KCNQ2 related early-onset epileptic encephalopathies in Chinese children

To study the phenotype, genotype, treatment strategies, and short-term prognosis of Chinese children with KCNQ2 (potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily Q member 2) related early-onset epileptic encephalopathies (KCNQ2-EOEEs) in Southwest China.

We used targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify KCNQ2 variants in Chinese patients with EOEEs. And patients with KCNQ2-EOEEs were confirmed after clinical and genetic analyses. We followed them in our cohort and analyzed their clinical data.

122 patients with EOEEs were registered from August 2015 to October 2017, and 78 underwent targeted NGS. Seven among them were confirmed to be caused by pathogenic KCNQ2 variants, 6 of that were de novo and 1 was inherited. The median seizure onset age of the 7 patients was 5 days. Tonic-clonic and tonic seizures were the major seizure types; the electroencephalograms of all patients showed multifocal sharp waves initially. When new seizure types appeared in infancy, the most common type was epileptic spasm. At the last follow-up, seizures persisted in only one patient, and another patient had seizure recurrence. The identified pathogenic KCNQ2 variants introduced amino acid missense changes, or in one instance, frameshift variant, four of which have not been reported. Valproic acid (VPA) was effective as concomitant treatment in three patients, and all patients had intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDDs).

The KCNQ2 missense variant plays an important role in EOEE pathogenesis, and patients with KCNQ2-EOEEs mainly present with intractable seizures and IDDs. Moreover, VPA has potential as an effective therapeutic strategy.