Bilateral juvenile-onset cataracts associated with GCNT2 variants

We report a case of juvenile-onset cataracts due to variants in GCNT2, including a novel change within the GCNT2B isoform expressed exclusively in lens epithelial cells.

A retrospective chart review was conducted. The proband underwent serial ophthalmic examinations and next-generation sequencing (NGS) of 66 genes related to early-onset cataracts.

An 8-year-old female (proband) was referred for ophthalmic evaluation for cataracts first diagnosed at age 6 years. Genetic testing identified two GCNT2 variants-one pathogenic variant (c.1040A > G;p.Tyr347Cys) in exon 3 and one variant of uncertain significance (c.677 G > T;p.Arg226Leu) in exon 1B.

In this case, bilateral juvenile-onset cataracts were presumed to be related to GCNT2 variants sometimes associated with congenital cataracts (OMIM *600429). Notably, this proband had juvenile-onset cataracts rather than the congenital presentation exclusively associated with GCNT2. Intragenic changes within exon 3 have been most frequently identified, while exon 1B has only been disrupted as part of a gene deletion. Here, the known pathogenic variant is within exon 3, while the variant in exon 1B represents a novel change. In summary, this case demonstrates GCNT2-related cataracts may present in childhood and expands the mutational spectrum through the first report of a missense variant in the lens-specific transcript GCNT2B.