What is 3-Methylglutaconic Aciduria?
3-Methylglutaconic Aciduria is a very rare genetic metabolic disorder. There are currently less than 20 cases recorded worldwide, to date.
Generally, symptoms of this rare disease may be present in childhood, but for others, symptoms may not appear until early adulthood. This can make it difficult to diagnose, based on its symptoms alone.
Developmental delay is a major symptom of the syndrome, and this presents in childhood.
What gene change causes 3-Methylglutaconic Aciduria?
Mutations in the AUH, HTRA2, DNACJ19, SERAC1, CLPB, TIMM50, OPA3, TAFAZZIN and MGCA1 genes are responsible for causing the syndrome.
These mutations affect the ability of the body to produce enough of the enzyme necessary to prevent a build-up of 3-Methylglutaconic acid. This leads to a build-up of the acid in the blood and the urine.
However, research into the condition continues as some individuals present with syndromes only in early adulthood, while others affected with syndromes since childhood sometimes show an improvement in their condition and health.
It is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. Autosomal recessive inheritance means an affected individual receives one copy of a mutated gene from each of their parents. Parents, who carry only one copy of the gene mutation will not generally show any symptoms but have a 25% chance of passing the copies of the gene mutations onto each of their children.
What are the main symptoms of 3-Methylglutaconic Aciduria?
Symptoms may present in childhood for some affected individuals, while for others symptoms do not appear until early adulthood.
The main symptoms include delayed development including motor and speech.
Involuntary muscle cramping, spasms and weakness of the arms and legs often referred to as spasticity are also symptoms.
Optic atrophy is another possible major syndrome and affects the nerves that transmit information from the eyes to the brain.
When symptoms present in early adulthood, the major symptom is leukoencephalopathy which is damage to the white matter of the brain. This affects speech, leg, and arm control and may also present with dementia or signs of it.
How is it diagnosed?
To find out if someone has a diagnosis of 3-Methylglutaconic aciduria, it is important to have a consultation and evaluation with a clinical genetic specialist. Specialists may also suggest specific genetic testing or other types of tests to help reach a diagnosis. FDNA’s AI technology can help speed up the diagnostic process by analyzing facial features and other health information.
