Polyneuropathy in a young Belgian patient: A novel heterozygous mutation in the WNK1/HSN2 gene

Neurol Genet. 2016 Jan 7;2(1):e42. doi: 10.1212/NXG.0000000000000042. eCollection 2016 Feb.

Abstract

Hereditary sensory autonomic neuropathy (HSAN) is a rare condition, predominantly affecting the peripheral sensory nervous system, although variable motor and dysautonomic symptoms can be present. At least 7 clinical types of HSAN have been described, and different genetic mutations have been identified for each of these. HSAN IIA (OMIM #201300) is characterized by loss of pain and loss of temperature and touch sensation, with onset usually before the first decade. The mode of inheritance is autosomal recessive.(1) The causative gene, WNK1/HSN2, is located on locus 12p13.33 and is an isoform of the WNK1 (lysine deficient protein kinase 1) gene, which contains the HSN2 exon.(2,3) We describe 2 new heterozygous mutations in the WNK1/HSN2 gene in a Belgian patient with early-onset sensory polyneuropathy.