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Abstract: We report here the characterization of a three-generation Han Chinese family with Leber''s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). This Chinese family exhibited high penetrance and expressivity of visual impairment. The average age-of-onset was 19 years in this family. All male and 33% female matrilineal relatives in this Chinese family developed visual loss with a wide range of severity, ranging from blindness to normal vision. Sequence analysis of the complete mitochondrial DNA in this pedigree revealed the presence of the ND4 G11778A mutation and 40 other variants, belonging to the Asian haplogroup D4. The G11778A mutation is present at homoplasmy in matrilineal relatives of this Chinese family. Of other variants, the homoplasmic A15951G mutation is of special interest as it is located adjacent to 3′ end, at conventional position 71 of tRNAThr. The adenine (A71) at this position of tRNAThr, highly conserved from bacteria to human mitochondria, has been implicated to be important for tRNA identity and pre-tRNA processing. In fact, the significant reduction of the steady-state levels in tRNAThr was observed in cells carrying both the A15951G and G11778A mutations but not cells carrying only G11778A mutation. Thus, the A15951G mutation most probably leads to a failure in mitochondrial tRNA metabolism, worsening the mitochondrial dysfunction associated with the primary G11778A mutation. These imply that the tRNAThr A15951G mutation may have a potential modifier role in increasing the penetrance and expressivity of the primary LHON-associated G11778A mutation in this Chinese family. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Postoperative vision loss after spinal surgery is a well-known but devastating complication that may result from direct ocular ischemia, embolism to the central retinal artery, ischemic optic neuropathy, or occipital cortical ischemia. The occipital cortex is situated in the posterior border zone of the middle and posterior cerebral arteries and is susceptible to ischemic damage. Transient cortical blindness as a cause of postoperative vision loss has never been reported after spine surgery in a child. We report an 11-year-old female patient with muscular dystrophy who underwent posterior spinal fusion and instrumentation under hypotensive anesthesia for scoliosis who developed transient cortical blindness.

Purpose: To investigating the role of mitochondrial haplotypes in the development of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) associated with the ND4 G11778A mutation in Chinese families., Methods: A three-generation Chinese family with LHON was studied by clinical and genetic evaluation as well as molecular and biochemical analysis of mitochondrial (mt)DNA., Results: This family exhibits a high penetrance and expressivity of visual impairment. The average age at onset was 13.9 years in this family. Of the family members, 86% of the male and 29% of the female matrilineal relatives had visual loss, with a wide range of severity, from blindness to nearly normal vision. Molecular analysis of mtDNA identified the homoplasmic ND4 G11778A mutation and 35 other variants, belonging to the Asian haplogroup D5. Of other variants, the novel homoplasmic A4435G mutation absent in 164 Chinese controls is localized at 3' end adjacent to the anticodon, at conventional position 37 (A37), of tRNAMet. The adenine (A37) at this position of tRNAMet is extraordinarily conserved from bacteria to human mitochondria. This modified A37 was shown to contribute to the high fidelity of codon recognition and to the structural formation and stabilization of functional tRNAs. In fact, the significant reduction of the steady state levels in tRNAMet was observed in cells carrying the both the A4435G and G11778A mutations but not cells carrying only the G11778A mutation. Thus, a failure in mitochondrial tRNA metabolism, caused by the A4435G mutation, may worsen the mitochondrial dysfunction associated with the primary G11778A mutation., Conclusions: The novel tRNAMet A4435G mutation has a potential modifier role in increasing the penetrance and expressivity of the primary LHON-associated G11778A mutation in this Chinese family.