Cited by 331Genomic variations and chromosomal abnormalitiesGenetics and Neurodevelopmental DisordersAutism Spectrum Disorder Research

A 600 kb deletion syndrome at 16p11.2 leads to energy imbalance and neuropsychiatric disorders

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Zufferey, Flore, Sherr, Elliott H, Beckmann, Noam D, Hanson, Ellen, Maillard, Anne M, Hippolyte, Loyse, Macé, Aurélien, Ferrari, Carina +30 more·2012·Journal of Medical Genetics

Abstract

Background: The recurrent ∼600 kb 16p11.2 BP4-BP5 deletion is among the most frequent known genetic aetiologies of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related neurodevelopmental disorders. Objective: To define the medical, neuropsychological, and behavioural phenotypes in carriers of this deletion. Methods: We collected clinical data on 285 deletion carriers and performed detailed evaluations on 72 carriers and 68 intrafamilial non-carrier controls. Results: When compared to intrafamilial controls, full scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) is two standard deviations lower in carriers, and there is no difference between carriers referred for neurodevelopmental disorders and carriers identified through cascade family testing. Verbal IQ (mean 74) is lower than non-verbal IQ (mean 83) and a majority of carriers require speech therapy. Over 80% of individuals exhibit psychiatric disorders including ASD, which is present in 15% of the paediatric carriers. Increase in head circumference (HC) during infancy is similar to the HC and brain growth patterns observed in idiopathic ASD. Obesity, a major comorbidity present in 50% of the carriers by the age of 7 years, does not correlate with FSIQ or any behavioural trait. Seizures are present in 24% of carriers and occur independently of other symptoms. Malformations are infrequently found, confirming only a few of the previously reported associations. Conclusions: The 16p11.2 deletion impacts in a quantitative and independent manner FSIQ, behaviour and body mass index, possibly through direct influences on neural circuitry. Although non-specific, these features are clinically significant and reproducible. Lastly, this study demonstrates the necessity of studying large patient cohorts ascertained through multiple methods to characterise the clinical consequences of rare variants involved in common diseases.

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Crossref · 10.1136/jmedgenet-2012-101203

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  • 16p11.2 deletions are associated with macrocephaly and obesity, while duplications often lead to microcephaly and low body weight/BMI.

    “Deletions of 16p11.2 are associated with increased head circumference (macrocephaly) [10, 12, 17, 23] and obesity [10, 12, 16, 20], whereas duplications often result in below average head size (microcephaly) [10, 17, 23, 24] and low body weight/BMI [10, 24].”
  • Deletions and duplications of 16p11.2 have highly pleiotropic phenotypic effects, with strong links to ASD, ID, motor/developmental delay, dysmorphic features, and epilepsy/seizures.

    “Deletions and duplications of 16p11.2 have highly pleiotropic phenotypic effects, with strong links to ASD [8–19], ID [8, 10, 12, 14–16, 19–21], motor/developmental delay [8–10, 12, 13, 15–19, 22], dysmorphic features [8, 12, 16, 17, 22], and epilepsy/seizures [10, 12, 17].”
  • Several supporting studies also reported lower FSIQ scores in 16p11.2 deletion and duplication patients than in intrafamilial controls.

    “Several supporting studies also reported lower FSIQ scores in 16p11.2 deletion [12, 35] and duplication [19, 35] patients than intrafamilial controls.”
  • In studies with at least 50 subjects, 60-76% of 16p11.2 deletions were reported as de novo, while only 16-29% of 16p11.2 duplications occurred de novo.

    “In studies with at least 50 subjects, between 60–76% of 16p11.2 deletions were reported as de novo events [10, 12, 34, 36], while only 16–29% of 16p11.2 duplications occurred de novo [10, 19, 34, 36].”
  • Epilepsy/seizures ranks among the most common phenotypes observed in both 16p11.2 deletions and duplications.

    “Epilepsy/seizures ranks among the most common phenotypes observed in both 16p11.2 deletions and duplications [10, 12, 16, 17, 33, 36] (Table 2).”

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  1. [25]Wechsler D Wechsler adult intelligence scale—third edition. Administration and scoring manual San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation, 1997
  2. [26]Sparrow SS Cichetti DV Balla DA Vineland adaptative behavior scales. 2nd edn Livonia, MN: Pearson Assessments, 2006

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Authors
Zufferey, F., Sherr, E. H., Beckmann, N. D., Hanson, E., Maillard, A. M., Hippolyte, L., Macé, A., Ferrari, C., Kutalik, Z., Andrieux, J., Aylward, E., Barker, M., Bernier, R., Bouquillon, S., Conus, P., Delobel, B., Faucett, W. A., Goin-Kochel, R. P., Grant, E., Harewood, L., Hunter, J. V., Lebon, S., Ledbetter, D. H., Martin, C. L., Männik, K., Martinet, D., Mukherjee, P., Ramocki, M. B., Spence, S. J., Steinman, K. J., Tjernagel, J., Spiro, J. E., Reymond, A., Beckmann, J. S., Chung, W. K., Jacquemont, S., on behalf of the Simons VIP Consortium, & on behalf of the 16p11.2 European Consortium
Affiliations
  • Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CH)
  • University of California, San Francisco (US)
  • Boston Children's Hospital (US)
  • SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (CH)
  • Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Lille (FR)
  • Seattle Children's Research Institute (US)
  • University of Washington (US)
  • Groupe Hospitalier de l'Institut Catholique de Lille (FR)
  • Geisinger Medical Center (US)
  • Department of Pediatrics, Psychology Section, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
  • Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
  • University of Lausanne (CH)
  • Baylor College of Medicine (US)
  • Emory University (US)
  • Simons Foundation (US)
  • Columbia University Irving Medical Center (US)
Corresponding author
Chung, Wendy K
Venue
Journal of Medical Genetics
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2012-10
Volume
49
Issue
10
Pages
660-668
ISSN
  • 0022-2593 (ISSN-L)
  • 1468-6244
OpenAlex
W2117381227
Cited by
326
References
55
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 53 · 2017: 25 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 29 · 2013: 15
FWCI
13.27
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc
Locations
  • Journal of Medical Genetics (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • SERVAL (Université de Lausanne) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • IRIS (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Use Siena air (University of Siena) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion)
  • BORIS (University Library Bern) (submittedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Research Portal (Queen's University Belfast) (submittedVersion)
  • SERVAL (Université de Lausanne) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation
  • Simons Foundation
  • Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative
  • European Commission
  • Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
  • Fondation Leenaards
  • Université de Lausanne
  • European Regional Development Fund
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK052431)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genomic variations and chromosomal abnormalities
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Keywords
16p11.2 deletion syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, neuropsychiatric disorders, intellectual disability, obesity, seizures, head circumference, energy imbalance, neurodevelopmental disorders, rare variants, phenotypic characterization
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Child, Developmental Disabilities, Child Development Disorders, Pervasive, Chromosome Deletion, Chromosomes, Human, Pair 16, Female, Heterozygote, Humans, Intelligence Tests, Male, Phenotype, Syndrome, Body Mass Index, Gene Order, Young Adult

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