Raja V, Reynolds CA, Greenberg ML. J Rare Dis Res Treat. (2017) 2(2): 58-62 Journal of www.rarediseasesjournal.com Rare Diseases Research & Treatment

Mini-review Open Access

Barth syndrome: A life-threatening disorder caused by abnormal remodeling Vaishnavi Raja, Christian A. Reynolds, and Miriam L. Greenberg Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, USA

Article Info ABSTRACT

Article Notes Barth syndrome (BTHS) is a rare X-linked characterized by Received: December 24, 2017 , skeletal myopathy, , and organic aciduria. The Accepted: March 21, 2017 presence and severity of clinical manifestations are highly variable in BTHS, *Correspondence: even among patients with identical . Currently, less than 200 Miriam L. Greenberg, Department of Biological Sciences, patients are diagnosed worldwide, but it is estimated that the disorder may Wayne State University, USA; be substantially under-diagnosed due to the variable spectrum of clinical E-mail: [email protected] manifestations. BTHS is caused by mutations in the gene (TAZ), resulting in defective remodeling of cardiolipin (CL), the signature phospholipid © 2017 Miriam L. Greenberg. This article is distributed under of the mitochondrial membranes. Many of the clinical sequela associated with the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. BTHS can be directly attributed to mitochondria defects. In 2008, a definitive biochemical test was described based on detection of the abnormal CL profile characteristic of BTHS. This mini-review provides an overview of the etiology of BTHS, as well as a description of common clinical phenotypes associated with the disorder.

Introduction Barth syndrome (BTHS) is a rare X-linked genetic disorder associated with a wide array of clinical manifestations, including cardiomyopathy, skeletal myopathy, neutropenia, 3-methylglutaconic aciduria, and hypercholesterolemia1-3. The gene locus was mapped to Xq284 tafazzin (TAZ) gene . Tafazzin is a mitochondrial acyltransferase involved ,in with remodeling mutations4-5 cardiolipin identified (CL), in G4.5, the signaturenow referred phospholipid to as the of the inner mitochondrial membrane4,6. Mutations in the TAZ gene resulting in either the complete loss of tafazzin or the expression of truncated tafazzin lead to BTHS, and a number of point mutations 4,7. Interestingly, there is no clear correlation between individual TAZ gene mutations and the severityhave also of been clinical identified abnormalities in BTHS observedpatients in BTHS. Furthermore, clinical manifestations vary from severely incapacitating to nearly asymptomatic, even among patients with the identical TAZ gene mutations8. The high degree of variation in the clinical symptoms observed in BTHS patients with the same TAZ gene

remodeling and clinical outcomes in BTHS. To date, there are no suggests that additional physiological factors influence the CL

published reports on the identification of other genetic loci that influence the clinical symptoms observed in BTHS. However, studies thatin yeast genetic have ablation identified of geneticpathways loci involved that exacerbate in acetyl-CoA the phenotypes synthesis, observed in CL deficient yeast cells. Specifically, it was observed

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Fe-S biogenesis, mitochondrial protein import, and and of male fetuses19,20. The predominant 9. clinical phenotypes observed in BTHS patients are further Thus, it is tempting to speculate that genetic factors that described as follows. supercomplex formation are lethal in CL deficient yeast of symptoms in BTHS patients. Cardiomyopathy influence these pathways may contribute to the variability CL is a unique phospholipid consisting of four acyl The major clinical manifestation observed with high chains, and CL synthesis pathways are highly conserved prevalence during the early stages of life in BTHS is from prokaryotes to humans10. Importantly, newly cardiomyopathy. Data from the BSF registry indicate that synthesized CL contains primarily saturated fatty acids, and when a diagnosis of BTHS is made before six months of undergoes remodeling to form CL containing predominately age, nearly 70% of patients present with cardiomyopathy; unsaturated fatty acids. CL remodeling involves two steps: however, other BTHS patients developed cardiomyopathy (i) enzymatic hydrolysis of a single acyl chain to form a 20. Importantly, while most monolysocardiolipin (MLCL) intermediate and (ii) tafazzin- affected patients present with some form of cardiomyopathy, dependent acylation of MLCL. The link between CL and BTHS awithin small the subset first fiveof BTHS years patients of life do not present initially with cardiomyopathy, but may develop cardiomyopathy later in life. Thus, initial absence of cardiomyopathy does containwas first less reported CL than by control Peter cultures Vreken11 and. Furthermore, colleagues, BTHS who not preclude a patient from being diagnosed with BTHS. cellsdemonstrated displayed thatdecreased fibroblast incorporation cultures from of the BTHS unsaturated patients The exact percentage of BTHS patients that do not develop cardiomyopathy is not known. Currently less than 200 patients have been diagnosed with BTHS and nearly all of fatty acid, linoleic acid, into both phosphatidylglycerol12 (PG) them have developed cardiomyopathy at some point. There and CL. Similar to CL, PG is remodeled in a process that involves the activity of a lysoPG acyltransferase11.. However,Previous compensatory mechanisms. However, compensatory studies suggest that tafazzin deficiency may be the cause of mechanismsis currently insufficient likely contribute clinical data to to identifythe variability any specific in defective remodeling of both PG and CL in BTHS cardiomyopathy severity. The characteristic features of thatthe clinical BTHS patientsignificance cells ofhave defective decreased PG remodeling CL content hasand not an cardiomyopathy in BTHS include accumulationbeen established of MLCL in BTHS. species Subsequent13. BTHS patient analysis tissues confirmed were (DCM) with variable hypertrophy, left ventricular non- found to be completely devoid of tetralinoleoyl CL (L4CL), the predominant CL species found in normal cardiac and cardiac manifestations in BTHS often change over time skeletal muscle14. (undulatingcompaction cardiomyopathy) (LVNC), and endocardial and can lead fibroelastosis. to arrhythmia, The 19,21-23 The availability of BTHS model systems has greatly congestive heart failure and sudden cardiac death . improved our understanding of the cellular and subcellular Unfortunately, cardiomyopathy in BTHS can mimic viral myocarditis and is often diagnosed late or misdiagnosed as 19,24 BTHS patient lymphoblast grown in culture exhibit decreased a viral infection leading to cardiac failure in BTHS. While mitochondrialconsequences ofmembrane tafazzin deficiencies. potential, Theabnormal mitochondria energy of the link between altered CL remodeling and disturbed metabolism, and mitochondrial hyperproliferation . These cardiac ontogenesis has not been clearly elucidated, loss of 15 CL perturbs cross-communication between mitochondria 16 and may be due to increased and endoplasmic reticulum, which may affect calcium adhesionabnormalities of opposing are consistent inner withmitochondrial findings frommembranes studies handling and contribute to the cardiac phenotype observed leadingof tafazzin to deficientaltered yeastmitochondrial crista formation17. in BTHS . A retrospective study of 22 BTHS patients 25 perturbations in mitochondrial physical structure, which conducted in 201326 found the five-year survival rate to be mayThese contribute findings suggestto the thatobserved tafazzin bioenergetic deficiency leadsdefects to few years of life . The study also found that BTHS patients 51%, with the risk for early mortality peaking in the first fundamental to BTHS. compared to 70% in those born in or after 2000. This Clinical phenotypes born before 2000 had a five-year survival rate of 22%, The most widely characterized clinical phenotypes of patients in more recent years. BTHS are cardiomyopathy, skeletal myopathy, neutropenia, finding is likely related to improved management of these growth retardation and 3-methylglutaconic aciduria18. Skeletal myopathy Studies involving large cohorts of BTHS patients conducted Most patients diagnosed with BTHS are widely in 2006 and 2012 provide information about additional recognized by pronounced skeletal myopathy, low clinical manifestations observed in BTHS, including cardiac muscle mass, delayed gross motor development, exercise emboli, septicemia, hypocholesterolemia, hypoglycemia, intolerance, and muscle weakness19,27. The loss of muscle lactic acidosis, osteopenia, fetal hydrops, and miscarriage mass results in a much lower than expected weight-for-

Page 59 of 62 Raja V, Reynolds CA, Greenberg ML. J Rare Dis Res Treat. (2017) 2(2): 58-62 Journal of Rare Diseases Research & Treatment height, which can be misdiagnosed as failure to thrive. Metabolic aspects BTHS patients present with complex metabolic been published20, which indicate that between the ages of Specific growth curves for boys with Barth syndrome have abnormalities, including 3-methylglutaconic aciduria and 2-ethylhydracrylic aciduria. Organic acids present in the Barth syndrome is roughly equivalent to the third percentile urine are often more than 20-fold higher than normal18. insix the to 36 standard months curve. the 50th With percentile age, BTHS for patientsweight of are boys unable with While 3-methylglutaconic aciduria is an important to conduct normal physical activity, and increased creatine biochemical marker of BTHS, the variability of urine phosphokinase levels have been documented, consistent 3-methylglutaconic acid levels in BTHS patients and the with debilitating myopathy. Skeletal myopathy leads to existence of other syndromes in which 3-methylglutaconic easy fatigability, which is exaggerated by the cardiovascular 36. complications associated with BTHS28,29. Other metabolic abnormalities reported in BTHS aciduria manifests, limits its diagnostic specificity Neutropenia patients include decreased low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, reduced plasma carnitine and pre-albumin One clinical phenotype of BTHS that makes the levels, hypocholesterolemia, hypoglycemia, lactic acidosis, management of these patients particularly challenging is elevated creatine kinase and serum transaminases, neutropenia, which can be chronic, intermittent, cyclic, or and mild hyperammonemia18,19,37. Lactic acidosis and not present. As with cardiac manifestations, neutropenia in hypoglycemia are commonly observed during neonatal BTHS is extremely variable, even among patients with the and infant life, and are exaggerated during exercise37,38. identical TAZ gene mutations. Intermittent or persistent The metabolic phenotype in BTHS is most likely a direct forms of neutropenia are diagnosed in 90% of BTHS patients, result of defective mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, putting them at increased risk of life-threatening bacterial which ultimately contribute to the aforementioned clinical 7,30 infection . In fact, more than half of the BTHS patients manifestations. infection30. Often, neutrophil counts partially rebound Inheritance first diagnosed by Dr. Peter Barth died due to bacterial during an acute infection, which can delay the diagnosis As BTHS is an X-linked genetic disorder, transmission of neutropenia and worsen outcomes associated with occurs from mother to son. Women who are heterozygous common infections, including mouth ulcers, respiratory carriers of a TAZ gene mutation do not exhibit symptoms 18 tract infection due to bacteria, and dermatitis . While because they have one normal gene31. Boys born to a used in the management of BTHS, the intermittent and cyclic granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) is routinely nature of the neutropenia in these patients complicates the themselves.female carrier Improved have a 50% diagnosis chance ofand having treatment BTHS, andof BTHS girls hasborn resulted to a carrier in affected have a patients 50% likelihood reaching of sexual being maturity. carriers 31 of innate variations in patient neutrophil counts . The All daughters of males with BTHS are carriers; however, chronic use of G-CSF. Dosing can be challenging because molecular mechanism underlying neutropenia in BTHS is sons of males with BTHS will not inherit the mutated allele. currently unknown, thereby limiting the development of To date, one female BTHS patient was diagnosed and found 20 effective treatment strategies . Studies by van Raam et al. to be a hemizygote for the mutated allele of the TAZ gene39. (2009) suggest that neutropenia results from increased reactive oxygen species within mitochondria triggering the Diagnosis 32 clearance of neutrophils by tissue macrophages . Recent The initial diagnostic triad used to identify BTHS studies have implicated the dissipation of mitochondrial relied on male patients presenting with a combination membrane potential, activation of caspase-3, and release of cardiomyopathy, 3-methylglutaconic aciduria, and of cytochrome C in the accelerated apoptosis of myeloid 33,34 progenitor cells leading to neutropenia in BTHS . as many BTHS patients did not present with either neutropenianeutropenia. or This, 3-methylglutaconic however, proved aciduria. to be Currently, insufficient, a Growth delay straightforward diagnosis of BTHS is made by assaying the BTHS patients often exhibit growth delay, which is likely ratio of MLCL:L4-CL13,40,41. This diagnostic assay is highly the result of other underlying complications, including 40-42. A recent study employing diarrhea, poor nutrition, cardiomyopathy, and recurrent targeted next-generation sequencing of children diagnosed infection . However, not all BTHS patients display poor sensitivewith primary and specific cardiomyopathy for BTHS provides evidence for a high 20,35 43. This suggests that th percentile for the incidence of BTHS is larger than originally estimated weightgrowth. Spencerand height et al.19. (2006) The early reported growth that 58%delay of ispatients often rate of newly identified TAZ mutations followedless than by18 acceleratedyears of age growthfall below in midthe 5to late puberty, should be considered in cases of male children who present which may be accompanied by worsening cardiac function. withbased any on confirmedcombination cases. of Accordingly,the following: a diagnosis cardiomyopathy, of BTHS

Page 60 of 62 Raja V, Reynolds CA, Greenberg ML. J Rare Dis Res Treat. (2017) 2(2): 58-62 Journal of Rare Diseases Research & Treatment neutropenia, skeletal myopathy, growth delay, or a family 17(10): 983-988. history consistent with X-linked inheritance, including 3-methylglutaconic aciduria: Barth syndrome. Prenat Diagn. 1997; pregnancy loss involving male fetuses. Furthermore, the 3. Mazzocco MM, Henry AE, Kelly RI. Barth syndrome is associated with measurement of the MLCL: L4-CL ratio should also be considered in such cases. 4. a cognitive phenotype. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2007; 28: 22-30. Treatment Bione SP, D’Adamo E, Maestrini AK, et al. A novel X-linked gene, G4.5. is responsible for Barth syndrome. Nat Genet. 1996; 12(4): 385-389. cardioskeletal myopathy with neutropenia and abnormal Standard treatments to manage heart failure include 5. Bolhuis PA, Hensels GW, et al. Mapping of the locus for X-linked beta blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, diuretics, and digoxin, but no published studies mitochondria (Barth syndrome) to Xq28. Am J Hum Genet. 1991; 6. 48(3): 481-485. myopathy and neutropenia (Barth syndrome): an update. Am J Med in BTHS. Commonly, BTHS patients require cardiac Barth PG, Valianpour F, Bowen VM, et al. 2004. X-linked cardioskeletal transplantationhave directly evaluated29. The thecombination efficacy of of these prophylactic therapies 7. Genet A. 126A:349-354. neutropenia. To date, no food or drug supplement has been Cantlay AM, Shokrollahi K, Allen JT, et al. Genetic analysis of the G4.5 gene in families with suspected Barth syndrome. J Pediatr. 1999; 135: antibiotics and G-CSF are used to treat symptomatic 8. 311–315.Johnston J, Kelley RI, Feigenbaum A, et al. Mutation characterization of cardiomyopathy or neutropenia44. However, preventing and genotype-phenotype correlation in Barth syndrome. American journal of human genetics. hypoglycemiashown to be conclusively(e.g. during beneficialovernight forfasting) the managementmay reduce muscle atrophy. In addition to traditional surgical and 9. 1997; 61, 1053-8. Acetyl-CoA Synthesis. J Biol Chem. 2017; 292(3): 1092-1102. medical intervention, specialized care in the form of Raja V, Joshi AS, Li G, et al. Loss of Cardiolipin Leads to Perturbation of occupational, physical, language, and speech therapy plays 10. and remodeling enzymes are altered during development of heart Saini Chohan HK, Holmes MG, Chicco AJ, et al. Cardiolipin biosynthesis

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