Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31529142›Full record

ArticleJournal of molecular medicine (Berlin, Germany)2019

A combination of two novel VARS2 variants causes a mitochondrial disorder associated with failure to thrive and pulmonary hypertension.

Hui-Lin Chin, Denise Li-Meng Goh, Furene Sijia Wang, Stacey Kiat Hong Tay, Chew Kiat Heng, Claudia Donnini, Enrico Baruffini, Ophry Pines

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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of molecular medicine (Berlin, Germany), 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 37% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.

Hui-Lin ChinKhoo Teck Puat-National University Children's Medical Institute, National University Health Systems (NUHS), Singapore, Singapore. hui-lin_chin@nuhs.edu.sg.ORCID 0000-0001-7431-6794
Denise Li-Meng GohKhoo Teck Puat-National University Children's Medical Institute, National University Health Systems (NUHS), Singapore, Singapore.
Furene Sijia WangKhoo Teck Puat-National University Children's Medical Institute, National University Health Systems (NUHS), Singapore, Singapore.
Stacey Kiat Hong TayKhoo Teck Puat-National University Children's Medical Institute, National University Health Systems (NUHS), Singapore, Singapore.
Chew Kiat HengKhoo Teck Puat-National University Children's Medical Institute, National University Health Systems (NUHS), Singapore, Singapore.
Claudia DonniniDepartment of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124, Parma, Italy.
Enrico BaruffiniDepartment of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 11/A, 43124, Parma, Italy. enrico.baruffini@unipr.it.
Ophry PinesDepartment of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, IMRIC, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
National University of Singapore · SGUniversity of Parma · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The VARS2 gene encodes a mitochondrial valyl-transfer RNA synthetase which is used in mitochondrial translation. To date, several patients with VARS2 pathogenic variants have been described in the literature. These patients have features of lactic acidosis with encephalomyopathy. We present a case of an infant with lactic acidosis, failure to thrive, and severe primary pulmonary hypertension who was found to be a compound heterozygote for two novel VARS2 variants (c.1940C>T, p.(Thr647Met) and c.2318G>A, p.(Arg773Gln)). The patient was treated with vitamin supplements and a carbohydrate-restricted diet. The lactic acidosis and failure to thrive resolved, and he showed good growth and development. Functional studies and molecular analysis employed a yeast model system and the VAS1 gene (yeast homolog of VARS2). VAS1 genes harboring either one of two mutations corresponding to the two novel variants in the VARS2 gene, exhibited partially reduced function in haploid yeast strains. A combination of both VAS1 variant alleles in a diploid yeast cell exhibited a more significant decrease in oxidative metabolism-dependent growth and in the oxygen consumption rate (reminiscent of the patient who carries two mutant VARS2 alleles). Our results demonstrate the pathogenicity of the biallellic novel VARS2 variants. KEY MESSAGES: • A case of an infant who is a compound heterozygote for two novel VARS2 variants. • This infant displayed lactic acidosis, failure to thrive, and pulmonary hypertension. • Treatment of the patient with a carbohydrate-restricted diet resulted in good growth and development. • Studies with the homologous yeast VAS1 gene showed reduced function of corresponding single mutant in haploid yeast strains. • A combination of both VAS1 variant alleles in diploid yeast exhibited a more significant decrease in function, thereby confirming the pathogenicity of the biallellic novel VARS2 variants.

Indexed as

AllelesAmino Acid SequenceFailure to ThriveHeterozygoteHLA AntigensHumansHypertension, PulmonaryInfantMaleMitochondrial DiseasesMutationSaccharomyces cerevisiaeSequence Analysis, DNAValine-tRNA LigaseHLA AntigensValine-tRNA LigaseVARS2 protein, humanAminoacyl-tRNA synthetaseFailure to thriveMitochondrial disorderOXPHOS defectPulmonary hypertensionVARS2VAS1Yeast model system

Identifiers

PMID31529142
OpenAlexW2974057596

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.