Neural tube defects (NTDs) are malformations of the central nervous system that represent the second most common cause of congenital morbidity and mortality, following cardiovascular abnormalities. Maternal nutrition, particularly folic acid, a B vitamin, is crucial in the etiology of NTDs. FA plays a key role in DNA methylation, synthesis, and repair, acting as a cofactor in one-carbon transfer reactions essential for neural tube development. Randomized trials have shown that FA supplementation during preconceptional and periconceptional periods reduces the incidence of NTDs by nearly 80%. Consequently, it is recommended that all women of reproductive age take 400 µg of FA daily. Many countries have introduced FA fortification of staple foods to prevent NTDs, addressing the high rate of unplanned pregnancies. These policies have increased FA intake and decreased NTD incidence. Although the precise mechanisms by which FA protects against NTDs remain unclear, compelling evidence supports its efficacy in preventing most NTDs, leading to national recommendations for FA supplementation in women. This review focuses on preconceptional and periconceptional FA supplementation in the female population of the Visegrad Group countries (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary). Our findings emphasize the need for a comprehensive approach to NTDs, including FA supplementation programs, tailored counseling, and effective national-level policies.

• Klíčová slova
• folic acid, fortification, neural tube defects, polymorphisms, prevention, recommendations, supplementation,
• MeSH
• defekty neurální trubice * prevence a kontrola   epidemiologie   MeSH
• fyziologie výživy v mateřství MeSH
• kyselina listová * aplikace a dávkování   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• péče před početím * metody   MeSH
• potravní doplňky * MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• těhotenství MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Česká republika epidemiologie   MeSH
• Polsko MeSH
• Názvy látek
• kyselina listová * MeSH

Most rare clinical missense variants cannot currently be classified as pathogenic or benign. Deficiency in human 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), the most common inherited disorder of folate metabolism, is caused primarily by rare missense variants. Further complicating variant interpretation, variant impacts often depend on environment. An important example of this phenomenon is the MTHFR variant p.Ala222Val (c.665C>T), which is carried by half of all humans and has a phenotypic impact that depends on dietary folate. Here we describe the results of 98,336 variant functional-impact assays, covering nearly all possible MTHFR amino acid substitutions in four folinate environments, each in the presence and absence of p.Ala222Val. The resulting atlas of MTHFR variant effects reveals many complex dependencies on both folinate and p.Ala222Val. MTHFR atlas scores can distinguish pathogenic from benign variants and, among individuals with severe MTHFR deficiency, correlate with age of disease onset. Providing a powerful tool for understanding structure-function relationships, the atlas suggests a role for a disordered loop in retaining cofactor at the active site and identifies variants that enable escape of inhibition by S-adenosylmethionine. Thus, a model based on eight MTHFR variant effect maps illustrates how shifting landscapes of environment- and genetic-background-dependent missense variation can inform our clinical, structural, and functional understanding of MTHFR deficiency.

• Klíčová slova
• clinical variant interpretation, cystathionine beta synthase, deep mutational scanning, folate, gene- environment interaction, homocystinuria, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, molecular dynamics, mthfr, variant effect mapping,
• MeSH
• diploidie MeSH
• genotyp MeSH
• genová knihovna MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• methylentetrahydrofolátreduktasa (NADPH2) nedostatek   genetika   fyziologie   MeSH
• missense mutace * MeSH
• mutační analýza DNA MeSH
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae genetika   MeSH
• substituce aminokyselin MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Názvy látek
• methylentetrahydrofolátreduktasa (NADPH2) MeSH
• MTHFR protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč

BACKGROUND: Severe methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) deficiency is a rare inborn defect disturbing the remethylation of homocysteine to methionine (<200 reported cases). This retrospective study evaluates clinical, biochemical genetic and in vitro enzymatic data in a cohort of 33 patients. METHODS: Clinical, biochemical and treatment data was obtained from physicians by using a questionnaire. MTHFR activity was measured in primary fibroblasts; genomic DNA was extracted from cultured fibroblasts. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients (mean age at follow-up 11.4 years; four deceased; median age at first presentation 5 weeks; 17 females) were included. Patients with very low (<1.5%) mean control values of enzyme activity (n = 14) presented earlier and with a pattern of feeding problems, encephalopathy, muscular hypotonia, neurocognitive impairment, apnoea, hydrocephalus, microcephaly and epilepsy. Patients with higher (>1.7-34.8%) residual enzyme activity had mainly psychiatric symptoms, mental retardation, myelopathy, ataxia and spasticity. Treatment with various combinations of betaine, methionine, folate and cobalamin improved the biochemical and clinical phenotype. During the disease course, patients with very low enzyme activity showed a progression of feeding problems, neurological symptoms, mental retardation, and psychiatric disease while in patients with higher residual enzyme activity, myelopathy, ataxia and spasticity increased. All other symptoms remained stable or improved in both groups upon treatment as did brain imaging in some cases. No clear genotype-phenotype correlation was obvious. DISCUSSION: MTHFR deficiency is a severe disease primarily affecting the central nervous system. Age at presentation and clinical pattern are correlated with residual enzyme activity. Treatment alleviates biochemical abnormalities and clinical symptoms partially.

• MeSH
• ataxie genetika   MeSH
• betain terapeutické užití   MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• fenotyp MeSH
• genetické asociační studie metody   MeSH
• homocystinurie farmakoterapie   enzymologie   genetika   MeSH
• kyselina listová terapeutické užití   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mentální retardace genetika   MeSH
• methionin terapeutické užití   MeSH
• methylentetrahydrofolátreduktasa (NADPH2) nedostatek   genetika   MeSH
• mutace genetika   MeSH
• nemoci míchy genetika   MeSH
• psychotické poruchy farmakoterapie   enzymologie   genetika   MeSH
• retrospektivní studie MeSH
• svalová spasticita farmakoterapie   enzymologie   genetika   MeSH
• vitamin B 12 terapeutické užití   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• betain MeSH
• kyselina listová MeSH
• methionin MeSH
• methylentetrahydrofolátreduktasa (NADPH2) MeSH
• vitamin B 12 MeSH