A Family Case of Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome-22 Induced by Different Combinations of Molecular Causes in Siblings

Congenital myasthenic syndrome-22 (CMS22, OMIM 616224) is a very rare recessive hereditary disorder. At the moment, ten CMS22 patients are described, with the disorder caused by nine different Loss-of-Function mutations and 14 gross deletions in the PREPL gene. The materials for our study were DNA samples of five family members: two patients with myasthenia, their healthy sibling and parents. Clinical exome analysis was carried out for one patient, then the whole family was checked for target variants with Sanger sequencing, quantitative multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification, and chromosome 2 microsatellite markers study. To determine the functional significance of the splicing variant, we applied the minigene assay. The cause of the proband’s disorder is a compound heterozygous state of two previously non-described pathogenic PREPL variants: a c.1528C>T (p.(Arg510Ter)) nonsense mutation and a c.2094G>T pseudo-missense variant, which, simultaneously with a p.(Lys698Asn) amino acid substitution, affects splicing, leading to exon 14 skipping in mRNA. The second patient’s disorder was caused by a homozygous nonsense c.1528C>T (p.(Arg510Ter)) mutation due to maternal uniparental disomy (UPD) of chromosome 2. In this study, we describe a unique case, in which two siblings with a rare disorder have different pathologic genotypes

Palmoplantar Keratoderma: A Molecular Genetic Analysis of Family Cases

Palmoplantar keratoderma is a clinically polymorphic disorder with a heterogeneous etiology characterized by marked hyperkeratotic lesions on the surface of palms and soles. Hereditary forms of palmoplantar keratoderma usually have autosomal dominant inheritance and are caused by mutations in dozens of genes, most of which belong to the keratin family. We carried out clinical and molecular genetic analysis of the affected and healthy members of four families with autosomal dominant palmoplantar keratoderma. In three out of four family cases of autosomal dominant palmoplantar keratoderma, the following molecular genetic causes were established: in two families—previously non-described missense mutations in the AQP5 gene (NM_001651.4): c.369C>G (p.(Asn123Lys)) and c.103T>G (p.(Trp35Gly)); in one family—a described splice site mutation in the KRT9 gene (NM_000226.4): c.31T>G. In one family, the possible cause of palmoplantar keratoderma was detected—a variant in the KRT1 gene (NM_006121.4): c.931G>A (p.(Glu311Lys))

Evaluation of Pathogenicity and Causativity of Variants in the <i>MPZ</i> and <i>SH3TC2</i> Genes in a Family Case of Hereditary Peripheral Neuropathy

The implementation of NGS methods into clinical practice allowed researchers effectively to establish the molecular cause of a disorder in cases of a genetically heterogeneous pathology. In cases of several potentially causative variants, we need additional analysis that can help in choosing a proper causative variant. In the current study, we described a family case of hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN) type 1 (Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease). DNA analysis revealed two variants in the SH3TC2 gene (c.279G>A and c.1177+5G>A), as well as a previously described variant c.449−9C>T in the MPZ gene, in a heterozygous state. This family segregation study was incomplete because of the proband’s father's unavailability. To evaluate the variants’ pathogenicity, minigene splicing assay was carried out. This study showed no effect of the MPZ variant on splicing, but the c.1177+5G>A variant in the SH3TC2 gene leads to the retention of 122 nucleotides from intron 10 in the RNA sequence, causing a frameshift and an occurrence of a premature stop codon (NP_078853.2:p.Ala393GlyfsTer2)

A rare germline mutation c.2752 A>G (p.M918V) in the RET protooncogene in a patient with medullary and papillary thyroid carcinomas in cervical lymph node metastases: a case report and review of the literature

We report a rare germline RET mutation c.2752 AG (p.M918V) found in a 62-year-old man with synchronous medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) (follicular variant) in cervical lymph node metastases with significant predominance of MTC. DNA sequencing of six exons (10, 11, 13–16) of the RET protooncogene from peripheral blood leucocytes was performed to exclude hereditary MTC in our patient. Postoperative CT was 20 pg/ml (N = 2–6 pg/ml). Pheochromocytoma and hyperparathyroidism were excluded. Genetic analysis of first-degree relatives showed that one of them, the healthy eldest son (37 y.o.), was a carrier of rare ATGGTG heterozygous mutation at position c.2752 of the protooncogene RET. A 96-year-old mother of the patient and his younger son have not this mutation. The proband`s father was not available. The mutation was not revealed in 100 unrelated normal individuals. The clinical history is presented

The First Russian Patient with Native American Myopathy

Congenital myopathy associated with pathogenic variants in the STAC3 gene has long been considered native American myopathy (NAM). In 2017, the first case of a non-Amerindian patient with this myopathy was described. Here, we report the first Russian patient with NAM. The patient is a 17-year-old female with compound-heterozygous single nucleotide variants in the STAC3 gene: c.862A>T, p.(Lys288Ter) and c.93del, p.(Lys32ArgfsTer78). She has a milder phenotype than the earlier described patients. To our knowledge, this is the first case of a patient who had both nonsense and frameshift variants. It is assumed that the frameshift variant with premature stop codon lead to nonsense-mediated RNA decay. However, there are two additional coding isoforms of the STAC3 gene, which are not affected by this frameshift variant. We can speculate that these isoforms may partially carry out the function, and possibly explain the milder phenotype of our patient

Clinical Presentation of a Patient with a Congenital Disorder of Glycosylation, Type IIs (<i>ATP6AP1</i>), and Liver Transplantation

The congenital disorder of glycosylation type IIs (ATP6AP1-CDG; OMIM# 300972) is a rare X-linked recessive complex syndrome characterized by liver dysfunction, recurrent bacterial infections, hypogammaglobulinemia, and defective glycosylation of serum proteins. Here, we examine the case of a 1-year-old male patient of Buryat origin, who presented with liver dysfunction. At the age of 3 months, he was hospitalized with jaundice and hepatosplenomegaly. Whole-exome sequencing identified the ATP6AP1 gene missense variant NM_001183.6:c.938A>G (p.Tyr313Cys) in the hemizygous state, which was previously reported in a patient with immunodeficiency type 47. At the age of 10 months, the patient successfully underwent orthotopic liver transplantation. After the transplantation, the use of Tacrolimus entailed severe adverse effect (colitis with perforation). Replacing Tacrolimus with Everolimus led to improvement. Previously reported patients demonstrated abnormal N- and O-glycosylation, but these data were collected without any specific treatment. In contrast, in our patient, isoelectric focusing (IEF) of serum transferrin was performed only after the liver transplant and showed a normal IEF pattern. Thus, liver transplantation could be a curative option for patients with ATP6AP1-CDG

Specificities of the DMD Gene Mutation Spectrum in Russian Patients

Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD) is the most common form of muscular dystrophy, accounting for over 50% of all cases. In this regard, in Russia we carry out a program of selective screening for DMD/BMD, which mainly involves male patients. The main inclusion criteria are an increase in the level of creatine phosphokinase (&gt;2000 U/L) or an established clinical diagnosis. At the first stage of screening, patients are scanned for extended deletions and duplications in the DMD gene using multiplex ligase-dependent probe amplification (MLPA SALSA P034 and P035 DMD probemix, MRC-Holland). The second stage is the search for small mutations using a custom NGS panel, which includes 31 genes responsible for various forms of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. In a screening of 1025 families with a referral Duchenne/Becker diagnosis, pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants in the DMD gene were found in 788 families (in 76.9% of cases). In the current study, we analyzed the mutation spectrum of the DMD gene in Russian patients and noted certain differences between the examined cohort and the multi-ethnic cohort. The analysis of the DMD gene mutation spectrum is essential for patients with DMD/BMD because the exact mutation type determines the application of a specific therapeutic method

Pilot Program of Newborn Screening for 5q Spinal Muscular Atrophy in the Russian Federation

5q spinal muscular atrophy (5q SMA) is one of the most common autosomal recessive disorders in the Russian Federation. The first medication to treat 5q SMA was registered in the Russian Federation for treatment of all 5q SMA types in 2019, and the last of the three currently available in December 2021. We launched the pilot newborn screening (NBS) program for 5q SMA in Moscow, the Russian Federation, starting in 2019. During the pilot program, 23,405 neonates were tested for the deletion of exon 7 of the SMN1 gene, the most common cause of 5q SMA. We used the SALSA® MC002 SMA Newborn Screen Kit (MRC Holland) to specifically detect homozygous deletions of SMN1 exon 7. We used the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) approach to validate detected homozygous deletions and the SALSA MLPA Probemix P060 SMA Carrier Kit (MRC Holland) to determine the SMN2 exon 7 copy number to prescribe gene therapy for 5q SMA. Three newborns with a homozygous deletion of the SMN1 gene were detected. The calculated birth prevalence of 1:7801 appears to be similar to the results in other European countries. The children did not show any signs of respiratory involvement or bulbar weakness immediately after birth. Until now, no 5q SMA case missed by NBS has been detected

Clinical and Genetic Characteristics of Multiple Epiphyseal Dysplasia Type 4

Multiple epiphyseal dysplasias (MED) are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of skeletal dysplasias with a predominant lesion in the epiphyses of tubular bones. Variants in the SLC26A2 gene cause their autosomal recessive form (rMED or MED type 4). The accumulation of data regarding the genotype&ndash;phenotype correlation can help in the diagnosis and proper management of these patients. The aim of this study was to survey the clinical and genetic characteristics of 55 patients with MED type 4 caused by variants in the SLC26A2 gene. Diagnosis confirmation was carried out by radiography and custom panel sequencing consisting of 166 genes responsible for the development of hereditary skeletal pathology. This was followed by the validation of the identified variants using automated Sanger sequencing (for six patients) and the direct automatic Sanger sequencing of the coding sequence and the adjacent intron regions of the SLC26A2 gene for 49 patients. Based on the clinical and genetic analysis of our sample of patients, two main MED type 4 phenotypes with early and late clinical manifestations were identified. An early and more severe form of the disease was observed in patients with the c.835C &gt; T variant (p.Arg279Trp), and the late and milder form of the disease was observed in patients with the c.1957T &gt; A variant (p.Cys653Ser) in the homozygous or compound heterozygous state with c.26 + 2T &gt; C. It was also shown that only three pathogenic variants were found in 95.3% of the alleles of Russian patients with MED type 4: c.1957T &gt; A (p.Cys653Ser), c.835C &gt; T (p.Arg279Trp), and c.26 + 2T &gt; C; thus, it can be assumed that the primary analysis of these variants will contribute to the optimal molecular genetic diagnostics of MED type 4

Complex Diagnostics of Non-Specific Intellectual Developmental Disorder

Intellectual development disorder (IDD) is characterized by a general deficit in intellectual and adaptive functioning. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in studying the genetic structure of IDD. Of particular difficulty are patients with non-specific IDD, for whom it is impossible to establish a clinical diagnosis without complex genetic diagnostics. We examined 198 patients with non-specific IDD from 171 families using whole-exome sequencing and chromosome microarray analysis. Hereditary forms of IDD account for at least 35.7% of non-specific IDD, of which 26.9% are monogenic forms. Variants in the genes associated with the BAF (SWI/SNF) complex were the most frequently identified. We were unable to identify phenotypic features that would allow differential diagnosis of monogenic and microstructural chromosomal rearrangements in non-specific IDD at the stage of clinical examination, but due to its higher efficiency, exome sequencing should be the diagnostic method of the highest priority study after the standard examination of patients with NIDD in Russia