Expanding clinical phenotype in CACNA1C related disorders: From neonatal onset severe epileptic encephalopathy to late-onset epilepsy

Am J Med Genet A. 2018 Dec;176(12):2733-2739. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.40657. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Abstract

CACNA1C (NM_000719.6) encodes an L-type calcium voltage-gated calcium channel (Cav 1.2), and pathogenic variants have been associated with two distinct clinical entities: Timothy syndrome and Brugada syndrome. Thus far, CACNA1C has not been reported as a gene associated with epileptic encephalopathy and is less commonly associated with epilepsy. We report three individuals from two families with variants in CACNA1C. Patient 1 presented with neonatal onset epileptic encephalopathy (NOEE) and was found to have a de novo missense variant in CACNA1C (c.4087G>A (p.V1363M)) on exome sequencing. In Family 2, Patient 2 presented with congenital cardiac anomalies and cardiomyopathy and was found to have a paternally inherited splice site variant, c.3717+1_3717+2insA, on a cardiomyopathy panel. Her father, Patient 3, presented with learning difficulties, late-onset epilepsy, and congenital cardiac anomalies. Family 2 highlights variable expressivity seen within a family. This case series expands the clinical and molecular phenotype of CACNA1C-related disorders and highlights the need to include CACNA1C on epilepsy gene panels.

Keywords: CACNA1C; electroencephalogram; epileptic encephalopathy; exome sequencing; neonatal onset epileptic encephalopathy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alleles
  • Calcium Channels, L-Type / chemistry
  • Calcium Channels, L-Type / genetics*
  • Comparative Genomic Hybridization
  • Cytogenetic Analysis
  • Epilepsy / diagnosis
  • Epilepsy / genetics
  • Facies
  • Genetic Association Studies*
  • Genotype
  • Heart Defects, Congenital / diagnosis
  • Heart Defects, Congenital / genetics
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Learning Disabilities / diagnosis
  • Learning Disabilities / genetics
  • Models, Molecular
  • Mutation*
  • Phenotype*
  • Protein Conformation
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • CACNA1C protein, human
  • Calcium Channels, L-Type