2013 May;33(3):217-20. doi: 10.3343/alm.2013.33.3.217. Epub 2013 Apr 17.

Author information

1
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Genetics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a rare autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder. It is characterized by early-onset, progressive cerebellar ataxia, oculomotor apraxia, choreoathetosis, conjunctival telangiectasias, immunodeficiency, and an increased risk of malignancy. Although A-T is known to be the most common cause of progressive cerebellar ataxia in childhood, there have been no confirmed cases in Korea. We report the clinical and genetic findings of Korean siblings who presented with limb and truncal ataxia, oculomotor apraxia, choreoathetosis, and telangiectasias of the eyes. Sequence analysis of the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene revealed a known missense mutation (c.8546G>C; p.Arg2849Pro) and a novel intronic variant of intron 17 (c.2639-19_2639-7del13). Reverse-transcription PCR and sequencing analysis revealed that the c.2639-19_2639-7del13 variant causes a splicing aberration that potentiates skipping exon 18. Because A-T is quite rare in Korea, the diagnosis of A-T in Korean patients can be delayed. We recommend that a diagnosis of A-T should be suspected in Korean patients exhibiting the clinical features of A-T.

KEYWORDS:

Ataxia; Ataxia telangiectasia; Ataxia telangiectasia mutated protein; Korea

PMID:
 
23667852
 
PMCID:
 
PMC3646200
 
DOI:
 
10.3343/alm.2013.33.3.217
[Indexed for MEDLINE] 
Free PMC Article