Previously Undescribed Gross HACE1 Deletions as a Cause of Autosomal Recessive Spastic Paraplegia

Spastic paraplegia and psychomotor retardation with or without seizures (SPPRS, OMIM 616756) is a rare genetic disease caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in the gene. Originally, these mutations have been reported to be implicated in tumor predisposition. Nonetheless, via whole exome sequencing in 2015, mutations were suggested to be the cause of a new autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental disorder, which is characterized by spasticity, muscular hypotonia, and intellectual disability. To date, 14 pathogenic variants have been described; these variants have a loss-of-function effect that leads to clinical presentations with variable severities. However, gross deletions in the gene have not yet been mentioned as a cause of spastic paraplegia. Here, we report a clinical case involving a 2-year-old male presenting with spasticity, mainly affecting the lower limbs, and developmental delay. Exome sequencing, chromosomal microarray analysis, and mRNA analysis were used to identify the causative gene. We revealed that the clinical findings were due to previously undescribed biallelic deletions. We identified the deletion of exon 7: c.(534+1_535-1)_(617+1_618-1)del (NM_020771.4) and the gross deletion in the 6q16.3 locus, which affected the entire gene: g.105018931_105337494del, (GRCh37). A comprehensive diagnostic approach for the patients with originally homozygous mutations in is required since false homozygosity results are possible. More than 80% of the described mutations were reported to be homozygous. Initial hemizygosity is hard to detect by quantitative methods, and this may challenge molecular diagnostic identification in patients with spastic paraplegia.