The clinical spectrum and pathogenesis associated with KMT2B variants in Chinese pediatric patients

Objective: To evaluate the clinical spectrum and pathogenesis associated with KMT2B variants in Chinese children with dystonia or developmental delay.

Methods: We reported twenty-seven (fourteen males and thirteen females) pediatric patients with KMT2B variants identified via next-generation sequencing from a single Chinese center. Moreover, transcriptomics and proteomics assays were performed on fibroblasts from patients with different genotypes to investigate the pathogenic mechanisms involved.

Results: Twenty-six patients had dystonia including generalized dystonia (n = 19), multifocal dystonia (n = 6), and segmental dystonia (n = 1), and one patient had nondystonic severe-developmental delay (DD). All the twenty-six patients had complex dystonia compounded with other manifestations of movement disorders (tremor (n = 6), myoclonus (n = 5), status dystonicus (n = 2), and tic (n = 1)) or dysmorphic features and developmental delay. The onset of dystonia was between 1 month and 13 years 8 months (median 4 years 4 months). Dystonia was aggravated by fever (n = 11), and diurnal and climate fluctuations (n = 4). Eleven patients underwent deep brain stimulation and experienced significant improvements in motor function and disability. We identified twenty-six intragenic heterozygous KMT2B pathogenic variants and one Chr:19q13.12 contiguous gene deletion. Sixteen variants were novel. Differentially expressed genes induced by KMT2B variants were significantly enriched for mitochondria-related biological processes in patient fibroblasts. As a result, mitochondrial morphology of mitochondria was altered, and aerobic respiration was impaired.

Conclusion: Our study reports the pediatric cases of KMT2B-related disorder from a single center in China. Additionally, our study highlights the role of KMT2B variants in mitochondrial dysfunction.