A Novel Syndrome of Mandibular Hypoplasia, Deafness, and Progeroid Features Associated with Lipodystrophy, Undescended Testes, and Male Hypogonadism

Context: Mandibuloacral dysplasia (MAD) is an autosomal recessive progeroid disorder associated with type A (partial) or B (generalized) lipodystrophy and is due to mutations in lamin A/C (LMNA) or zinc metalloproteinase (ZMPSTE24) genes

Fraser syndrome: A clinical study of 59 cases and evaluation of diagnostic criteria

Fraser syndrome is an autosomal recessive congenital malformation syndrome characterized by cryptophthalmos, syndactyly, and urogenital defects. We studied the clinical features in 59 affected individuals from 40 families (25 consanguineous), and compared our findings to data from previous reviews. We found a higher frequency of abnormalities of the skull, larynx, umbilicus, urinary tract, and anus in our series of patients, and mental retardation and cleft lip with or without cleft palate were observed less frequently than previously reported. Clinical features in probands and sibs were remarkably similar. As can be expected prenatally diagnosed patients had more manifestations that gave rise to a pathological amount of amniotic fluid. Otherwise patients diagnosed before and after birth had similar frequencies of symptoms. Based on the present results we suggest an adaptation of diagnostic criteria for FS, including adding airway tract and urinary tract anomalies as major criteria. The specificity of the proposed diagnostic criteria was evaluated using the London Medical Database as a search tool

Molecular study of 33 families with Fraser syndrome new data and mutation review

Fraser syndrome (FS) is an autosomal recessive malformation disorder characterized by cryptophthalmos, syndactyly, and abnormalities of the respiratory and urogenital tract. FS is considered to be the human equivalent of the murine blebbing mutants: in the mouse mutations at five loci cause a phenotype that is comparable to FS in humans, and thus far mutations in two syntenic human genes, FRAS1 and FREM2, have been identified to cause FS. Here we present the molecular analysis of 48 FS patients from 18 consanguineous and 15 nonconsanguineous families. Linkage analysis in consanguineous families indicated possible linkage to FRAS1 and FREM2 in 60% of the cases. Mutation analysis identified 11 new mutations in FRAS1 and one FREM2 mutation. Manifestations of these patients and previously reported cases with an FRAS1 mutation were compared to cases without detectable FRAS1 mutations to study genotype-phenotype correlations. Although our data suggest that patients with an FRAS1 mutation have more frequently skull ossification defects and low insertion of the umbilical cord, these differences are not statistically significant. Mutations were identified in only 43% of the cases suggesting that other genes syntenic to murine genes causing blebbing may be responsible for FS as well

Jaffe-Campanacci syndrome, revisited: detailed clinical and molecular analyses determine whether patients have neurofibromatosis type 1, coincidental manifestations, or a distinct disorder

Purpose: "Jaffe-Campanacci syndrome" describes the complex of multiple nonossifying fibromas of the long bones, mandibular giant cell lesions, and cafe-au-lait macules in individuals without neurofibromas. We sought to determine whether Jaffe-Campanacci syndrome is a distinct genetic entity or a variant of neurofibromatosis type 1. Methods: We performed germline NF1, SPRED1, and GNAS1 (exon 8) mutation testing on patients with Jaffe-Cainpanacci syndrome of Jaffe-Campanacci syndrome-related features, We also performed somatic NF1 mutation testing on nonossifying fibromas and giant, cell lesions. Results: Pathogenic germline NF1 mutations Were identified 13 of 14 patients with multiple cafe-au-lait macules and niultiple non-ossifying fibromas or giant cell lesions ("classicar Jaffe-Campanacci syndrome); all 13 also fulfilled the National Institues of Health diagnostic criteria for neurofibromatosis type 1. Somatic NFI mutations were detected in two giant cell lesions but not in two nonossifying fibromas. No SPRED1 or GNAS1 (exon 8) mutations were detected in the seven NF1-negative patients with Jaffe-Campanacci syndrome, nonossifying fibromas, or giant cell lesions. Conclusion: In this study, the majority of patients with cafe-au-lait macules and nonossifying fibromas Or giant cell lesions harbored a pathogenic gerinline NF1 mutation,suggesting that many Jaffe-Campanacci syndrome cases may-actually have neurofibromatosis type 1. We provide the first proof of specific somatic second-hit mutations affecting NFI in two giant cell lesions from two unrelated patients, establishing these as neurofibromatosis type 1-associated tumors

Clinical and Molecular Phenotype of Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome

Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS) is a genetic encephalopathy whose clinical features mimic those of acquired in utero viral infection. AGS exhibits locus heterogeneity, with mutations identified in genes encoding the 3′→5′ exonuclease TREX1 and the three subunits of the RNASEH2 endonuclease complex. To define the molecular spectrum of AGS, we performed mutation screening in patients, from 127 pedigrees, with a clinical diagnosis of the disease. Biallelic mutations in TREX1, RNASEH2A, RNASEH2B, and RNASEH2C were observed in 31, 3, 47, and 18 families, respectively. In five families, we identified an RNASEH2A or RNASEH2B mutation on one allele only. In one child, the disease occurred because of a de novo heterozygous TREX1 mutation. In 22 families, no mutations were found. Null mutations were common in TREX1, although a specific missense mutation was observed frequently in patients from northern Europe. Almost all mutations in RNASEH2A, RNASEH2B, and RNASEH2C were missense. We identified an RNASEH2C founder mutation in 13 Pakistani families. We also collected clinical data from 123 mutation-positive patients. Two clinical presentations could be delineated: an early-onset neonatal form, highly reminiscent of congenital infection seen particularly with TREX1 mutations, and a later-onset presentation, sometimes occurring after several months of normal development and occasionally associated with remarkably preserved neurological function, most frequently due to RNASEH2B mutations. Mortality was correlated with genotype; 34.3% of patients with TREX1, RNASEH2A, and RNASEH2C mutations versus 8.0% RNASEH2B mutation–positive patients were known to have died (P=.001). Our analysis defines the phenotypic spectrum of AGS and suggests a coherent mutation-screening strategy in this heterogeneous disorder. Additionally, our data indicate that at least one further AGS-causing gene remains to be identified