Towards a Better Understanding of Genotype-Phenotype Correlations and Therapeutic Targets for Cardiocutaneous Genes:The Importance of Functional Studies above Prediction

Genetic variants in gene-encoding proteins involved in cell-cell connecting structures, such as desmosomes and gap junctions, may cause a skin and/or cardiac phenotype, of which the combination is called cardiocutaneous syndrome. The cardiac phenotype is characterized by cardiomyopathy and/or arrhythmias, while the skin particularly displays phenotypes such as keratoderma, hair abnormalities and skin fragility. The reported variants associated with cardiocutaneous syndrome, in genes DSP, JUP, DSC2, KLHL24, GJA1, are classified by interpretation guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. The genotype-phenotype correlation, however, remains poorly understood. By providing an overview of variants that are assessed for a functional protein pathology, we show that this number (n = 115) is low compared to the number of variants that are assessed by in silico algorithms (>5000). As expected, there is a mismatch between the prediction of variant pathogenicity and the prediction of the functional effect compared to the real functional evidence. Aiding to improve genotype-phenotype correlations, we separate variants into 'protein reducing' or 'altered protein' variants and provide general conclusions about the skin and heart phenotype involved. We conclude by stipulating that adequate prognoses can only be given, and targeted therapies can only be designed, upon full knowledge of the protein pathology through functional investigation

La influencia de la institucionalización sobre la percepción de la autonomía y la calidad de vida en ancianos

Objetivo Evaluar la influencia de la institucionalización en la autonomía y la calidad de vida percibida entre ancianos institucionalizados. Método Estudio casi-experimental (serie temporal interrumpida) y longitudinal. La muestra estuvo compuesta de 104 añosos de tres centros residenciales de Santander, España. A fin de evaluar la calidad de vida y la dependencia fueron utilizadas dos escalas: el Índice de Barthel y el Índice de Lawton. Resultados Se observó una relación significativa entre la autonomía y la independencia y su declinio en virtud de la institucionalización, como los aspectos físicos y sociales. Conclusión La dependencia de las personas mayores es un fenómeno complejo, que demanda distintos tipos de intervención, incluyéndose las acciones de apoyo común, que tienden a cubrir la ausencia de autonomía en la vida cuotidiana, sin recurrir a la institucionalización.Objective To evaluate the influence exercised by institutionalization on the autonomy and perception of quality of life among the institutionalized elderly. Method The study is quasi-experimental (interrupted time series) and longitudinal. The sample is composed for 104 elderly people who went into a three nursing home in Santander, Spain. To assess the quality of life and dependence two scales were used: the Barthel Index and Lawton Index. Results There was an important relationship between autonomy and independence and their deterioration due to their institutionalisation, such as the physical and social aspects. Conclusion It´s important to point out that the dependence of the elderly is a complex phenomenon, which admits many types of intervention, including the customary ones referring to more classic welfare actions which tend to supplant the absence of autonomy in everyday life by facilitating services and attention to make up for this need, without having to resort to institutionalization.Objetivo Avaliar a influência da institucionalização na autonomia e na qualidade de vida percebida entre idosos institucionalizados. Método Estudo quase-experimental (série temporal interrompida) e longitudinal. A amostra foi composta de 104 idosos de três centros residenciais de Santander na Espanha. Para avaliar a qualidade de vida e a dependência foram utilizadas duas escalas: o Índice de Barthel e o Índice de Lawton. Resultados Observou-se uma relação significativa entre autonomia e independência e seu declínio devido à institucionalização, como os aspectos físicos e sociais. Conclusão A dependência dos idosos é um fenômeno complexo, que demanda vários tipos de intervenção, incluindo as ações de apoio comum, que tendem a cobrir a ausência de autonomia na vida cotidiana, sem recorrer a institucionalização

Long-Term Follow-Up Study on the Uptake of Genetic Counseling and Predictive DNA Testing in Inherited Cardiac Conditions

BACKGROUND: Inherited cardiac conditions present with a wide range of symptoms and may even result in sudden cardiac death. Relatives of probands with a confirmed pathogenic genetic variant are advised predictive DNA testing to enable prevention and treatment. In 2 previous cohort studies of 115 probands with a pathogenic variant, family uptake of genetic counseling was assessed in the first year(s) after test result disclosure to the proband. This study assesses uptake in these cohorts in the 14 to 23 years following disclosure. METHODS: Uptake was determined retrospectively using patient records. First-degree relatives, and second-degree relatives of a deceased first-degree relative suspected of having an inherited cardiac condition, were considered eligible. RESULTS: Of 717 eligible relatives (598 first-degree and 119 second-degree relatives), 60% attended genetic counseling. Most of them (68.6%) attended genetic counseling in the first year. A total of 98.4% of counseled relatives pursued predictive DNA testing. A total of 49.2% was identified as carrier. Median time between disclosure to the proband and counseling of relatives was 6 months (range: 0-187 months). Attending genetic counseling was observed more frequently in first-degree relatives, female relatives, primary arrhythmia syndromes, relatives with manifest inherited cardiac condition, relatives without children and families with sudden cardiac death in first-degree relatives <40 years. CONCLUSIONS: During median follow-up of 16 years, 60.0% of relatives attended genetic counseling, with 41.0% in the first year. Our results may suggest that some relatives are not or inadequately informed or that barriers against genetic counseling are present. Further research is needed into interventions facilitating family communication, increasing awareness among families and healthcare professionals, and lowering thresholds for genetic counseling

Mortality of Inherited Arrhythmia Syndromes Insight Into Their Natural History

Background-For most arrhythmia syndromes, the risk of sudden cardiac death for asymptomatic mutation carriers is ill defined. Data on the natural history of these diseases, therefore, are essential. The family tree mortality ratio method offers the unique possibility to study the natural history at a time when the disease was not known and patients received no treatment. Methods and Results-In 6 inherited arrhythmia syndromes caused by specific mutations, we analyzed all-cause mortality with the family tree mortality ratio method (main outcome measure, standardized mortality ratio [SMR]). In long-QT syndrome (LQTS) type 1, severely increased mortality risk during all years of childhood was observed (1-19 years), in particular during the first 10 years of life (SMR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.5-5.1). In LQTS type 2, we observed increasing SMRs starting from age 15 years, which just reached significance between age 30 and 39 (SMR, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.1-10.0). In LQTS type 3, the SMR was increased between age 15 and 19 years (SMR, 5.8; 95% CI, 1.2-16.9). In the SCN5A overlap syndrome, excess mortality was observed between age 10 and 59 years, with a peak between 20 and 39 years (SMR, 3.8; 95% CI, 2.5-5.7). In catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, excess mortality was restricted to ages 20 to 39 years (SMR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.3-6.0). In Brugada syndrome, excess mortality was observed between age 40 and 59 (SMR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.2-2.4), particularly in men. Conclusions-We identified age ranges during which the mortality risk manifests in an unselected and untreated population, which can guide screening in these families. (Circ Cardiovasc Genet. 2012;5:183-189.

Spectrophotometric, chemometric and chromatographic determination of naphazoline hydrochloride and chlorpheniramine maleate in the presence of naphazoline hydrochloride alkaline degradation product

AbstractFour accurate and sensitive methods were developed and validated for determination of naphazoline hydrochloride (NAP) and chlorpheniramine maleate (CLO) in the presence of naphazoline hydrochloride alkaline degradation product (NAP Deg). The first method is a spectrophotometric one , where NAP was determined by the fourth derivative (D4) spectrophotometric method by measuring the peak amplitude at 302nm, while CLO was determined by the second derivative of the ratio spectra (DD2) spectrophotometric method at 276.4nm. The second method is a chemometric-assisted spectrophotometric method in which partial least squares (PLS-1) and partial component regression (PCR) were used for the determination of NAP, CLO and NAP Deg using the information contained in their absorption spectra of ternary mixture. The third method is a TLC-densitometric one where NAP, CLO and NAP Deg were separated using HPTLC silica gel F254 plates using ethyl acetate:methanol:ammonia: (8:2:0.5, by volume) as the developing system followed by densitometric measurement at 245nm. The fourth method is HPLC method where NAP, CLO and NAP Deg were separated using ODS C18 column and a mobile phase consisting of 0.1M KH2PO4 (pH=7):methanol (55:45 v/v) delivered at 1.5mLmin−1 followed by UV detection at 265nm. The proposed methods have been successfully applied to the analysis of NAP and CLO in pharmaceutical formulations without interference from the dosage form additives and the results were statistically compared with a reported method

Terminal osseous dysplasia with pigmentary defects and cardiomyopathy caused by a novel FLNA variant

Terminal osseous dysplasia with pigmentary defects (TODPD), also known as digitocutaneous dysplasia, is one of the X‐linked filaminopathies caused by a variety of FLNA‐variants. TODPD is characterized by skeletal defects, skin fibromata and dysmorphic facial features. So far, only a single recurrent variant (c.5217G>A;p.Val1724_Thr1739del) in FLNA has found to be responsible for TODPD. We identified a novel c.5217+5G>C variant in FLNA in a female proband with skeletal defects, skin fibromata, interstitial lung disease, epilepsy, and restrictive cardiomyopathy. This variant causes mis‐splicing of exon 31 predicting the production of a FLNA‐protein with an in‐frame‐deletion of 16 residues identical to the miss‐splicing‐effect of the recurrent TODPD c.5217G>A variant. This mis‐spliced transcript was explicitly detected in heart tissue, but was absent from blood, skin, and lung. X‐inactivation analyses showed extreme skewing with almost complete inactivation of the mutated allele (>90%) in these tissues, except for heart. The mother of the proband, who also has fibromata and skeletal abnormalities, is also carrier of the FLNA‐variant and was diagnosed with noncompaction cardiomyopathy after cardiac screening. No other relevant variants in cardiomyopathy‐related genes were found. Here we describe a novel variant in FLNA (c.5217+5G>C) as the second pathogenic variant responsible for TODPD. Cardiomyopathy has not been described as a phenotypic feature of TODPD before

The value of genetic testing in the diagnosis and risk stratification of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is characterized by risk of malignant ventricular arrhythmias (VA). ARVC is diagnosed using an array of clinical tests in the consensus-based task force criteria (TFC), one of which is genetic testing. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of genetic testing in diagnosing ARVC and its relation to the occurrence of first malignant VA. METHODS: A multicenter cohort of ARVC patients was scored using the revised 2010 TFC with and without genetic criterion, analyzing any resulting loss or delay of diagnosis. Malignant VA was defined as sustained ventricular arrhythmia (≥30s duration at ≥100 bpm or requiring intervention). RESULTS: We included 402 subjects (55% male, 54% proband, 40 [27-51] years old at presentation) who were diagnosed with definite ARVC. A total of 232 (58%) subjects fulfilled genetic testing criteria. Removing the genetic criterion caused loss of diagnosis in 18 (4%) patients (11/216 [5%] probands, 7/186 [4%] relatives), and delay of diagnosis ≥30 days in 22 (5%) patients (21/216 [10%] probands, 1/186 [0.5%] relative). A first malignant VA occurred in no patients who lost diagnosis and in 3 patients (3/216 [1%] probands and no relatives) during their diagnosis delay, none fatal. Time to event analysis showed no significant difference in time from diagnosis to malignant VA between pathogenic variant carriers and non-carriers. CONCLUSION: Disregarding the genetic criterion of the TFC caused loss or delay of diagnosis in 10% (n=40/402) of ARVC patients. Malignant VA occurred in 1% (n=3/402) of cases with lost or delayed diagnosis, none fatal

Desmin is essential for the structure and function of the sinoatrial node:implications for increased arrhythmogenesis

Our objective was to investigate the effect of desmin depletion on the structure and function of the sinoatrial pacemaker complex (SANcl) and its implication in arrhythmogenesis. Analysis of mice and humans (SANcl) indicated that the sinoatrial node exhibits high amounts of desmin, desmoplakin, N-cadherin, and β-catenin in structures we call “lateral intercalated disks” connecting myocytes side by side. Examination of the SANcl from an arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy model, desmin-deficient (Des-/-) mouse, by immunofluorescence, ultrastructural, and Western blot analysis showed that the number of these lateral intercalated disks was diminished. Also, electrophysiological recordings of the isolated compact sinoatrial node revealed increased pacemaker systolic potential and higher diastolic depolarization rate compared with wild-type mice. Prolonged interatrial conduction expressed as a longer P wave duration was also observed in Des-/mice. Upregulation of mRNA levels of both T-type Ca2+ current channels, Cav3.1 and Cav3.2, in the Des-/- myocardium (1.8- and 2.3-fold, respectively) and a 1.9-fold reduction of funny hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated K+ channel 1 could underlie these functional differences. To investigate arrhythmogenicity, electrocardiographic analysis of Des-deficient mice revealed a major increase in supraventricular and ventricular ectopic beats compared with wild-type mice. Heart rate variability analysis indicated a sympathetic predominance in Des-/- mice, which may further contribute to arrhythmogenicity. In conclusion, our results indicate that desmin elimination leads to structural and functional abnormalities of the SANcl. These alterations may be enhanced by the sympathetic component of the cardiac autonomic nervous system, which is predominant in the desmin-deficient heart, thus leading to increased arrhythmogenesis

Author Correction:The phospholamban p.(Arg14del) pathogenic variant leads to cardiomyopathy with heart failure and is unresponsive to standard heart failure therapy (Scientific Reports, (2020), 10, 1, (9819), 10.1038/s41598-020-66656-9)

The title in the original version of this Article contained a typographical error of ‘unresponsive’. The error has now been corrected in the PDF and HTML versions of the Article