DNAJC12 deficiency: Mild hyperphenylalaninemia and neurological impairment in two siblings

DNAJC12 co-chaperone protein deficiency has been recently described as a stand-alone metabolic disorder explaining many cases of mild hyperphenylalaninemia (HPA) that are not caused by variants in the PAH gene, which encodes for the hepatic enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), or inGCH1, PTS, QDPR, PCBD1 and DHPR, involved in tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) biosynthesis and activity.

We describe two sisters born to consanguineous parents. The youngest sister (Patient 1), initially asymptomatic, tested positive at NewBorn Screening (NBS) for mild HPA. After variants in the PAH and BH4 related-genes were excluded, we performed DNAJC12 genetic analysis and found a previously described homozygous deletion [NM_021800.3: c.58_59del p.(Gly20Metfs*2)]. The older sister (Patient 2), homozygous for the same variant and exhibiting mild HPA, was diagnosed subsequently and presented with ataxia and repeated falls, upper limb dyskinesia, intentional tremor, and mild intellectual disability. Patient 1 was started on treatment with low Phenylalanine (Phe) diet, BH4, l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine/carbidopa (L-DOPA) and 5-OH-Tryptophan, soon after diagnosis, and despite poor adherence to the dietary regimen, only manifested language impairment at last follow-up (age 5 years and 4 months). Patient 2, who started the same treatment at school age, experienced a minimal progression of neurological symptoms, with some improvement in her motor skills.

These two new patients with DNAJC12-associated HPA, in addition to previous reports, point to DNAJC12 deficiency as a new metabolic syndrome that must be considered in patients with unexplained HPA.