Deafness mutation mining using regular expression based pattern matching

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>While keyword based queries of databases such as Pubmed are frequently of great utility, the ability to use regular expressions in place of a keyword can often improve the results output by such databases. Regular expressions can allow for the identification of element types that cannot be readily specified by a single keyword and can allow for different words with similar character sequences to be distinguished.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A Perl based utility was developed to allow the use of regular expressions in Pubmed searches, thereby improving the accuracy of the searches.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This utility was then utilized to create a comprehensive listing of all DFN deafness mutations discussed in Pubmed records containing the keywords "human ear".</p

Genotype–Phenotype Correlation in DFNB8/10 Families with TMPRSS3 Mutations

In the present study, genotype–phenotype correlations in eight Dutch DFNB8/10 families with compound heterozygous mutations in TMPRSS3 were addressed. We compared the phenotypes of the families by focusing on the mutation data. The compound heterozygous variants in the TMPRSS3 gene in the present families included one novel variant, p.Val199Met, and four previously described pathogenic variants, p.Ala306Thr, p.Thr70fs, p.Ala138Glu, and p.Cys107Xfs. In addition, the p.Ala426Thr variant, which had previously been reported as a possible polymorphism, was found in one family. All affected family members reported progressive bilateral hearing impairment, with variable onset ages and progression rates. In general, the hearing impairment affected the high frequencies first, and sooner or later, depending on the mutation, the low frequencies started to deteriorate, which eventually resulted in a flat audiogram configuration. The ski-slope audiogram configuration is suggestive for the involvement of TMPRSS3. Our data suggest that not only the protein truncating mutation p.T70fs has a severe effect but also the amino acid substitutions p.Ala306Thr and p.Val199Met. A combination of two of these three mutations causes prelingual profound hearing impairment. However, in combination with the p.Ala426Thr or p.Ala138Glu mutations, a milder phenotype with postlingual onset of the hearing impairment is seen. Therefore, the latter mutations are likely to be less detrimental for protein function. Further studies are needed to distinguish possible phenotypic differences between different TMPRSS3 mutations. Evaluation of performance of patients with a cochlear implant indicated that this is a good treatment option for patients with TMPRSS3 mutations as satisfactory speech reception was reached after implantation

Stapes surgery in osteogenesis imperfecta: retrospective analysis of 34 operated ears.

Item does not contain fulltextIntraoperative findings of stapes surgery in 34 ears from 22 patients with genetically confirmed osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) are reported, as well as the audiometric results after the longest postoperative follow-up published to date. Twenty-nine out of 34 ears underwent primary stapes surgery and 5 ears revision surgery. Postoperative audiometric follow-up ranged from 6 months to 37 years. Stapes footplates were fixed in all ears. Additionally, footplates were thickened or fragile, stapes crura atrophic or fractured, and middle ear mucosae thickened or hypervascularized. Short-term postoperative audiometry revealed improved hearing and reduced air-bone gaps in 28/29 primary operated ears and in all revision cases. In the 22 ears with long-term postoperative follow-up (mean duration: 16 years), hearing gain was still significant at the latest audiometric evaluation. Independently of the patients being diagnosed with OI type I or IV and independently of the underlying OI genotype, beneficial results are obtained in the majority of OI patients undergoing primary or revision stapes surgery for reduction of conductive hearing loss components caused by stapes footplate fixation. Despite the progressive course of the concomitant sensorineural component, hearing gain remains beneficial over several decades