inherited neuromuscular diseases. SACS mutations were demonstrated to cause autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS). However, there have been few case reports regarding to NEFH and SACS gene mutation to CMT in Vietnamese patients, and the diagnosis of CMT and ARSACS in the clinical setting still overlapped. We report two patients presenting with sensorimotor neuropathy without cerebellar ataxia, spasticity and other neurological features, being diagnosed with intermediate form CMT by electrophysiological and clinical examination and neuroimaging. By whole-exome sequencing panel of two affected members, and PCR Sanger on NEFH and SACS genes to confirm the presence of selected variants on their parents, we identified a novel missense variant NEFH c.1925C>T (inherited from the mother) in an autosomal dominant heterozygous state, and two recessive SACS variants (SACS c.13174C>T, causing missense variant, and SACS c.11343del, causing frameshift variant) (inherited one from the mother and another from the father) in these two patients. Clinical and electrophysiological findings on these patients did not match classical ARSACS. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of two affected siblings diagnosed with CMT carrying both a novel NEFH variant and biallelic SACS variants. We concluded that this novel NEFH variant is likely benign, and biallelic SACS mutation (c.13174C>T and c.11343del) is likely pathogenic for intermediate form CMT. This study is also expected to emphasize the current knowledge of intermediate form CMT, ARSACS, and the phenotypic spectrum of NEFH-related and SACS-related disorders. We expect to give a new understanding of CMT; however, further research should be conducted to provide a more thorough knowledge of the pathogenesis of CMT in the future.

Neuromuscular disorders are a heterogeneous group of acquired or hereditary conditions that affect striated muscle function. The resulting decrease in muscle strength and motility irreversibly impacts quality of life. In addition to directly affecting skeletal muscle, pathogenesis can also arise from dysfunctional crosstalk between nerves and muscles, and may include cardiac impairment. Muscular weakness is often progressive and paralleled by continuous decline in the ability of skeletal muscle to functionally adapt and regenerate. Normally, the skeletal muscle resident stem cells, named satellite cells, ensure tissue homeostasis by providing myoblasts for growth, maintenance, repair and regeneration. We recently defined 'Satellite Cell-opathies' as those inherited neuromuscular conditions presenting satellite cell dysfunction in muscular dystrophies and myopathies (doi:10.1016/j.yexcr.2021.112906). Here, we expand the portfolio of Satellite Cell-opathies by evaluating the potential impairment of satellite cell function across all 16 categories of neuromuscular disorders, including those with mainly neurogenic and cardiac involvement. We explore the expression dynamics of myopathogenes, genes whose mutation leads to skeletal muscle pathogenesis, using transcriptomic analysis. This revealed that 45% of myopathogenes are differentially expressed during early satellite cell activation (0 - 5 hours). Of these 271 myopathogenes, 83 respond to Pax7, a master regulator of satellite cells. Our analysis suggests possible perturbation of satellite cell function in many neuromuscular disorders across all categories, including those where skeletal muscle pathology is not predominant. This characterisation further aids understanding of pathomechanisms and informs on development of prognostic and diagnostic tools, and ultimately, new therapeutics.

Giant axonal neuropathy (GAN) is an ultra-rare autosomal recessive, progressive neurodegenerative disease with early childhood onset that presents as a prominent sensorimotor neuropathy and commonly progresses to affect both the PNS and CNS. The disease is caused by biallelic mutations in the GAN gene located on 16q23.2, leading to loss of functional gigaxonin, a substrate specific ubiquitin ligase adapter protein necessary for the regulation of intermediate filament turnover. Here, we report on cross-sectional data from the first study visit of a prospectively collected natural history study of 45 individuals, age range 3-21 years with genetically confirmed GAN to describe and cross-correlate baseline clinical and functional cohort characteristics. We review causative variants distributed throughout the GAN gene in this cohort and identify a recurrent founder mutation in individuals with GAN of Mexican descent as well as cases of recurrent uniparental isodisomy. Through cross-correlational analysis of measures of strength, motor function and electrophysiological markers of disease severity, we identified the Motor Function Measure 32 to have the strongest correlation across measures and age in individuals with GAN. We analysed the Motor Function Measure 32 scores as they correspond to age and ambulatory status. Importantly, we identified and characterized a subcohort of individuals with a milder form of GAN and with a presentation similar to Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Such a clinical presentation is distinct from the classic presentation of GAN, and we demonstrate how the two groups diverge in performance on the Motor Function Measure 32 and other functional motor scales. We further present data on the first systematic clinical analysis of autonomic impairment in GAN as performed on a subset of the natural history cohort. Our cohort of individuals with genetically confirmed GAN is the largest reported to date and highlights the clinical heterogeneity and the unique phenotypic and functional characteristics of GAN in relation to disease state. The present work is designed to serve as a foundation for a prospective natural history study and functions in concert with the ongoing gene therapy trial for children with GAN.