Clinical Description
KPTN-related disorder is characterized by mild-to-profound intellectual disability, developmental delay, neurobehavioral/psychiatric manifestations (including anxiety and findings associated with autism spectrum disorder such as stereotypies, hyperactivity, repetitive speech, and impaired social communication), postnatal progressive macrocephaly, and seizures. To date, 54 individuals from 32 families have been identified with biallelic pathogenic variants in KPTN [Baple et al 2014, Pajusalu et al 2015, Lucena et al 2020, Pacio Miguez et al 2020, Thiffault et al 2020, Horn et al 2023, Levitin et al 2023, Liaqat et al 2023]. The following description of the phenotypic features associated with this condition is based on these reports.
Developmental delay is a variable feature. Early motor development is characterized by hypotonia in 55% of affected individuals (21/38), with delayed motor milestones in 60% (30/50). The average age at walking was two years (range: 1-5 years). Language development is highly variable and ranges from normal speech development to nonverbal (8/54 individuals were nonverbal); speech delay is observed in 93% (50/54).
Movement coordination abnormalities include balance problems and oral apraxia, which may lead to infant feeding difficulties.
Intellectual disability (ID) is seen in all affected individuals to date, although severity is highly variable, from mild to profound. Overall severity of ID, as reported by treating clinicians, is as follows: mild ID in approximately 30% (14/47) of affected individuals, moderate ID in 53% (25/47), severe ID in 15% (7/47), and profound ID in 2% (1/47). Generally, the severity of ID is related to the presence and control of seizures. Detailed psychometric tests were carried out in six Amish individuals and identified a moderate level of ID with impairment in all cognitive domains, except relative sparing of narrative memory function [Levitin et al 2023]. Dyslexia and dysgraphia have been reported in affected individuals.
Neurobehavioral/psychiatric manifestations are a common but variable feature. Anxiety was reported in 57% (25/44) of affected individuals, including panic attacks and phobias. Stereotypies were reported in 52% (24/46) of individuals, including hand flapping/clapping/rubbing, picking, head banging, and rocking. Impaired social interactions were reported in 50% (24/48) of individuals, hyperactivity in 31% (14/45), repetitive speech in 28% (11/39), and a single individual had a tic disorder.
Macrocephaly. An occipitofrontal circumference (OFC) more than two standard deviations (SD) above the mean was identified in 49% (23/47) of individuals with KPTN-related disorder, although 96% (45/47) had a larger-than-average OFC. OFC range is between 0.44 SD below the mean and 6.11 SD above the mean. Macrocephaly develops postnatally, within the first year of life. Data on birth OFC was available for 22/54 individuals; of these, only one individual was macrocephalic at birth, and 45% (10/22) had an OFC below average at birth. A single individual had macrocephaly associated with raised intracranial pressure requiring shunt insertion. The proportion of individuals with macrocephaly increases with age: 31% (5/16) between birth and age 6 years, and 53% (9/17) in adulthood. Delayed anterior fontanelle closure has been observed in four individuals. Wide metopic suture was reported in a single individual. Note: A single affected Amish individual was reported to have sagittal craniosynostosis [Baple et al 2014], but it has subsequently been shown that this was caused by a separate unrelated inherited condition in this family.
Epilepsy is reported in 44% (24/54) of individuals with KPTN-related disorder. Age of onset of seizures varies between ages three months and 32 years, with a mean age of seizure onset of 7.4 years. Seizure types include generalized tonic-clonic seizures (100%, 24 individuals), with additional absence (33%, 8 individuals), focal / impaired awareness (29%, 7 individuals), and tonic seizures (1 individual). Development of seizures and seizure frequency appear to increase with age and correlate with severity of ID, with seizures often becoming refractory to multiple anti-seizure medications (ASMs). In four individuals generalized tonic-clonic seizures resolved in childhood or early adulthood, following optimization of ASMs (with ongoing absence seizures in one individual). No ASM has been identified as having greater or specific efficacy for seizure treatment in individuals with KPTN-related disorder. EEG findings in six individuals show similar features of mild generalized slowing indicative of diffuse cerebral dysfunction, with multifocal epileptiform discharges and frequent bifrontal spike and slow wave.
Neuroimaging (MRI/CT) is normal in more than 80% of individuals with KPTN-related disorder, aside from generalized megalencephaly, which was reported in 20/34 individuals with no structural brain abnormalities. Other subtle neuroanatomic changes in 14 individuals included: mild ventriculomegaly (5 individuals) associated with findings of generalized megalencephaly; pineal cyst (3 individuals); cavum of the septum pellucidum (2 individuals, 1 of whom also had a pineal cyst); nonspecific white matter hyperintensities (2 individuals); raised intracranial pressure (1 individual) requiring treatment with a shunt; calvarial thickening (1 individual) likely related to ASMs; optic nerve tortuosity (1 individual); calcified sylvian artery aneurysm (1 individual).
Additional craniofacial features reported in some individuals with KPTN-related disorder are subtle and include frontal bossing (84%, 38/45), scaphocephaly (15%, 6/39), short downslanted palpebral fissures (37%, 15/41), hypertelorism (33%, 14/42), depressed nasal bridge (17%, 8/48), broad nasal tip, thick vermilion of the lower lip, high-arched palate (8%, 4/48), tall, broad chin (40%, 17/43), and mild retrognathia (see ).
Recurrent infections, reported in 13/49 individuals, have included lower respiratory tract infections and otitis media. One individual was neutropenic, and another had immunoglobulin A deficiency.
Hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss has been reported in several individuals associated with otitis media.
Ophthalmic abnormalities. Strabismus and/or horizontal nystagmus were reported in 6/49 individuals. Esotropia, amblyopia, and severe astigmatism have also been reported.
Endocrine abnormalities. Ketotic hypoglycemia (often with intercurrent illness) was reported in 4/49 individuals. Additional endocrine abnormalities include hypo- or hyperthyroidism and hyperprolactinemia. Precocious puberty has been reported in three individuals (male and female).
Skeletal abnormalities include joint hypermobility, scoliosis, pectus excavatum/carinatum, short metacarpals, and fifth finger clinodactyly.
Other
Hepatosplenomegaly (2 individuals)
Hepatomegaly (1 individual)
Splenomegaly (1 individual)
Prognosis. Based on current data, life span is not limited by this condition, as several adults have been reported; the oldest individual diagnosed with KPTN-related disorder was age 57 years at last assessment. Data on possible progression of behavior abnormalities or neurologic findings are still limited. It is notable that four of the 54 identified individuals are deceased, one at age nine years from status epilepticus and three individuals in their 3rd or 4th decade from accidental causes or infection. Since many adults with disabilities have not undergone advanced genetic testing, it is likely that adults with this condition are underrecognized and underreported.
Prevalence
KPTN-related disorder is rare, and the prevalence is unknown. To date, 54 individuals from 32 families with KPTN-related disorder have been identified [Baple et al 2014, Pajusalu et al 2015, Lucena et al 2020, Pacio Miguez et al 2020, Thiffault et al 2020, Horn et al 2023, Levitin et al 2023, Liaqat et al 2023].
Two founder KPTN variants have been identified in the Ohio Amish community; p.Ser259Ter accounts for 82.1% of pathogenic variants and p.Met241_Gln246dup accounts for 17.9% of pathogenic variants in the Ohio Amish community, based on studies of >10,000 exomes and genomes from North American Amish and Mennonite individuals [Baple et al 2014]. To date, there have been 14 individuals with KPTN-related disorder identified within the Amish community (population size: approximately 340,000).
Pathogenic variant p.Met241_Gln246dup has been identified in several affected individuals from Europe and the United States and likely represents a European founder variant.
Pathogenic variant p.Ser200IlefsTer55 has been identified in affected individuals from Brazil, Spain, France, Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.