Targeting the JAK/STAT Pathway in Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) by Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)Cytotoxic T-Cells

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), together with our evolving knowledge of genes and disease, is likely to change the current practice of medicine and public health by facilitating more accurate, sophisticated, and cost-effective genetic testing. Here, we propose a new molecular approach by using MiSeq Sequencing System (Illumina) to investigate the presence of mutations/variants in genes of JAK/STAT pathway involved in different cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL)-mediated immune disorders and to develop and validate new and less expensive molecular protocol based on Next Generation Sequencing

Mutational Spectrum of CYP24A1 Gene in a Cohort of Italian Patients with Idiopathic Infantile Hypercalcemia

Background/Aims: Loss-of-function mutations in the CYP24A1 gene, which encodes the vitamin D-24 hydroxylase, have been recognized as a cause of elevated 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D concentrations, hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria, nephrocalcinosis and nephrolithiasis in infants and adults. As only a case report describing 2 adult patients has been reported in Italian population, we report here the mutation analysis of CYP24A1 gene in an Italian cohort of 12 pediatric and adult patients with idiopathic infantile hypercal-cemia (IIH). Methods: We performed mutational screeningof CYP24A1 gene in a cohort of 12 Italian patients: 8 children ith nephrocalcinosis, hypercalcemia and PTH levels <10 pg/ml and 4 adult patients with nephrolithiasis, mild hypercalcemia and PTH levels <10 pg/ml from 11 unrelated Italian families. Clinical and biochemical data were collected. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leucocytes using standard methods, and whole coding sequence of CYP24A1 gene was analysed in all patients and family membersby polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing. The potential pathogenicity of the newly identified missense mutations was evaluated by 3 different in silico approaches(Sorting Intolerant from Tolerant, Polyphen and Mutation Taster) and by comparative analysis in 14 different species using ClustalW software. Results: CYP24A1 bi-allelic muta