Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0036572 (seizures)
 80,221 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Hepatic guanidinoacetate methyltransferase deficiency induces a deficiency of creatine/phosphocreatine in muscle and brain and an accumulation of guanidinoacetic acid (GAA), the precursor of creatine. We describe a patient with this defect, a 4-year-old girl with a dystonic-dyskinetic syndrome in addition to developmental delay and therapy-resistant epilepsy. Several methods were used in the diagnosis of the disease: (1) the creatinine excretion in 24-hour urine was significantly lowered, whereas the creatinine concentration in plasma and in randomly collected urine was not strikingly different from control values; (2) the Sakaguchi staining reaction of guanidino compounds in random urine samples indicated an enhanced GAA excretion; (3) GAA excretion measured quantitatively by guanidino compound analysis using an amino acid analyzer was markedly elevated in random urine samples; (4) in vivo 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) revealed a strong depletion of creatine and an accumulation of GAA in brain; (5) in vivo phosphorus 31 MRS showed a strong decrease of the phosphocreatine resonance and a resonance identified as guanidinoacetate phosphate; and (6) in vitro 1H MRS showed an absence of creatine and creatinine resonances in cerebrospinal fluid and the occurrence of GAA in urine. For early detection of this disease, we recommend the Sakaguchi staining reaction of urine from patients with dystonic-dyskinetic syndrome, seizures, and psychomotor retardation. Positive results should result in further investigations including quantitative guanidino compound analysis and both in vivo and in vitro MRS. Although epilepsy was not affected by orally administered creatine (400 to 500 mg/kg per day), this treatment resulted in clinical improvement and an increase of creatine in cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissue.
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PMID:Creatine deficiency syndrome caused by guanidinoacetate methyltransferase deficiency: diagnostic tools for a new inborn error of metabolism. 938 48

Creatine metabolism disorders have so far been described at the level of two synthetic steps, guanidinoacetate N-methyltransferase and arginine:glycine amidinotransferase, and at the level of the creatine transporter 1. Guanidinoacetate N-methyltransferase and arginine:glycine amidinotransferase deficiency respond positively to substitutive treatment with creatine monohydrate. Guanidinoacetate N-methyltransferase deficiency results in a severe neurologic disease (age of onset 3 months to 2 years) characterized by developmental arrest, neurologic deterioration, movement disorders, mental retardation, autistic-like behavior, and epilepsy. Severe early-onset epilepsy with pleomorphic seizures is a key symptom of this disorder. Data suggest that in patients with guanidinoacetate N-methyltransferase deficiency, epilepsy and associated electroencephalographic abnormalities are more responsive to creatine supplementation than to conventional antiepilepsy drugs. Arginine:glycine amidinotransferase and creatine transporter 1 mainly present with mental retardation and severe language disorder. All cases of creatine disorders reported to date have been detected by brain proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, an expensive technique not routinely used in pediatric neurology. A potential diagnostic strategy to select patients for evaluation using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy is proposed in this review.
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PMID:Inborn errors of creatine metabolism and epilepsy: clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment. 1259 58

Since the first description of a creatine deficiency syndrome, the guanidinoacetate methyltransferase (GAMT) deficiency, in 1994, the two further suspected creatine deficiency syndromes--the creatine transporter (CrT1) defect and the arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT) deficiency were disclosed. GAMT and AGAT deficiency have autosomal-recessive traits, whereas the CrT1 defect is a X-linked disorder. All patients reveal developmental delay/regression, mental retardation, and severe disturbance of their expressive and cognitive speech. The common feature of all creatine deficiency syndromes is the severe depletion of creatine/phosphocreatine in the brain. Only the GAMT deficiency is in addition characterized by accumulation of guanidinoacetic acid in brain and body fluids. Guanidinoacetic acid seems to be responsible for intractable seizures and the movement disorder, both exclusively found in GAMT deficiency. Treatment with oral creatine supplementation is in part successful in GAMT and AGAT deficiency, whereas in CrT1 defect it is not able to replenish creatine in the brain. Treatment of combined arginine restriction and ornithine substitution in GAMT deficiency is capable to decrease guanidinoacetic acid permanently and improves the clinical outcome. The lack of the creatine/phosphocreatine signal in the patient's brain by means of in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy is the common finding and the diagnostic clue in all three diseases. In AGAT deficiency guanidinoacetic acid is decreased, whereas creatine in blood was found to be normal. On the other hand the CrT1 defect is characterized by an increased concentration of creatine in blood and urine whereas guanidinoacetic acid concentration is normal. The increasing number of patients detected very recently suffering from a creatine deficiency syndrome and the unfavorable outcome highlights the need of further attempts in early recognition of affected individuals and in optimizing its treatment. The study of creatine deficiency syndromes and their comparative consideration contributes to the better understanding of the pathophysiological role of creatine and other guanidino compounds in man.
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PMID:Creatine deficiency syndromes. 1270 24

Creatine deficiency syndromes are a newly described group of inborn errors of creatine synthesis (arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT) deficiency and guanidinoacetate methyltransferase (GAMT) deficiency) and of creatine transport (creatine transporter (CRTR) deficiency). The common clinical feature of creatine deficiency syndromes is mental retardation and epilepsy suggesting main involvement of cerebral gray matter. The typical biochemical abnormality of creatine deficiency syndromes is cerebral creatine deficiency, which is demonstrated by in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Measurement of guanidinoacetate in body fluids may discriminate between the GAMT (high concentration), AGAT (low concentration) and CRTR (normal concentration) deficiencies. Further biochemical characteristics include changes in creatine and creatinine concentrations in body fluids. GAMT and AGAT deficiency are treatable by oral creatine supplementation, while patients with CRTR deficiency do not respond to this type of treatment. The creatine deficiency syndromes are underdiagnosed, so their possibility should be considered in all children affected by unexplained mental retardation, seizures and speech delay.
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PMID:Biochemical and clinical characteristics of creatine deficiency syndromes. 1562 59

Guanidinoacetate methyltransferase deficiency typically presents with muscular hypotonia, global developmental delay, extrapyramidal signs, and seizures during infancy and childhood. The authors report a 5-year-old child with guanidinoacetate methyltransferase deficiency who presented with severe speech delay, emphasizing the importance of an early screening for disorders of creatine synthesis and transport in every infant or child with isolated speech delay of unknown cause.
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PMID:Severe speech delay as the presenting symptom of guanidinoacetate methyltransferase deficiency. 1764 Dec 69

Inherited defects in creatine biosynthesis and cellular uptake are neurometabolic disorders characterized by seizures, developmental delay, mental retardation, autistic-like behavior, and creatine deficiency in the brain. Metabolic screening of these disorders is possible using analytical techniques that quantify creatine and its precursor guanidinoacetate in urine, plasma, or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Elevated creatine in urine is suggestive of a deficiency of the X-linked creatine transporter, SLC6A8. Decreased or elevated levels of guanidinoacetate in urine, plasma, or CSF suggest deficiencies of the creatine biosynthetic enzymes, arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT) or guanidinoacetate methyltransferase (GAMT), respectively. This unit describes three stable isotope dilution-mass spectrometric methods for analyzing creatine and guanidinoacetate. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry with negative-ion chemical ionization is a highly sensitive technique, suitable for detection of low analyte levels resulting from AGAT deficiency and in CSF. The two liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric approaches are amenable to high-throughput screening and have simple sample preparation requirements.
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PMID:Quantification of creatine and guanidinoacetate using GC-MS and LC-MS/MS for the detection of cerebral creatine deficiency syndromes. 1842 9

Although inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) are a relatively rare cause of epilepsy in children, their diagnosis is important with respect to treatment, prognosis and genetic counselling. In addition to seizures and epilepsy, IEM may produce a complex clinical picture in which epilepsy is only one of the various neurologic manifestations including developmental delay/regression, mental retardation, movement disorders, micro-/macrocephaly, as well as cerebral grey and white matter changes. Dysmorphic features and cerebral dysgenesis may also be part of a metabolic epilepsy syndrome (e.g. disorders of peroxisomal biogenesis, glutaric aciduria type 2, pyruvate dehydrogenease complex deficiency). Metabolic epilepsies may dominate the clinical presentation (e.g. pyridoxine dependent epilepsy) or may precede further neurologic deterioration (e.g. neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis) and additional organ involvement (e.g. liver failure in Alpers (POLG1) disease). Metabolic epilepsies often present with myoclonic seizures (e.g. Gaucher Disease type 3, mitochondrial syndromes) and, as a rule, patients presenting with predominantly myoclonic seizures should be carefully investigated for these types of metabolic epilepsies. Patients with very early onset of epilepsy are considered at high risk for an underlying IEM as well. In this review we present an overview of metabolic epilepsies based on various criteria such as treatability, age of onset, seizure type, and pathogenetic background. Exemplary disorders will be described in more detail including cerebral glucose transporter (GLUT1) deficiency, pyridoxine dependent epilepsy, neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, cathepsin D deficiency, Alpers syndrome (POLG deficiency), and guanidinoacetate methyltransferase (GAMT) deficiency.
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PMID:Metabolic epilepsies: approaches to a diagnostic challenge. 1976 Sep 6

Creatine deficiency syndromes, which have only recently been described, represent a group of inborn errors of creatine synthesis (L-arginine-glycine amidinotransferase deficiency and guanidinoacetate methyltransferase deficiency) and transport (creatine transporter deficiency). Patients with creatine deficiency syndromes present with mental retardation expressive speech and language delay, and epilepsy. Patients with guanidinoacetate methyltransferase deficiency or creatine transporter deficiency may exhibit autistic behavior. The common denominator of these disorders is the depletion of the brain creatine pool, as demonstrated by in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. For diagnosis, laboratory investigations start with analysis of guanidinoacetate, creatine, and creatinine in plasma and urine. Based on these findings, enzyme assays or DNA mutation analysis may be performed. The creatine deficiency syndromes are underdiagnosed, so the possibility should be considered in all children affected by unexplained mental retardation, seizures, and speech delay. Guanidinoacetate methyltransferase deficiency and arginine-glycine amidinotransferase deficiency are treatable by oral creatine supplementation, but patients with creatine transporter deficiency do not respond to this type of treatment.
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PMID:Creatine and creatine deficiency syndromes: biochemical and clinical aspects. 2015 24

Creatine is a nitrogen containing compound that serves as an energy shuttle between the mitochondrial sites of ATP production and the cytosol where ATP is utilized. There are two known disorders of creatine synthesis (both transmitted as autosomal recessive traits: arginine: glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT) deficiency; OMIM 602360; and guanidinoacetate methyltransferase (GAMT) deficiency (OMIM 601240)) and one disorder of creatine transport (X-linked recessive SLC6A8 creatine transporter deficiency (OMIM 300036)). All these disorders are characterized by brain creatine deficiency, detectable by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Affected patients can have mental retardation, hypotonia, autism or behavioral problems and seizures. The diagnosis of these conditions relies on the measurement of plasma and urine creatine and guanidinoacetate. Creatine levels in plasma are reduced in both creatine synthesis defects and guanidinoacetate is increased in GAMT deficiency. The urine creatine/creatinine ratio is elevated in creatine transporter deficiency with normal plasma levels of creatine and guanidinoacetate. The diagnosis is confirmed in all cases by DNA testing or functional studies. Defects of creatine biosynthesis are treated with creatine supplements and, in GAMT deficiency, with ornithine and dietary restriction of arginine through limitation of protein intake. No causal therapy is yet available for creatine transporter deficiency and supplementation with the guanidinoacetate precursors arginine and glycine is being explored. The excellent response to therapy of early identified patients with GAMT or AGAT deficiency candidates these condition for inclusion in newborn screening programs.
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PMID:Disorders of creatine transport and metabolism. 2130 88

Creatine metabolism disorders include guanidinoacetate methyltransferase (GAMT) deficiency, arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT) deficiency, and the creatine transporter (CT1-encoded by SLC6A8 gene) deficiency. Epilepsy is one of the main symptoms in GAMT and CT1 deficiency, whereas the occurrence of febrile convulsions in infancy is a relatively common presenting symptom in all the three above-mentioned diseases. GAMT deficiency results in a severe early onset epileptic encephalopathy with development arrest, neurologic deterioration, drug-resistant seizures, movement disorders, mental disability, and autistic-like behavior. In this disorder, epilepsy and associated abnormalities on electroencephalography (EEG) are more responsive to substitutive treatment with creatine monohydrate than to conventional antiepileptic drugs. AGAT deficiency is mainly characterized by mental retardation and severe language disorder without epilepsy. In CT1 deficiency epilepsy is generally less severe than in GAMT deficiency. All creatine disorders can be investigated through measurement of creatine metabolites in body fluids, brain proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1) H-MRS), and molecular genetic techniques. Blood guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) assessment and brain H-MRS examination should be part of diagnostic workup for all patients presenting with epileptic encephalopathy of unknown origin. In girls with learning and/or intellectual disabilities with or without epilepsy, SLC6A8 gene assessment should be part of the diagnostic procedures. The aims of this review are the following: (1) to describe the electroclinical features of epilepsy occurring in inborn errors of creatine metabolism; and (2) to delineate the metabolic alterations associated with GAMT, AGAT, and CT1 deficiency and the role of a substitutive therapeutic approach on their clinical and electroencephalographic epileptic patterns.
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PMID:Inborn errors of creatine metabolism and epilepsy. 2315 5


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