Mutations in the BEST1 gene are associated with a range of retinal diseases collectively referred to as "Best diseases", including Best vitelline macular dystrophy. More than 300 mutations at different sites of the BEST1 gene have been found, which may cause a series of functional disorders such as the mistransport of the calcium-activated anion channel protein-1 protein encoded by it, protein oligomerization defects, and abnormal anion channel activity, leading to different clinical phenotypes. Although it has been established that the BEST1 gene mutation is associated with at least one different type of Best disease, the relationship between the specific gene mutation site and the specific clinical phenotype has not been fully defined. For the time being. Drugs and gene therapy for the Best diseases are still in the basic research stage, which provides a broad development space for future treatment exploration. In the future, when selecting gene therapy in clinical applications, it is necessary to combine the clinical phenotype and molecular diagnosis of patients, and clearly define their mutation types and pathogenic mechanisms in order to achieve better personalized treatment effects.
Objective To research the clinical characteristics and the arysulfatase A(ARSA) gene screening inafamily withametachromatic leukodystrophy and epilepsy child. Methods Clinical data were collected and ARSA gene were tested by PCR and Sanger sequencing in the pedigree． Results Two mutations in exon 2 of ARSA gene was identified in the proband includingaknown heterozygous missense mutation c.293C>T which was also found in his mother andanovel frameshift mutation c.302de1G. None of them was found in the proband’s brother. Conclusion The intractable epilepsy of the proband was related to his metachromatic leukodystrophy. Andanew frameshift mutation c.302delG was found in his ARSA gene, which haven’t reported around the world yet. Combined with the patient’s typical late infantile presentation, we speculated that the frameshift mutation c.302delG may be the cause of MLD.
Objective To detective KRAS and BRAF mutations in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) and explore its significance in resistance of imatinib treatment. Methods Three hundred and eighty-one c-kit/PDGFRA mutation samples, 119 c-kit/PDGFRA wild type samples, and 19 pairs of samples before and after imatinib resistance from 519 patients with GIST were enrolled in this study. Polymerase chain reaction was used to detect KRAS exon 2 and BRAF exon 15 mutations. The survival data were evaluated in patients with KRAS or BRAF mutation. Results KRAS mutation was found in 2 cases (1.7%) of c-kit /PDGFRA wild type GISTs, the type of KRAS mutation was G12D and G12C, respectively. BRAFV600E mutation was found in 2 cases (1.7%) of wild type GISTs. No KRAS and BRAF mutations were found in the patients with the c-kit/PDGFRA mutation GISTs and pairs of GISTs before and after imatinib resistance. Two patients with KRAS mutation showed shorter progression free survivals for imatinib treatment. Two patients with BRAF mutation had longer recurrence free survivals. Conclusions Low frequency of KRAS or BRAF mutation only happens in wild type GISTs. KRAS mutation might be related to imatinib primary resistance, but not to secondary resistance.
Objective To study the mutations at 1 573 fragment of TNF receptor II (TNFR-II) gene in patients with keloid. Methods The tissue DNA was extracted from 22 samples of keloids donated by 22 patients (6 males and 16 females, aged 18-53 years), and all keloids were examined and classified by pathologist. The peri pheral blood DNA was extracted from the same patients as the control. PCR was used to ampl ify the 1 573 fragment of TNFR-II gene from the keloid tissue DNA and peripheral blood DNA. The PCR products were sequenced directly and then compared with the GeneBankdata. Results All the concentration of the extracted DNA in trial were higher than 0.50 μg/μL and the purity (A260/A280) ofthe extracted DNA were higher than 1.5. It closed to the magnitude of the design DNA fragment by agarose gel electrophoresis examining, and corresponded with the test requirement. Mutations at 1 573 fragment of TNFR-II gene were detected in 13 out of 22 keloids. The mutation incidence was 59.1%. Among them, 9 had point mutation at codon 1 663, accounting 40.9%. No TNFR-II gene mutation was detected in all peripheral blood samples. There were significant difference between keloids DNA and peripheral blood DNA (P lt;0.01). The mutations involved point mutation, deletion and insertion as well as multisite and multitype. Conclusion There is a correlation between the mutation at 1 573 fragment of TNFR-II gene and keloid.
Objective To systematically review the association between prothrombin gene G20210A mutation and the risk of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). Methods Databases including PubMed, Springer, Google Scholar, The Cochrane Library (Issue 1, 2016), CNKI, WanFang Data and CBM were searched for case-control studies concerning the association between prothrombin gene G20210A mutation and cerebral venous thrombosis risk from inception to January 2016. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. Then, meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software and Stata 12.0 software. Results A total of 26 case-control studies were included, involving 1 361 CVT cases and 6 323 controls. The results of meta-analysis showed that: there was a significant association between prothrombin gene G20210A mutation and CVT risk (OR=4.56, 95% CI 3.51 to 5.93,P<0.000 01). Sensitivity analysis showed no significant publication bias was detected confirmed the stability of results. Subgroup analysis showed that G20210A mutation increased CVT risk in adults (OR=5.02, 95% CI 3.81 to 6.60,P<0.000 01), but not in children (OR=1.99, 95% CI 0.83 to 4.79,P=0.12). Conclusion Prothrombin gene G20210A mutation can significantly increase the CVT risk. Due to the limited quality and quantity of included studies, the above results are needed to be validated by more high quality studies.
ObjectiveTo determine the pathogenic gene mutation in a family with incomplete congenital quiescent night blindness (CSNB) of Schubert-Bornschein type. MethodsA retrospective clinical study. In February 2021, one patient and his parents and elder brother from a Han Chinese incomplete CSNB of Schubert-Bornschein type family diagnosed by clinical and genetic examination at Henan Provincial People's Hospital were included in the study. The patient’s medical history, family history were inquired; best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), color vision, fundus color photography, full-field electroretinogram (ERG), and frequency domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) were examined in detail. Five ml of the subject’s peripheral venous blood was collected and the whole genome DNA was extracted. The genomic DNA of the subject was library constructed, and all-exon probes were polymerized for capture. The suspected pathogenic mutation site was verified by Sanger, and the pathogenicity of the gene mutation site was determined by parallel bioinformatics analysis. ResultsThe BCVA of both eyes of the proband (Ⅱ2) was 0.4; the color vision test could not recognize the red color. Fundus examination showed no obvious abnormalities. The retina thickness in the macular area of both eyes was slightly thinned. ERG examination of the whole field showed that the amplitude of ERG b wave was significantly reduced under the stimulation of binocular dark adaptation 3.0 and showed a negative waveform. The mother of the proband (Ⅰ2) had normal BCVA, color vision, fundus color photography, and frequency domain OCT examination. The full-field ERG examination showed that the amplitude of each eye reaction was slightly reduced, and the amplitude of the dark adaptation shock potential was significantly reduced. Genetic testing showed that the proband (Ⅱ2) had a c.1761dupC hemizygous mutation in exon 14 of the voltage-dependent calcium channel α1F subunit gene (CACNA1F gene). The results of protein sequence homology analysis showed that the site was highly conserved in multiple species; the results of bioinformatics analysis showed that the CACNA1F gene c.1761dupC (pY588fs) subsequently had a frameshift mutation and became a stop at position 10. Codons appear translational termination in the conserved regions of the protein. According to the standards and guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the mutation was judged to be a possible pathogenic variant. The mother of the proband (Ⅰ2) was a carrier of this site mutation. The clinical and genetic test results of the father and elder brother of the proband were not abnormal. ConclusionCACNA1F gene c.1761dupC is the pathogenic mutation site of the Schubert-Bornschein type incomplete CSNB family.
Objective To observe and analyze the ocular clinical features and pathogenic genes of Alström syndrome (ALMS). MethodsA retrospective clinical study. From October 2020 to July 2022, 3 patients and 5 normal family members from 2 families affected with ALMS who visited in the Ophthalmology Department of Henan Children's Hospital were enrolled in the study. These 2 families were without blood relationship. The medical history and family history were inquired. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), fundus color photography, full-field electroretinogram (ERG), frequency domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) and systemic examination were performed. 3 ml peripheral venous blood of patients and their family members were collected, and the whole genomic DNA was extracted. The second generation sequencing analysis was performed on these members. The suspected pathogenic mutation sites were verified by Sanger, and the pathogenicity of the gene mutation sites were determined by bioinformatics analysis. ResultsThree patients from two families all developed nystagmus and photophobia in infancy. In the family 1, the BCVA of both eyes of the proband was no light perception. The fundus examination revealed vascular attenuation and retinal pigment abnormality. OCT showed retinal thinning, loss of photoreceptor layer and atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium layer. ERG examination showed extinguished. The BCVA of the proband’s younger brother was 0.04 in the right eye and 0.02 in the left eye. The fundus examination revealed vascular attenuation but the pigment distribution was roughly normal. OCT showed blurred photoreceptor layers in both eyes. ERG examination showed extinguished. Two patients developed sensorineural deafness, obesity, acanthosis nigricans, insulin resistance/diabetes, and abnormal liver function. In addition, the proband also had left heart enlargement, hyperlipidemia and abnormal kidney function. The results of genetic testing showed that the proband and his younger brother had compound heterozygous mutations in exon 8 (c.1894C＞T/p.Gln632*, M1) and exon 10 (c.9148_9149delCT/p.Leu 3050 Leufs*9, M2) of ALMS1, which were both known mutations. The father of the proband was a carrier of M1 and the mother of the proband was a carrier of M2. The proband of the family 2 had a normal fundus at 23 months old. The amplitude of ERG b wave under the stimulation of the dark adaptation 0.01 and a, b wave under the stimulation of dark adaptation 0.3 were all mild reduced. The amplitude of ERG a, b wave under the stimulation of the light adaptation 0.3 was severity decreased. At 4 years old, the BCVA was 0.01 in the right eye and 0.05 in the left eye. The fundus examination revealed vascular attenuation and bilateral blunted foveal reflex. In addition to severely diminished of a, b wave under the stimulation of dark adaptation 0.3, the rest showed extinguished. There were no systemic abnormalities. The results of genetic testing showed that the proband had compound heterozygous mutations in exon 11 (c.9627delT/p.Pro3210Glnfs*22, M3) and exon 5 (c.1089delT/p.Asp364Ilefs*13, M4) of ALMS1, which were both novel mutations. The father of the proband was a carrier of M3 and the mother of the proband was a carrier of M4. ConclusionsNystagmus and photophobia are often the first clinical manifestations of ALMS. In the early stage, the fundus can be basically normal. As the disease progresses, the fundus examination reveals vascular attenuation and retinal pigment abnormality, and the reflection of the fovea is unclear. OCT shows the photoreceptor cell layers are blurred or even lost. The final ERG is extinguished. M1, M2, and M3, M4 compound heterozygous mutations may be the pathogeny for family 1 and family 2, respectively.
Genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+) is a new type of genetic epilepsy syndrome with a marked hereditary tendency. Febrile seizure is the most common clinical symptom, followed by febrile seizure plus, and with/without absence seizures, focal seizures, and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Results of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), exon sequencing and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis showed that the occurrence of GEFS+ is mainly related to the mutation of gamma aminobutyric acid type A receptor gamma 2 subunit (GABRG2), but its pathogenesis was still unclear. The main types of GABRG2 mutations include missense mutation, nonsense mutation, frameshift mutation, point mutation and splice site mutation. All these types of mutations can reduce the function of ion channels on cell membrane, but the degree and mechanism of dysfunction are different, which may be the main mechanism of epilepsy. This article will focus on the relationship between GEFS+ and the mutation types of GABRG2 in recent years, which is of great significance for clinical accurate diagnosis, anti-epileptic treatment strategy and new drug development.
Objective To summarize the significance of BRAFV600E mutation for the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Methods Related literatures which were published in recent years for exploring the relationship of BRAFV600E mutation and PTC were collected and reviewed. Results The BRAFV600E mutation was the most common mutant type in PTC, which played an important role in the oncogenesis and development of PTC. In addition, this type of mutation was closely associated with aggressive behavior and poor prognosis of PTC. The BRAFV600E testing in fine needle aspiration (FNA) samples of thyroid nodule not only facilitated to improve the diagnostic accuracy of PTC, but also helped ensure the recurrence risk classification, selection of surgical treatment, and follow-up planning. Conclusion BRAFV600E mutation was prevalent in PTC and had important significance both in diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of PTC.