Low disease risk and penetrance in Leber hereditary optic neuropathy
The risk of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) has largely been extrapolated from disease cohorts, which underestimate the population prevalence of pathogenic primary LHON variants as a result of incomplete disease penetrance. Understanding the true population prevalence of primary LHON variants, alongside the rate of clinical disease, provides a better understanding of disease risk and variant penetrance. We identified pathogenic primary LHON variants in whole-genome sequencing data of a…
Adeno-associated virus mediated gene therapy for neuroprotection of retinal ganglion cells in glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of diseases typically characterized by the degeneration of the optic nerve and is one of the world’s leading causes of blindness. Although there is no cure for glaucoma, reducing intraocular pressure is an approved treatment to delay optic nerve degeneration and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death in most patients. Recent clinical trials have evaluated the safety and efficacy of gene therapy vectors for the treatment of inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs), and the results…
Choroidal vascularity index in hereditary optic neuropathies
CONCLUSION: CVI is preserved in DOA and LHON patients, suggesting that even in the chronic phase of the neuropathy the choroidal structure is not irreversibly compromised.
Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy with Mitochondrial DNA Mutation G11778A: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis
CONCLUSIONS: The G11778A mutation is a prevalent mitochondrial DNA mutation accounting for over half of LHON cases with three primary mutations. Spontaneous visual recovery is rare, and no effective treatment is currently available.
Changes in visual acuity using low vision devices in patients with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy: A retrospective study
CONCLUSION: The use of LVDs and rehabilitation can help patients with LHON to lead a better life and will be more beneficial.
GenEye24: Novel rapid screening test for the top-3 Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy pathogenic sequence variants
Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) has been mainly (90-95 %) associated to one of three variants: m.3460G>A, m.11778G>A, m.14484T>C. Herein, a screening method was developed for its detection, supporting clinical/therapeutics decision. It relies on real-time PCR with High-Resolution Melting (HRM) analysis. Variant classification is made using HRM Software and quality controls. A total of 101 samples were analyzed. All samples were correctly assigned: 58 wild-type, 35 positive for…
Aberrant neurovascular coupling in Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy: Evidence from a multi-model MRI analysis
The study aimed to investigate the neurovascular coupling abnormalities in Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and their associations with clinical manifestations. Twenty qualified acute Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (A-LHON, disease duration ≤ 1 year), 29 chronic Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (C-LHON, disease duration > 1 year), as well as 37 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. The neurovascular coupling strength was quantified as the ratio between regional homogeneity…
Mitochondrial DNA variants in a cohort from Argentina with suspected Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON)
The present study investigates the spectrum and analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants associated with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) in an Argentinean cohort, analyzing 3 LHON-associated mitochondrial genes. In 32% of the cases, molecular confirmation of the diagnosis could be established, due to the identification of disease-causing variants. A total of 54 variants were observed in a cohort of 100 patients tested with direct sequencing analysis. The frequent causative…
Mitochondrial optic neuropathies
Mitochondrial optic neuropathies have a leading role in the field of mitochondrial medicine ever since 1988, when the first mutation in mitochondrial DNA was associated with Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). Autosomal dominant optic atrophy (DOA) was subsequently associated in 2000 with mutations in the nuclear DNA affecting the OPA1 gene. LHON and DOA are both characterized by selective neurodegeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) triggered by mitochondrial dysfunction. This is…
Considering Leber´s hereditary optic neuropathy
Leber´s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) disease is a mitochondriopathy characterized by dysfunction and later on degeneration of retinal ganglion cells, in particular those contributing to the papillomacular bundle, leading to optic atrophy. Being devoid of pathognomonic features clinical diagnosis is difficult, but LHON should be suspected in all patients presenting with a clinical picture of bilateral or painless optic neuritis, irrespective of age, and the diagnosis can be confirmed by…