Genomic variants associated with inborn errors in carbohydrate metabolism in southwestern Colombia

Abstract

Introduction: Carbohydrate Inborn Errors of Metabolism (IEMs) result from disruption of the catabolic or anabolic pathways of different carbohydrates, fructose, galactose and glycogen being the most common and belong to a heterogeneous group of disorders that may be inherited or may occur as a result of spontaneous genetic variants. In IEM, there are altered carbohydrate pathways, both catabolic and anabolic pathways, including fructose, galactose and glycogen metabolism, resulting in a heterogeneous group of disorders. However, data on these pathologies in Colombia are scarce. The aim of our study was to identify genomic variants associated with carbohydrate IEM in the southwestern Colombian population lacking clinical diagnosis. Results: We performed a cross-sectional study, sequencing 320 exomes and classifying variants according to standard guidelines. We identified 286 variants, including 206 new variants and 73 benign or probably benign variants. Notably, six variants in genes such as GALT, GAK1, ALDOB, GAA and SLC2A1 were of uncertain significance, and one pathogenic variant in the GALT gene was associated with classic galactosemia. Interestingly, 18% were intronic, 5% missense, 10% synonymous, and 67% unreported variants. Conclusions: These findings highlight the need for early diagnostic programs to implement targeted treatments, including transdisciplinary management to minimize morbidity and mortality. Genetic counseling and risk education are crucial, facilitating anticipatory and preventive medicine approaches, thus advancing precision medicine.