Interpretation of the significance of maternally inherited X chromosome variants in males with neurocognitive phenotypes continues to present a challenge to clinical geneticists and diagnostic ...laboratories. Here we report 14 males from 9 families with duplications at the Xq13.2-q13.3 locus with a common facial phenotype, intellectual disability (ID), distinctive behavioral features, and a seizure disorder in two cases. All tested carrier mothers had normal intelligence. The duplication arose de novo in three mothers where grandparental testing was possible. In one family the duplication segregated with ID across three generations. RLIM is the only gene common to our duplications. However, flanking genes duplicated in some but not all the affected individuals included the brain-expressed genes NEXMIF, SLC16A2, and the long non-coding RNA gene FTX. The contribution of the RLIM-flanking genes to the phenotypes of individuals with different size duplications has not been fully resolved. Missense variants in RLIM have recently been identified to cause X-linked ID in males, with heterozygous females typically having normal intelligence and highly skewed X chromosome inactivation. We detected consistent and significant increase of RLIM mRNA and protein levels in cells derived from seven affected males from five families with the duplication. Subsequent analysis of MDM2, one of the targets of the RLIM E3 ligase activity, showed consistent downregulation in cells from the affected males. All the carrier mothers displayed normal RLIM mRNA levels and had highly skewed X chromosome inactivation. We propose that duplications at Xq13.2-13.3 including RLIM cause a recognizable but mild neurocognitive phenotype in hemizygous males.
Microcephaly-capillary malformation (MIC-CAP) syndrome is characterized by severe microcephaly with progressive cortical atrophy, intractable epilepsy, profound developmental delay and multiple small ...capillary malformations on the skin. We used whole-exome sequencing of five patients with MIC-CAP syndrome and identified recessive mutations in STAMBP, a gene encoding the deubiquitinating (DUB) isopeptidase STAMBP (STAM-binding protein, also known as AMSH, associated molecule with the SH3 domain of STAM) that has a key role in cell surface receptor-mediated endocytosis and sorting. Patient cell lines showed reduced STAMBP expression associated with accumulation of ubiquitin-conjugated protein aggregates, elevated apoptosis and insensitive activation of the RAS-MAPK and PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathways. The latter cellular phenotype is notable considering the established connection between these pathways and their association with vascular and capillary malformations. Furthermore, our findings of a congenital human disorder caused by a defective DUB protein that functions in endocytosis implicates ubiquitin-conjugate aggregation and elevated apoptosis as factors potentially influencing the progressive neuronal loss underlying MIC-CAP syndrome.
SMARCA4 encodes a central ATPase subunit in the BRG1‐/BRM‐associated factors (BAF) or polybromo‐associated BAF (PBAF) complex in humans, which is responsible in part for chromatin remodeling and ...transcriptional regulation. Variants in this and other genes encoding BAF/PBAF complexes have been implicated in Coffin–Siris Syndrome, a multiple congenital anomaly syndrome classically characterized by learning and developmental differences, coarse facial features, hypertrichosis, and underdevelopment of the fifth digits/nails of the hands and feet. Individuals with SMARCA4 variants have been previously reported and appear to display a variable phenotype. We describe here a cohort of 15 unrelated individuals with SMARCA4 variants from the Coffin–Siris syndrome/BAF pathway disorders registry who further display variability in severity and degrees of learning impairment and health issues. Within this cohort, we also report two individuals with novel nonsense variants who appear to have a phenotype of milder learning/behavioral differences and no organ‐system involvement.
Aim Achondroplasia is characterized by delays in the development of communication and motor skills. While previously reported developmental profiles exist across gross motor, fine motor, feeding, ...and communication skills, there has been no prospective study of development across multiple areas simultaneously.
Method This Australasian population‐based study utilized a prospective questionnaire to quantify developmental data for skills in children born from 2000 to 2009. Forty‐eight families from Australia and New Zealand were asked to report every 3 months on their child’s attainment of 41 milestones. Results include reference to previously available prospective information.
Results Information from questionnaires was used to develop an achondroplasia‐specific developmental recording form. The 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th centiles were plotted to offer clear guidelines for development across gross motor, fine motor, feeding, and communication skills in children with achondroplasia.
Interpretations Consistent with results from previous research, children with achondroplasia are delayed in development of gross motor and ambulatory skills. Young children with achondroplasia demonstrate a number of unique movement strategies that appear compensatory for the biomechanical changes. While delays were seen in development of later communication items, there were fewer delays seen across development of early communication, fine motor, and feeding skills.
Background Many families and individuals do not meet criteria for a known hereditary cancer syndrome but display unusual clusters of cancers. These families may carry pathogenic variants in cancer ...predisposition genes and be at higher risk for developing cancer. Methods This multi-centre prospective study recruited 195 cancer-affected participants suspected to have a hereditary cancer syndrome for whom previous clinical targeted genetic testing was either not informative or not available. To identify pathogenic disease-causing variants explaining participant presentation, germline whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and a comprehensive cancer virtual gene panel analysis were undertaken. Results Pathogenic variants consistent with the presenting cancer(s) were identified in 5.1% (10/195) of participants and pathogenic variants considered secondary findings with potential risk management implications were identified in another 9.7% (19/195) of participants. Health economic analysis estimated the marginal cost per case with an actionable variant was significantly lower for upfront WGS with virtual panel ($8744AUD) compared to standard testing followed by WGS ($24,894AUD). Financial analysis suggests that national adoption of diagnostic WGS testing would require a ninefold increase in government annual expenditure compared to conventional testing. Conclusions These findings make a case for replacing conventional testing with WGS to deliver clinically important benefits for cancer patients and families. The uptake of such an approach will depend on the perspectives of different payers on affordability. Keywords: Familial cancer, Genetics, Variants, Whole-genome sequencing, Diagnostic testing, Health economics
Aim The aim of this study was to determine population‐specific developmental milestones for independence in self‐care, mobility, and social cognitive skills in children with achondroplasia, the most ...common skeletal dysplasia.
Methods Population‐based recruitment from October 2008 to October 2010 identified 44 Australian children with achondroplasia aged 3 to 7 years. Consenting parents of 35 children (16 males, 19 females 14 aged 3y; 12 aged 5y; nine aged 7y) reported their child’s self‐care, mobility, and social cognition function using the Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM‐II) at the ages of 3 (n=14), 5 (n=12), or 7 (n=9) years. Children were excluded from the study if they had an additional neurological or musculoskeletal condition.
Results Functioning improved in children with achondroplasia between the ages of 3 and 5 years, but not subsequently. Milestones in the achondroplasia group were delayed across all ages and domains compared with normative reference data. Children with achondroplasia required greater caregiver assistance for self‐care and mobility skills than typically developing children based on normative data. Social cognition appeared to be an area of relative strength.
Interpretation Children up to 7 years of age with achondroplasia show delayed milestone acquisition and a greater need for caregiver assistance for all domains. As functional delays are likely to be related to common musculoskeletal impairments associated with achondroplasia, access to physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech and language pathologists skilled in achondroplasia management may assist children and families to become more independent, particularly around the time of starting school.
Annexin A1 (ANXA1) is a protein related with the carcinogenesis process and metastasis formation in many tumors. However, little is known about the prognostic value of ANXA1 in breast cancer. The ...purpose of this study is to evaluate the association between ANXA1 expression, BRCA1/2 germline carriership, specific tumor subtypes and survival in breast cancer patients.
Clinical-pathological information and follow-up data were collected from nine breast cancer studies from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) (n = 5,752) and from one study of familial breast cancer patients with BRCA1/2 mutations (n = 107). ANXA1 expression was scored based on the percentage of immunohistochemical staining in tumor cells. Survival analyses were performed using a multivariable Cox model.
The frequency of ANXA1 positive tumors was higher in familial breast cancer patients with BRCA1/2 mutations than in BCAC patients, with 48.6 % versus 12.4 %, respectively; P <0.0001. ANXA1 was also highly expressed in BCAC tumors that were poorly differentiated, triple negative, EGFR-CK5/6 positive or had developed in patients at a young age. In the first 5 years of follow-up, patients with ANXA1 positive tumors had a worse breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) than ANXA1 negative (HRadj = 1.35; 95 % CI = 1.05-1.73), but the association weakened after 10 years (HRadj = 1.13; 95 % CI = 0.91-1.40). ANXA1 was a significant independent predictor of survival in HER2+ patients (10-years BCSS: HRadj = 1.70; 95 % CI = 1.17-2.45).
ANXA1 is overexpressed in familial breast cancer patients with BRCA1/2 mutations and correlated with poor prognosis features: triple negative and poorly differentiated tumors. ANXA1 might be a biomarker candidate for breast cancer survival prediction in high risk groups such as HER2+ cases.
RAD51B in Familial Breast Cancer Pelttari, Liisa M; Khan, Sofia; Vuorela, Mikko ...
PloS one,
05/2016, Volume:
11, Issue:
5
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Common variation on 14q24.1, close to RAD51B, has been associated with breast cancer: rs999737 and rs2588809 with the risk of female breast cancer and rs1314913 with the risk of male breast cancer. ...The aim of this study was to investigate the role of RAD51B variants in breast cancer predisposition, particularly in the context of familial breast cancer in Finland. We sequenced the coding region of RAD51B in 168 Finnish breast cancer patients from the Helsinki region for identification of possible recurrent founder mutations. In addition, we studied the known rs999737, rs2588809, and rs1314913 SNPs and RAD51B haplotypes in 44,791 breast cancer cases and 43,583 controls from 40 studies participating in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) that were genotyped on a custom chip (iCOGS). We identified one putatively pathogenic missense mutation c.541C>T among the Finnish cancer patients and subsequently genotyped the mutation in additional breast cancer cases (n = 5259) and population controls (n = 3586) from Finland and Belarus. No significant association with breast cancer risk was seen in the meta-analysis of the Finnish datasets or in the large BCAC dataset. The association with previously identified risk variants rs999737, rs2588809, and rs1314913 was replicated among all breast cancer cases and also among familial cases in the BCAC dataset. The most significant association was observed for the haplotype carrying the risk-alleles of all the three SNPs both among all cases (odds ratio (OR): 1.15, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11-1.19, P = 8.88 x 10-16) and among familial cases (OR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.16-1.32, P = 6.19 x 10-11), compared to the haplotype with the respective protective alleles. Our results suggest that loss-of-function mutations in RAD51B are rare, but common variation at the RAD51B region is significantly associated with familial breast cancer risk.
KAL1 is implicated in 5% of Kallmann syndrome cases, a disorder which genotypically overlaps with septo-optic dysplasia (SOD). To date, a reporter-based assay to assess the functional consequences of ...KAL1 mutations is lacking. We aimed to develop a luciferase assay for novel application to functional assessment of rare KAL1 mutations detected in a screen of 422 patients with SOD.
Quantitative analysis was performed using L6-myoblasts stably expressing FGFR1, transfected with a luciferase-reporter vector containing elements of the FGF-responsive osteocalcin promoter.
The two variants assayed p.K185N, p.P291T, were detected in three females with SOD (presenting with optic nerve hypoplasia, midline and pituitary defects). Our novel assay revealed significant decreases in transcriptional activity p.K185N: 21% (p < 0.01); p.P291T: 40% (p < 0.001).
Our luciferase-reporter assay, developed for assessment of KAL1 mutations, determined that two variants in females with hypopituitarism/SOD are loss-of-function; demonstrating that this assay is suitable for quantitative assessment of mutations in this gene.
•We identified variations in X-linked KAL1 in three girls with septo-optic dysplasia.•We developed a luciferase assay for novel functional assessment of these variants.•Variants were loss of function but variably penetrant; other genes may be involved.•Cellular secretion of one of the mutant KAL1 proteins was partially disrupted.•We identified KAL1 expression in developing human pituitary by in situ hybridisation.
The DICER1 gene encodes an endoribonuclease involved in the production of mature microRNAs which regulates gene expression through several mechanisms. Recent studies have demonstrated somatic ...mutations in DICER1 in approximately 60% of ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors. Furthermore, patients with germline mutations in DICER1 are predisposed to developing a range of rare neoplasms including ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors most of which have been classified as Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor. However, the histologic features of these tumors have not been reported in detail. We describe the morphologic and immunophenotypic findings of 4 sex cord-stromal tumors arising in patients with proven or likely germline DICER1 mutations including 3 individuals from 1 family. Three tumors showed similar appearances characterized by marked architectural and cytologic heterogeneity including sertoliform, juvenile granulosa cell tumor-like, and unclassifiable elements. The remaining case mainly showed heterologous mucinous epithelial and neuroendocrine differentiation with only a minor intermediate-grade Sertoli cell component. This tumor and one of the 3 former cases arose in related patients with identical germline DICER1 mutations indicating that additional factors influence tumor morphology. All tumors were positive for steroidogenic factor-1 and FOXL2 on immunohistochemical analysis, whereas there was more variable expression of inhibin, calretinin, CD56, CD99, and hormone receptors. The present small series suggests that some ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor associated with germline DICER1 mutations may show distinctive histologic features in particular admixed Sertoli cell and juvenile granulosa cell tumor-like features. Larger studies are required to establish whether heterologous elements are also a more common feature of these tumors.
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