Medicine (Austin & Northern Health) - Research Publications

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Early onset absence epilepsy: 1 in 10 cases is caused by GLUT1 deficiency

Arsov, T ; Mullen, SA ; Damiano, JA ; Lawrence, KM ; Huh, LL ; Nolan, M ; Young, H ; Thouin, A ; Dahl, H-HM ; Berkovic, SF ; Crompton, DE ; Sadleir, LG ; Scheffer, IE (WILEY-BLACKWELL, 2012-12-01)

Glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) deficiency caused by mutations of SLC2A1 is an increasingly recognized cause of genetic generalized epilepsy. We previously reported that >10% (4 of 34) of a cohort with early onset absence epilepsy (EOAE) had GLUT1 deficiency. This study uses a new cohort of 55 patients with EOAE to confirm that finding. Patients with typical absence seizures beginning before 4 years of age were screened for solute carrier family 2 (facilitated glucose transporter), member 1 (SLC2A1) mutations or deletions. All had generalized spike-waves on electroencephalography (EEG). Those with tonic and/or atonic seizures were excluded. Mutations were found in 7 (13%) of 55 cases, including five missense mutations, an in-frame deletion leading to loss of a single amino acid, and a deletion spanning two exons. Over both studies, 11 (12%) of 89 probands with EOAE have GLUT1 deficiency. Given the major treatment and genetic counseling implications, this study confirms that SLC2A1 mutational analysis should be strongly considered in EOAE.