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Purpose To develop a genotype assay to assess associations with common and rare age-related macular degeneration (AMD) risk variants, to calculate an overall genetic risk score (GRS), and to identify potential misdiagnoses with inherited macular dystrophies that mimic AMD. Design Case-control study. Participants Individuals (n = 4740) from 5 European cohorts. Methods We designed single-molecule molecular inversion probes for target selection and used next generation sequencing to sequence 87 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), coding and splice-site regions of 10 AMD-(related) genes (ARMS2, C3, C9, CD46, CFB, CFH, CFI, HTRA1, TIMP3, and SLC16A8), and 3 genes that cause inherited macular dystrophies (ABCA4, CTNNA1, and PRPH2). Genetic risk scores for common AMD risk variants were calculated based on effect size and genotype of 52 AMD-associated variants. Frequency of rare variants was compared between late AMD patients and control individuals with logistic regression analysis. Main Outcome Measures Genetic risk score, association of genetic variants with AMD, and genotype–phenotype correlations. Results We observed high concordance rates between our platform and other genotyping platforms for the 69 successfully genotyped SNPs (>96%) and for the rare variants (>99%). We observed a higher GRS for patients with late AMD compared with patients with early/intermediate AMD (P Conclusions This study reports a genotype assay for common and rare AMD genetic variants, which can identify individuals at intermediate to high genetic risk of late AMD and enables differential diagnosis of AMD-mimicking dystrophies. Our study supports sequencing of CFH, CFI, and C3 genes because they harbor rare high-risk variants. Carriers of these variants could be amendable for new treatments for AMD that currently are under development.

To characterize patients affected by a uniquely severe, rapid-onset chorioretinopathy (ROC) phenotype of ABCA4 disease.Comparative cohort study.Sixteen patients were selected from a large clinically diagnosed and genetically confirmed cohort (n = 300) of patients diagnosed with ABCA4 disease.Phenotypic characteristics were assessed on color fundus photographs, short-wavelength autofluorescence (488-nm), and near-infrared autofluorescence (NIR-AF, 787-nm) images. Subfoveal thickness measurements were obtained from enhanced-depth imaging OCT. Generalized retinal function was determined with full-field electroretinogram (ffERG) testing, and lipofuscin accumulation was assessed by quantitative autofluorescence (qAF).All patients exhibited advanced disease features, including pigment migration in the macula and retinal vessel attenuation at an early age, and reported a symptomatic onset, on average, at 7.4 years (average for ABCA4 disease is 21.9 years, P0.0001). Deterioration of the macula was observed to begin with an intense, homogeneous signal on short-wavelength autofluorescence, which corresponds to an attenuated NIR-AF signal and progresses to a patchy, coalescing pattern of chorioretinal atrophy within the subsequent decade. Measurement of choroidal thickness revealed a more rapid thinning of choriocapillaris with age of Sattler's layer compared with the rate in most other patients with ABCA4 disease (P0.001). Levels of qAF in the macula before atrophy were above both the 95% confidence intervals for healthy individuals and patients with Stargardt disease (STGD1) (1000 qAF units). Severe attenuation of cone responses and notable decreases in rod responses were detected by ffERG. Sequencing of the ABCA4 gene revealed exclusively deleterious, null mutations, including stop codons; frameshift deletions; variants in canonical splice sites, which completely abolish splicing; and known deleterious missense alleles.The ROC phenotype is a unique classification of ABCA4 disease, which is caused by deleterious null biallelic ABCA4 mutations and is characterized by the rapid deterioration of retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptor layers in the macula and significant choroidal thinning within the first 2 decades of life.

Item does not contain fulltext PURPOSE: To elucidate the functional effect of the ABCA4 variant c.5461-10T-->C, one of the most frequent variants associated with Stargardt disease (STGD1). DESIGN: Case series. PARTICIPANTS: Seventeen persons with STGD1 carrying ABCA4 variants and 1 control participant. METHODS: Haplotype analysis of 4 homozygotes and 11 heterozygotes for c.5461-10T-->C and sequence analysis of the ABCA4 gene for a homozygous proband. Fibroblasts were reprogrammed from 3 persons with STGD1 into induced pluripotent stem cells, which were differentiated into photoreceptor progenitor cells (PPCs). The effect of the c.5461-10T-->C variant on RNA splicing by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction was analyzed using PPC mRNA. In vitro assays were performed with minigene constructs containing ABCA4 exon 39. We analyzed the natural history and ophthalmologic characteristics of 4 persons homozygous for c.5461-10T-->C. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Haplotype and rare variant data for ABCA4, RNA splice defects, age at diagnosis, visual acuity, fundus appearance, visual field, electroretinography (ERG) results, fluorescein angiography results, and fundus autofluorescence findings. RESULTS: The frequent ABCA4 variant c.5461-10T-->C has a subtle effect on splicing based on prediction programs. A founder haplotype containing c.5461-10T-->C was found to span approximately 96 kb of ABCA4 and did not contain other rare sequence variants. Patient-derived PPCs showed skipping of exon 39 or exons 39 and 40 in the mRNA. HEK293T cell transduction with minigenes carrying exon 39 showed that the splice defects were the result of the c.5461-10T-->C variant. All 4 subjects carrying the c.5461-10T-->C variant in a homozygous state showed a young age of STGD1 onset, with low visual acuity at presentation and abnormal cone ERG results. All 4 demonstrated severe cone-rod dystrophy before 20 years of age and were legally blind by 25 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: The ABCA4 variant c.5461-10T-->C is located on a founder haplotype lacking other disease-causing rare sequence variants. In vitro studies revealed that it leads to mRNA exon skipping and ABCA4 protein truncation. Given the severe phenotype in persons homozygous for this variant, we conclude that this variant results in the absence of ABCA4 activity.

Purpose To describe the clinical and molecular characteristics of patients with childhood-onset Stargardt disease (STGD). Design Retrospective case series. Participants Forty-two patients who were diagnosed with STGD in childhood at a single institution between January 2001 and January 2012. Methods A detailed history and a comprehensive ophthalmic examination were undertaken, including color fundus photography, autofluorescence imaging, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and pattern and full-field electroretinograms. The entire coding region and splice sites of ABCA4 were screened using a next-generation, sequencing-based strategy. The molecular genetic findings of childhood-onset STGD patients were compared with those of adult-onset patients. Main Outcome Measures Clinical, imaging, electrophysiologic, and molecular genetic findings. Results The median ages of onset and the median age at baseline examination were 8.5 (range, 3–16) and 12.0 years (range, 7-16), respectively. The median baseline logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity was 0.74. At baseline, 26 of 39 patients (67%) with available photographs had macular atrophy with macular/peripheral flecks; 11 (28%) had macular atrophy without flecks; 1 (2.5%) had numerous flecks without macular atrophy; and 1 (2.5%) had a normal fundus appearance. Flecks were not identified at baseline in 12 patients (31%). SD-OCT detected foveal outer retinal disruption in all 21 patients with available images. Electrophysiologic assessment demonstrated retinal dysfunction confined to the macula in 9 patients (36%), macular and generalized cone dysfunction in 1 subject (4%), and macular and generalized cone and rod dysfunction in 15 individuals (60%). At least 1 disease-causing ABCA4 variant was identified in 38 patients (90%), including 13 novel variants; ≥2 variants were identified in 34 patients (81%). Patients with childhood-onset STGD more frequently harbored 2 deleterious variants (18% vs 5%) compared with patients with adult-onset STGD. Conclusions Childhood-onset STGD is associated with severe visual loss, early morphologic changes, and often generalized retinal dysfunction, despite often having less severe fundus abnormalities on examination. One third of children do not have flecks at presentation. The relatively high proportion of deleterious ABCA4 variants supports the hypothesis that earlier onset disease is often owing to more severe variants in ABCA4 than those found in adult-onset disease.

Purpose Quantitative fundus autofluorescence (qAF) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD OCT) were performed in patients with bull's-eye maculopathy (BEM) to identify phenotypic markers that can aid in the differentiation of ABCA4 -associated and non– ABCA4 -associated disease. Design Prospective cross-sectional study at an academic referral center. Subjects Thirty-seven BEM patients (age range, 8–60 years) were studied. All patients exhibited a localized macular lesion exhibiting a smooth contour and qualitatively normal-appearing surrounding retina without flecks. Control values consisted of previously published data from 277 healthy subjects (374 eyes; age range, 5–60 years) without a family history of retinal dystrophy. Methods Autofluorescence (AF) images (30°, 488-nm excitation) were acquired with a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope equipped with an internal fluorescent reference to account for variable laser power and detector sensitivity. The grey levels (GLs) from 8 circularly arranged segments positioned at an eccentricity of approximately 7° to 9° in each image were calibrated to the reference (0 GL), magnification, and normative optical media density to yield qAF. In addition, horizontal SD OCT images through the fovea were obtained. All patients were screened for ABCA4 mutations using the ABCR600 microarray, next-generation sequencing, or both. Main Outcome Measures Quantitative AF, correlations between AF and SD OCT, and genotyping for ABCA4 variants. Results ABCA4 mutations were identified in 22 patients, who tended to be younger (mean age, 21.9±8.3 years) than patients without ABCA4 mutations (mean age, 42.1±14.9 years). Whereas phenotypic differences were not obvious on the basis of qualitative fundus AF and SD OCT imaging, with qAF, the 2 groups of patients were clearly distinguishable. In the ABCA4 -positive group, 37 of 41 eyes (19 of 22 patients) had qAF 8 of more than the 95% confidence interval for age. Conversely, in the ABCA4 -negative group, 22 of 26 eyes (13 of 15 patients) had qAF 8 within the normal range. Conclusions The qAF method can differentiate between ABCA4 -associated and non– ABCA4 -associated BEM and may guide clinical diagnosis and genetic testing.

Purpose To evaluate disease progression in a cohort of patients with a clinical and genetic diagnosis of Stargardt disease. Design Longitudinal cohort study. Participants A total of 56 selected patients with a clinical and molecular diagnosis of Stargardt disease, an early age of onset, and a median follow-up length of 2 years. Methods Patients underwent routine examination, including full-field electroretinography, microperimetry, and optical coherence tomography. Main Outcome Measures Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), mean retinal sensitivity, fixation stability, preferred retinal locus, inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) junction loss, and atrophic lesion area. Results A total of 56 patients with a mean age at disease onset of 15.3 years (range, 3–28 years), a mean disease duration of 12.1 years, and a mean age at baseline of 27.4 years were analyzed. The median BCVA was 20/200 in both eyes. Optical coherence tomography parameters (IS/OS alteration and retinal pigment epithelium lesion area) were obtained in only 49 patients because the signal quality was poor in the remaining 7 patients. Optical coherence tomography revealed a mean retinal pigment epithelium lesion area of 2.6 mm 2 , preserved foveal IS/OS in 4.1% of patients, loss of foveal IS/OS in 59.2% of patients, and extensive loss of macular IS/OS in 36.7% of patients. Microperimetric findings showed a reduced macular sensitivity (mean, 10 decibels [dB]) and an unstable fixation in half of the patient cohort. The longitudinal analysis showed a significant progressive reduction of BCVA and macular sensitivity (at an estimated rate of 0.04 decimals and 1.19 dB/year, respectively) associated with a significant enlargement of retinal pigment epithelium lesion area (0.282 mm 2 /year). No significant changes in ophthalmoscopic findings and electroretinographic responses were detected. Conclusions This study highlights the importance of microperimetry and optical coherence tomography in monitoring patients with Stargardt disease. Quantifying the decline of visual functionality and detecting morphologic macular changes prove useful in evaluating disease progression over a short-term follow-up and should be taken into account for the design of future clinical trials of gene therapy to treat retinal dystrophy.

Objective To provide a comprehensive overview of all detected mutations in the ABCA4 gene in Spanish families with autosomal recessive retinal disorders, including Stargardt's disease (arSTGD), cone-rod dystrophy (arCRD), and retinitis pigmentosa (arRP), and to assess genotype-phenotype correlation and disease progression in 10 years by considering the type of variants and age at onset. Design Case series. Participants A total of 420 unrelated Spanish families: 259 arSTGD, 86 arCRD, and 75 arRP. Methods Spanish families were analyzed through a combination of ABCR400 genotyping microarray, denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography, and high-resolution melting scanning. Direct sequencing was used as a confirmation technique for the identified variants. Screening by multiple ligation probe analysis was used to detect possible large deletions or insertions in the ABCA4 gene. Selected families were analyzed further by next generation sequencing. Main Outcome Measures DNA sequence variants, mutation detection rates, haplotypes, age at onset, central or peripheral vision loss, and night blindness. Results Overall, we detected 70.5% and 36.6% of all expected ABCA4 mutations in arSTGD and arCRD patient cohorts, respectively. In the fraction of the cohort where the ABCA4 gene was sequenced completely, the detection rates reached 73.6% for arSTGD and 66.7% for arCRD. However, the frequency of possibly pathogenic ABCA4 alleles in arRP families was only slightly higher than that in the general population. Moreover, in some families, mutations in other known arRP genes segregated with the disease phenotype. Conclusions An increasing understanding of causal ABCA4 alleles in arSTGD and arCRD facilitates disease diagnosis and prognosis and also is paramount in selecting patients for emerging clinical trials of therapeutic interventions. Because ABCA4 -associated diseases are evolving retinal dystrophies, assessment of age at onset, accurate clinical diagnosis, and genetic testing are crucial. We suggest that ABCA4 mutations may be associated with a retinitis pigmentosa–like phenotype often as a consequence of severe (null) mutations, in cases of long-term, advanced disease, or both. Patients with classical arRP phenotypes, especially from the onset of the disease, should be screened first for mutations in known arRP genes and not ABCA4 . Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

To describe the phenotypic presentation of a cohort of individuals with homozygous disease-associated ABCA4 variants.Retrospective case series.Eighteen affected individuals from 13 families ascertained from a total cohort of 214 families with ABCA4-related retinal disease presenting to a single center.A detailed history was obtained, and color fundus photography, autofluorescence (AF) imaging, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and electrophysiologic assessment were performed. Phenotypes based on ophthalmoscopy, AF, and electrophysiology were assigned using previously reported characteristics. ABCA4 mutation detection was performed using the ABCR400 microarray (Asper Biotech, Tartu, Estonia) and high-throughput DNA sequencing, with direct sequencing used to assess segregation.Detailed clinical, electrophysiologic, and molecular genetic findings.Eleven disease-associated homozygous ABCA4 alleles were identified, including 1 frame shift, 2 stops, 1 intronic variant causing splice-site alteration, 2 complex missense variants, and 5 missense variants: p.Glu905fsX916, p.Arg1300X, p.Gln2220X, c.4253+4 CT, p.Leu541Pro and p.Ala1038Val (homozygosity for complex allele), p.Val931Met and p.Arg1705Gln (complex allele), p.Arg212Cys, p.Cys1488Arg, p.Arg1640Trp, p.Gly1961Glu, and p.Leu2027Phe. Eight of these 11 homozygous alleles have not been reported previously. Six of 7 patients with homozygous null alleles had early-onset (10 years) disease, with all 7 having a severe phenotype. Two patients with homozygous missense variants (p.Leu541Pro and p.Ala1038Val [complex], and p.Arg1640Trp) presented with a severe phenotype. Three patients with homozygous p.Gly1961Glu had adult-onset disease and a mild phenotype. One patient with homozygous p.Leu2027Phe showed a spared fovea and preserved visual acuity.The phenotypes represented in patients identified as homozygous for presumed disease-associated ABCA4 variants gives insight into the effect of individual alleles. Null alleles have severe functional effects, and certain missense variants are similar to nulls, suggesting complete abrogation of protein function. The common alleles identified, p.Gly1961Glu and p. Leu2027Phe, both have a mild structural and functional effect on the adult retina; the latter is associated with relatively retained photoreceptor architecture and function at the fovea.

Contains fulltext : 59228.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical spectrum and molecular causes of retinal dystrophies in 3 families. DESIGN: Family molecular genetics study. PARTICIPANTS: Sixteen patients and 15 relatives in 3 families. METHODS: Members of 3 families with multiple ABCA4-associated retinal disorders were clinically evaluated. Deoxyribonucleic acid samples of all affected individuals and their family members were analyzed for variants in all 50 exons of the ABCA4 gene. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ABCA4-associated retinal phenotypes and mutations in the ABCA4 gene. RESULTS: In family A, 2 sisters were diagnosed with Stargardt's disease (STGD); the eldest sister was compound heterozygous for the mild 2588G-->C and the severe 768G-->T mutation. Another patient in this family with a severe type of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) carried the 768G-->T mutation homozygously. In family B, 2 siblings presented with an RP of severity similar to that encountered in family A. Both were homozygous for the severe IVS33+1G-->A mutation. Two other family members with STGD were compound heterozygous for the 2588G-->C and IVS33+1G-->A mutations. In family C, all 5 siblings of generation II demonstrated age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In generations III and IV, 2 STGD patients and 1 cone-rod dystrophy (CRD) patient were present. In 1 STGD patient we identified a heterozygous 768G-->T mutation. Sequence analysis of the entire ABCA4 gene did not reveal the remaining 2 mutations. Nevertheless, the 2 patients with STGD, the patient with CRD, and 2 of the AMD patients shared a common haplotype spanning the ABCA4 gene. CONCLUSIONS: Different mutations in the ABCA4 gene are the cause of STGD and RP or CRD in at least 2 and, possibly, 3 families. Patients with RP caused by ABCA4 mutations are characterized by an early onset and rapid progression of their retinal dystrophy, with extensive chorioretinal atrophy resulting in a very low visual acuity. Various combinations of relatively rare retinal disorders such as STGD, CRD, and RP in one family may not be as uncommon as once believed, in view of the relatively high carrier frequency of ABCA4 mutations (about 5%) in the general population.

Objective To report a new phenotype caused by mutations in the CRB1 gene in a family with 2 affected siblings. Design Molecular genetics and observational case studies. Participants Two affected siblings and 3 unaffected family members. Methods Each subject received a complete ophthalmic examination together with color fundus photography, fundus autofluorescence (FAF), and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Microperimetry 1 (MP-1) mapping and electroretinogram (ERG) analysis were performed on the proband. Screening for disease-causing mutations was performed by whole exome sequencing in 3 family members followed by segregation analyses in the entire family. Main Outcome Measures Appearance of the macula as examined by clinical examination, fundus photography, FAF imaging, SD-OCT, and visual function by MP-1 and ERG. Results The proband and her affected brother exhibited unusual, previously unreported, findings of a macular dystrophy with relative sparing of the retinal periphery beyond the vascular arcades. The FAF imaging showed severely affected areas of hypoautofluorescence that extended nasally beyond the optic disc in both eyes. A central macular patch of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) sparing was evident in both eyes on FAF, whereas photoreceptor sparing was documented in the right eye only using SD-OCT. The affected brother presented with irregular patterns of autofluorescence in both eyes characterized by concentric rings of alternating hyper- and hypoautofluorescence, and foveal sparing of photoreceptors and RPE, as seen on SD-OCT, bilaterally. After negative results in screening for mutations in candidate genes including ABCA4 and PRPH2 , DNA from 3 members of the family, including both affected siblings and their mother, was screened by whole exome sequencing resulting in identification of 2 CRB1 missense mutations, c.C3991T:p.R1331C and c.C4142T:p.P1381L, which segregated with the disease in the family. Of the 2, the p.R1331C CRB1 mutation has not been described before and the p.P1381L variant has been described in 1 patient with Leber congenital amaurosis. Conclusions This report illustrates a novel presentation of a macular dystrophy caused by CRB1 mutations. Both affected siblings exhibited a relatively well-developed retinal structure and preservation of generalized retinal function. An unusual 5-year progression of macular atrophy alone was observed that has not been described in any other CRB1 -associated phenotypes.

Purpose To describe the earliest features of ABCA4 -associated retinopathy. Design Case series. Participants Children with a clinical and molecular diagnosis of ABCA4 -associated retinopathy without evidence of macular atrophy. Methods The retinal phenotype was characterized by color fundus photography, OCT, fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging, electroretinography, and in 2 patients, adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO). Sequencing of the ABCA4 gene was performed in all patients. Main Outcome Measures Visual acuity, OCT, FAF, electroretinography, and AOSLO results. Results Eight children with ABCA4 -associated retinopathy without macular atrophy were identified. Biallelic variants in ABCA4 were identified in all patients. Four children were asymptomatic, and 4 reported loss of VA. Patients were young (median age, 8.5 years; interquartile range, 6.8 years) with good visual acuity (median, 0.155 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution [logMAR]; interquartile range, 0.29 logMAR). At presentation, the macula appeared normal (n = 3), had a subtly altered foveal reflex (n = 4), or demonstrated manifest fine yellow dots (n = 1). Fundus autofluorescence identified hyperautofluorescent dots in the central macula in 3 patients, 2 of whom showed a normal fundus appearance. Only 1 child had widespread hyperautofluorescent retinal flecks at presentation. OCT imaging identified hyperreflectivity at the base of the outer nuclear layer in all 8 patients. Where loss of outer nuclear volume was evident, this appeared to occur preferentially at a perifoveal locus. Longitudinal split-detector AOSLO imaging in 2 individuals confirmed that the greatest change in cone spacing occurred in the perifoveal, and not foveolar, photoreceptors. Electroretinography showed a reduced B-wave–to–A-wave ratio in 3 of 5 patients tested; in 2 children, recordings clearly showed electronegative results. Conclusions In childhood-onset ABCA4 -associated retinopathy, the earliest stages of macular atrophy involve the parafovea and spare the foveola. In some cases, these changes are predated by tiny, foveal, yellow, hyperautofluorescent dots. Hyperreflectivity at the base of the outer nuclear layer, previously described as thickening of the external limiting membrane, is likely to represent a structural change at the level of the foveal cone nuclei. Electroretinography suggests that the initial site of retinal dysfunction may occur after phototransduction.