OBJECTIVE

We aimed to analyze the occurrence and clinical and genetic characteristics of spinocerebellar ataxia type 17 (SCA17) among Russian patients with progressive cerebellar ataxia or Huntington disease-like phenotype.

METHODS

Genetic analysis of CAG/CAA repeats in TBP gene was carried out in 217 patients, including 153 patients with progressive unspecified ataxia and 64 patients with Huntington disease-like phenotype. SCA types 1, 2, 3, 6 and 8, Friedreich's ataxia, CANVAS and Huntington disease were preliminarily excluded.

RESULTS

Six unrelated patients with SCA17 (2.8 %) were identified (43-57 CAG/CAA repeats in TBP gene). Two patients had a positive family history. Age at the disease onset ranged from 15 to 47 years. The core clinical syndrome included progressive cerebellar ataxia, dysarthria, movement disorders, cognitive impairment, and psychiatric symptoms. One patient had epilepsy with rare generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Another patient with diffuse muscle atrophy and small expansion size (43 CAG/CAA repeats) had myopathic changes in skeletal muscles on EMG study. We also described a patient with a large expansion size of 57 CAA/CAG repeats with early onset and rapid disease progression.

CONCLUSION

SCA17 is a relatively rare cause of progressive disorders with ataxia and chorea, but it should be considered in the spectrum of differential diagnosis in such patients. Most of our SCA17 cases were sporadic which should be kept in mind when planning genetic testing in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia and chorea.