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Family Screening (family + screening)
Selected AbstractsFirst observation of homozygous hemoglobin hamadan (B 56 (D7) GLY-ARG) and beta thalassemia (-29 G>A)- hemoglobin Hamadan combination in a Turkish familyAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2003Ece Akar Abstract During screening surveys for beta thalassemia and abnormal hemoglobins in Mugla, a city located in the Aegean Region of Turkey, a hemoglobin variant was detected in two large families residing in two neigboring cities (i.e., Mu,la and Aydin) without any clinical signs. Further analysis of the variant revealed it as Hb Hamadan (B 56 (D7) GLY-ARG). Family screening revealed the father of the propositus as homozygote Hb Hamadan. The grandfather of the index case was detected as combination of Hb Hamadan with beta thalassemia. The beta thalassemia carrier had a promotor mutation at ,29 G>A, which is also a novel mutation. Furthermore, we described a simple and rapid restriction enzyme digestion protocol (Hha I) for the verification of Hb Hamadan. The clinical and hematologic data of the index case and his father showed that neither homozygous Hb Hamadan nor combination with beta thalassemia has clinical importance. This is also important especially from the prenatal diagnosis point of view. Am. J. Hematol. 74:280,282, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Thyroid hormone resistance: the role of mutational analysisINTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL, Issue 11 2006C. M. Florkowski Abstract The finding of increased thyroxine (T4) and tri-iodothyronine (T3) levels in a patient with normal or increased thyroid-stimulating hormone is unexpected and presents a differential diagnosis between a thyroid-stimulating hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma, generalized resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH) and laboratory artefact. Without careful clinical and biochemical evaluation, errors may occur in patient diagnosis and treatment. In the case of RTH, mutation of the thyroid hormone receptor beta gene results in generalized tissue resistance to thyroid hormone. As the pituitary gland shares in this tissue resistance, euthyroidism with a normal thyroid-stimulating hormone is usually maintained by increased thyroid hormones. To date, we have identified eight pedigrees in New Zealand with mutations in the thyroid hormone receptor beta gene, including two novel mutations. Mutational analysis of the thyroid hormone receptor beta gene allows definitive diagnosis of RTH, potentially avoiding the need for protracted and expensive pituitary function testing and imaging. Mutational analysis also enables family screening and may help to avoid potential misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. [source] Familial Hypocalciuric Hypercalcemia Caused by an R648stop Mutation in the Calcium-Sensing Receptor Gene ,JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 12 2002Mika Yamauchi Abstract In this study, we report an 84-year-old female proband in a Japanese family with familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH) caused by an R648stop mutation in the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) gene. At the age of 71 years, she presented with hypercalcemia (11.4 mg/dl), hypocalciuria (Cca/Ccr = 0.003), hypermagnesemia (2.9 mg/dl), and a high-serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) level (midregion PTH, 3225 [160,520] pg/ml). At the age of 74 years, a family screening was carried out and revealed a total of 9 hypercalcemic individuals (all intact PTH values <62 pg/dl) among 17 family members tested, thus, being diagnosed as FHH. Two and one-half of three clearly enlarged parathyroid glands were resected, because persistently high PTH levels (intact PTH, 292 pg/ml; midregion PTH, 5225 pg/ml) and the presence of a markedly enlarged parathyroid gland by several imaging modalities (ultrasonography, computed tomography [CT], magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], and subtraction scintigraphy) suggested coexistent primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT); however, hypercalcemia persisted postoperatively. Histological and immunohistochemical examination revealed that the resected parathyroid glands showed lipohyperplasia as well as normally expressed Ki67, vitamin D receptor (VDR), and the CaR. Sequence analysis disclosed that the proband and all affected family members had a heterozygous nonsense (R648stop) mutation in the CaR gene. This mutation is located in the first intracellular loop; thus, it would be predicted to produce a truncated CaR having only one transmembrane domain (TMD) and lacking its remaining TMDs, intracellular loops, and C-terminal tail. Western analysis of biotinylated HEK293 cells transiently transfected with this mutant receptor showed cell surface expression of the truncated protein at a level comparable with that of the wild-type CaR. The mutant receptor, however, exhibited no increase in intracellular free calcium concentration (Ca2+i) when exposed to high extracellular calcium concentrations (Ca2+o). The proband's clinical course was complicated because of associated renal tubular acidosis (RTA) and nephrotic syndrome. However, it was unclear whether their association affected the development of elevated serum PTH and parathyroid gland enlargement. This report is the first to show that an R648stop CaR mutation yields a truncated receptor that is expressed on the cell surface but is devoid of biological activity, resulting in FHH. [source] A novel mutation of the ,-globin gene promoter (,102 C>A) and pitfalls in family screeningAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY, Issue 12 2007Patricia Aguilar-Martinez We describe a family with ,-thalassemia in which several pitfalls of genetic diagnoses were present. These include coherent family phenotypes with discrepancies in molecular findings because of nonpaternity, and a false ,-globin gene homozygous genotype due to a large deletion in the second locus. These findings underline the difficulties of family genetic studies and the need for tight relationship between professionals involved in laboratory studies and those in-charge of the clinical follow-up and genetic counselling. In this family, we also report a new silent ,-thalassemia mutation, ,102 (C>A), in the distal CACCC box of the ,-globin gene promoter. Am. J. Hematol., 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] High frequency of the 425A,G splice-site mutation and novel mutations of the COL7A1 gene in central Europe: significance for future mutation detection strategies in dystrophic epidermolysis bullosaBRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2005M. Csikós Summary Background, Mutations in the type VII collagen gene (COL7A1) are responsible for dominant and recessive forms of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB). These mutations are usually specific for individual families; only a few cases of recurring mutations have been identified. Objectives, Forty-three unrelated Hungarian and German patients with different DEB phenotypes were screened for novel and recurrent COL7A1 mutations. Methods, All patients were classified based on clinical and genetic findings, skin immunofluorescent antigen mapping, and electron microscopic studies. Mutation analysis was performed by amplification of genomic DNA with polymerase chain reaction using COL7A1 -specific primers, heteroduplex analysis, and direct nucleotide sequencing. Restriction endonuclease digestion was used for family screening and mutation verification. Results, In this group of patients, the splice-site mutation 425A,G was observed frequently, in 11 of 86 alleles (12·8%), once in homozygous form and in nine cases in heterozygous form. One of 100 control alleles from clinically unaffected individuals also carried the mutation. We also identified three novel mutations: the 976-3C,A splice-site mutation, and the 4929delT and 8441-15del20 deletions. Conclusions, High recurrence of the splice-site mutation 425A,G in central European patients with DEB should be taken into account when designing COL7A1 mutation detection strategies. Reporting of three novel COL7A1 mutations in this study further emphasizes the molecular heterogeneity of DEB and provides more information for studies on genotype,phenotype correlations in different DEB subtypes. [source] |