Card kit

Invitae Propionic Acidemia Panel

Test code: 06199

Test description

The Invitae Propionic Acidemia panel analyzes PCCA and PCCB, the two genes associated with propionic acidemia (PPA). PPA is caused by decreased activity of the enzyme propionyl-CoA carboxylase (PCC). PPA is a life-threatening organic acidemia. Any individual with a positive newborn screen for PPA (elevated C3, propionylcarnitine), biochemical studies consistent with PPA (elevated 3-hydroxypropionate, methylcitrate, tiglylglycine, and propionylglycine levels in urine organic acids; plasma amino acids with elevated glycine), suspected diagnosis of PPA based on clinical presentation, or a positive family history should be tested for PPA. Rare cases of isolated cardiomyopathy of unknown etiology have also been found to be a mild presentation of PPA. Correct diagnosis and subsequent metabolic control is the greatest determinant of long-term cognitive outcome.

Disorders tested

Ordering information

Turnaround time:

10–21 calendar days (14 days on average)

New York approved:

Yes

Preferred specimen:

3mL whole blood in a purple-top EDTA tube (K2EDTA or K3EDTA)

Alternate specimens:

Saliva, buccal swab, and gDNA are also accepted.
Learn more about specimen requirementsRequest a specimen collection kit

Clinical description and sensitivity

Clinical description:

Propionic acidemia (PPA) is an organic acidemia resulting in a deficiency in the enzyme propionyl-CoA carboxylase (PCC). PCC catalyzes the conversion of propionyl-CoA to methylmalonyl-CoA during the catabolism of the amino acids valine, isoleucine, threonine, and methionine as well as odd-chain fatty acids, cholesterol side chains, thymine, and uracil. Impairment of PCC results in a metabolic block that leads to elevated concentrations of propionate precursors and their metabolic by-products.

Propionic acidemia is a fully penetrant disorder that displays broad clinical heterogeneity ranging from a severe neonatal onset encephalopathy to isolated cardiomyopathy presenting in late adolescence to early adulthood. The heterogeneity is due to the residual PCC enzymatic activity, with the least activity associated with the most severe presentation of the disease. The severe, neonatal-onset presentation is the classic and most-common form; patients present in the first days of life, after protein catabolism has taken place, and is characterized by poor feeding, vomiting, somnolence, and acute clinical deterioration. Affected individuals can become lethargic and encephalopathic, can develop seizures or cardiorespiratory failure, and may possibly experience coma or death. Biochemically, affected individuals have anion-gap metabolic acidosis, ketonuria, hypoglycemia, hyperammonemia, and cytopenias. Patients who survive the first metabolic crisis often suffer from cognitive delay, seizures, basal ganglia lesions, growth impairment, pancreatitis, and cardiomyopathy.

Late-onset PPA (outside of the newborn period) can present during intercurrent illness, with symptoms that are similar to those in neonatal cases and ranging from mild to acute decompensation. Alternatively, there may be a chronic progressive course, with neurocognitive regression, failure to thrive, and other neurologic abnormalities. Individuals with neonatal and late-onset PPA are also susceptible to intermittent episodes of acute metabolic decompensation; such episodes are frequently precipitated by infection, injury, or physiologic stress.

Atypical presentations include adult-onset chorea and dementia without documented metabolic acidosis. Recently, PPA has been reported as a cause of isolated cardiomyopathy without metabolic acidosis or neurologic deficits. These cases have not experienced acute metabolic decompensation but have had biochemical abnormalities consistent with PPA.

Propionic acidemia is treatable by lifetime dietary restriction of the amino acids valine, methionine, isoleucine, and threonine, and by aggressive intervention during metabolic crises. Dietary therapy must be managed by a nutritionist to prevent malnutrition. Some affected individuals have been treated with a liver transplant.

Clinical description and sensitivity

Assay information

Invitae is a College of American Pathologists (CAP)-accredited and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified clinical diagnostic laboratory performing full-gene sequencing and deletion/duplication analysis using next-generation sequencing technology (NGS).

Our sequence analysis covers clinically important regions of each gene, including coding exons and 10 to 20 base pairs of adjacent intronic sequence on either side of the coding exons in the transcript listed below, depending on the specific gene or test. In addition, the analysis covers select non-coding variants. Any variants that fall outside these regions are not analyzed. Any limitations in the analysis of these genes will be listed on the report. Contact client services with any questions.

Based on validation study results, this assay achieves >99% analytical sensitivity and specificity for single nucleotide variants, insertions and deletions <15bp in length, and exon-level deletions and duplications. Invitae's methods also detect insertions and deletions larger than 15bp but smaller than a full exon but sensitivity for these may be marginally reduced. Invitae’s deletion/duplication analysis determines copy number at a single exon resolution at virtually all targeted exons. However, in rare situations, single-exon copy number events may not be analyzed due to inherent sequence properties or isolated reduction in data quality. Certain types of variants, such as structural rearrangements (e.g. inversions, gene conversion events, translocations, etc.) or variants embedded in sequence with complex architecture (e.g. short tandem repeats or segmental duplications), may not be detected. Additionally, it may not be possible to fully resolve certain details about variants, such as mosaicism, phasing, or mapping ambiguity. Unless explicitly guaranteed, sequence changes in the promoter, non-coding exons, and other non-coding regions are not covered by this assay. Please consult the test definition on our website for details regarding regions or types of variants that are covered or excluded for this test. This report reflects the analysis of an extracted genomic DNA sample. In very rare cases, (circulating hematolymphoid neoplasm, bone marrow transplant, recent blood transfusion) the analyzed DNA may not represent the patient's constitutional genome.

Assay information

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Primary panel

2 genes selected
PCCA
PCCB

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