<i>RPA3-UMAD1</i> rs12702634 and rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease in European ancestry

Objective Recently, a genome-wide association study identified an association between RA-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD) and RPA3-UMAD1 rs12702634 in the Japanese population, especially for patients with a usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern. We aimed to replicate this association in a European population and test for interaction with MUC5B rs35705950.Methods In this genetic case-control association study, patients with RA and ILD and controls with RA and no ILD were included from France, the USA and the Netherlands. Only cases and controls from European genetic ancestries determined by principal components analysis were included in the analyses. RA was defined by the 1987 ACR or 2010 ACR/EULAR criteria and ILD by chest high-resolution CT scan, except in the control dataset from the Netherlands, where the absence of ILD was determined by chart review. Patients were genotyped for RPA3-UMAD1 rs12702634 and MUC5B rs35705950. Associations were tested using logistic regression adjusted for sex, age at RA onset, age at ILD onset or at certified absence of ILD, tobacco smoking status and country of origin.Results Among the 883 patients included, 322 were RA-ILD cases (36.5%). MUC5B rs35705950 was strongly associated with RA-ILD in all datasets {combined adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.9 [95% CI 2.1, 3.9], P = 1.1 x 10-11. No association between RPA3-UMAD1 rs12702634 and RA-ILD was observed [combined OR 1.2 (95% CI 0.8, 1.6), P = 0.31. No interaction was found between RPA3-UMAD1 rs12702634 and MUC5B rs35705950 (P = 0.70).Conclusion Our findings did not support a contribution of RPA3-UMAD1 rs12702634 to the overall RA-ILD susceptibility in the European population.What does this mean for patients?Interstitial lung disease (ILD) can develop in 10-60% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is associated with an increased risk of death. We do not yet fully understand why RA-ILD occurs, but risk factors include genetics and environmental factors such as tobacco smoking. Identifying new genetic risk factors for RA-ILD may improve our understanding of how this disease occurs, help us categorize patients in terms of their risk level and help us to potentially identify new drug targets. A previous Japanese genetic study identified the RPA3-UMAD1 rs12702634 common genetic variant as a risk factor for RA-ILD. However, a second Japanese study failed to replicate these findings. In this international study including patients with European ancestry, we did not find that RPA3-UMAD1 rs12702634 contributed to the overall risk of RA-ILD. Our findings highlight the importance of conducting analyses that try to replicate the results of a study. We also emphasize that genetic associations-even those already reported-require rigorous testing in different groups of people before we can conclude that they contribute to disease risk. Ongoing collaboration and multi-ancestry genetic studies are essential in order to advance our understanding of the complex genetics underlying RA-ILD

Reverse-Transcriptase Inhibitors in the Aicardi–Goutières Syndrome

International audienceTo the Editor:The Aicardi–Goutières syndrome is a genetic encephalopathy that is associated with childhood illness and death. The syndrome is hypothesized to be due to misidentification of self-derived nucleic acids as nonself and the subsequent induction of a type I interferon–mediated response that simulates an antiviral reaction.1 Endogenous retroelements, mobile genetic elements that can be transcribed to RNA and then to DNA by reverse transcription, constitute 40% of the human genome and represent a potential source of immunostimulatory nucleic acid in patients with this syndrome.

Mutations in the Mitochondrial Methionyl-tRNA Synthetase Cause a Neurodegenerative Phenotype in Flies and a Recessive Ataxia (ARSAL) in Humans

The study of Drosophila neurodegenerative mutants combined with genetic and biochemical analyses lead to the identification of multiple complex mutations in 60 patients with a novel form of ataxia/leukoencephalopathy

Vaccine breakthrough hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia in patients with auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs

Life-threatening `breakthrough' cases of critical COVID-19 are attributed to poor or waning antibody response to the SARS- CoV-2 vaccine in individuals already at risk. Pre-existing autoantibodies (auto-Abs) neutralizing type I IFNs underlie at least 15% of critical COVID-19 pneumonia cases in unvaccinated individuals; however, their contribution to hypoxemic breakthrough cases in vaccinated people remains unknown. Here, we studied a cohort of 48 individuals ( age 20-86 years) who received 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine and developed a breakthrough infection with hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia 2 weeks to 4 months later. Antibody levels to the vaccine, neutralization of the virus, and auto- Abs to type I IFNs were measured in the plasma. Forty-two individuals had no known deficiency of B cell immunity and a normal antibody response to the vaccine. Among them, ten (24%) had auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs (aged 43-86 years). Eight of these ten patients had auto-Abs neutralizing both IFN-a2 and IFN-., while two neutralized IFN-omega only. No patient neutralized IFN-ss. Seven neutralized 10 ng/mL of type I IFNs, and three 100 pg/mL only. Seven patients neutralized SARS-CoV-2 D614G and the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) efficiently, while one patient neutralized Delta slightly less efficiently. Two of the three patients neutralizing only 100 pg/mL of type I IFNs neutralized both D61G and Delta less efficiently. Despite two mRNA vaccine inoculations and the presence of circulating antibodies capable of neutralizing SARS-CoV-2, auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs may underlie a significant proportion of hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia cases, highlighting the importance of this particularly vulnerable population

Effects of eight neuropsychiatric copy number variants on human brain structure

Many copy number variants (CNVs) confer risk for the same range of neurodevelopmental symptoms and psychiatric conditions including autism and schizophrenia. Yet, to date neuroimaging studies have typically been carried out one mutation at a time, showing that CNVs have large effects on brain anatomy. Here, we aimed to characterize and quantify the distinct brain morphometry effects and latent dimensions across 8 neuropsychiatric CNVs. We analyzed T1-weighted MRI data from clinically and non-clinically ascertained CNV carriers (deletion/duplication) at the 1q21.1 (n = 39/28), 16p11.2 (n = 87/78), 22q11.2 (n = 75/30), and 15q11.2 (n = 72/76) loci as well as 1296 non-carriers (controls). Case-control contrasts of all examined genomic loci demonstrated effects on brain anatomy, with deletions and duplications showing mirror effects at the global and regional levels. Although CNVs mainly showed distinct brain patterns, principal component analysis (PCA) loaded subsets of CNVs on two latent brain dimensions, which explained 32 and 29% of the variance of the 8 Cohen’s d maps. The cingulate gyrus, insula, supplementary motor cortex, and cerebellum were identified by PCA and multi-view pattern learning as top regions contributing to latent dimension shared across subsets of CNVs. The large proportion of distinct CNV effects on brain morphology may explain the small neuroimaging effect sizes reported in polygenic psychiatric conditions. Nevertheless, latent gene brain morphology dimensions will help subgroup the rapidly expanding landscape of neuropsychiatric variants and dissect the heterogeneity of idiopathic conditions

COVID-19 symptoms at hospital admission vary with age and sex: results from the ISARIC prospective multinational observational study

Background: The ISARIC prospective multinational observational study is the largest cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We present relationships of age, sex, and nationality to presenting symptoms. Methods: International, prospective observational study of 60 109 hospitalized symptomatic patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 recruited from 43 countries between 30 January and 3 August 2020. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships of age and sex to published COVID-19 case definitions and the most commonly reported symptoms. Results: ‘Typical’ symptoms of fever (69%), cough (68%) and shortness of breath (66%) were the most commonly reported. 92% of patients experienced at least one of these. Prevalence of typical symptoms was greatest in 30- to 60-year-olds (respectively 80, 79, 69%; at least one 95%). They were reported less frequently in children (≤ 18 years: 69, 48, 23; 85%), older adults (≥ 70 years: 61, 62, 65; 90%), and women (66, 66, 64; 90%; vs. men 71, 70, 67; 93%, each P &lt; 0.001). The most common atypical presentations under 60 years of age were nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain, and over 60 years was confusion. Regression models showed significant differences in symptoms with sex, age and country. Interpretation: This international collaboration has allowed us to report reliable symptom data from the largest cohort of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Adults over 60 and children admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to present with typical symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are common atypical presentations under 30 years. Confusion is a frequent atypical presentation of COVID-19 in adults over 60 years. Women are less likely to experience typical symptoms than men

How I explore childhood hypoglycemia : a report of two cases

peer reviewe

Low citrulline in Leigh disease: still a biomarker of maternally inherited Leigh syndrome.

peer reviewedTwo siblings presented with encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and hypocitrullinemia. Muscle and liver biopsies were considered for respiratory chain studies, but because of hypocitrullinemia, molecular analysis for maternally inherited Leigh syndrome was first performed, revealing in both siblings the mitochondrial DNA T8993G mutation (95% heteroplasmy), allowing to avoid tissue biopsies. Hypocitrullinemia, an occasional finding in mitochondrial diseases, has been specifically associated with T8993G mutation. However, only few patients have been reported, and the prevalence of hypocitrullinemia in 8993 mitochondrial DNA mutations is unknown. In a small series of 16 Leigh syndrome patients, sensitivity and specificity of hypocitrullinemia (< or = 12 micromol/L) for 8993 mitochondrial DNA mutations were 66% and 85%, respectively. Although studies in larger cohorts are necessary, we suggest considering T8993G mutation early in the diagnostic evaluation of infantile mitochondrial diseases with hypocitrullinemia, which minimizes the need for invasive procedures associated with a small but nonnegligible risk of complications and incorrect diagnosis