Publications by authors named "AL Vincent"

Introduction: Wolfram syndrome due to bi-allelic variants in and mono-allelic Wolfram-like syndrome have variable ocular and syndromic associations. In this report, eight patients are described.

Methods: A retrospective observational case series with detailed ophthalmic and systemic phenotyping, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and neuroimaging.

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Aim: Hypovitaminosis A is a leading cause of preventable childhood blindness, especially in developing nations. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble essential micronutrient that serves vital functions in the visual system and in regulating bone resorption. We report on a series of four children with mixed nutritional and compressive optic neuropathy and provide a review of the literature.

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Short-chain enoyl-coA hydratase (SCEH) deficiency due to biallelic pathogenic ECHS1 variants was first reported in 2014 in association with Leigh syndrome (LS) and increased S-(2-carboxypropyl)cysteine excretion. It is potentially treatable with a valine-restricted, high-energy diet and emergency regimen. Recently, Simon et al.

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Purpose: To describe the clinical, electrophysiological and genetic spectrum of inherited retinal diseases associated with variants in the PRPH2 gene.

Methods: A total of 241 patients from 168 families across 15 sites in 9 countries with pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in PRPH2 were included. Records were reviewed for age at symptom onset, visual acuity, full-field ERG, fundus colour photography, fundus autofluorescence (FAF), and SD-OCT.

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  • * A systematic review identified 36 new pathogenic and 10 likely pathogenic variants through measuring esterase activity, creating a reliable method for classifying variants related to PNPLA6.
  • * The study revealed a significant link between NTE activity levels and the presence of specific symptoms like retinopathy and endocrinopathy, supporting the idea that PNPLA6 disorders are a spectrum of related phenotypes based on NTE genotype and activity, setting the stage for future therapies.
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Inherited macular dystrophies (iMDs) are a group of genetic disorders, which affect the central region of the retina. To investigate the genetic basis of iMDs, we used single-molecule Molecular Inversion Probes to sequence 105 maculopathy-associated genes in 1352 patients diagnosed with iMDs. Within this cohort, 39.

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Background: The complexities of mitochondrial disease make epidemiological studies challenging, yet this information is important in understanding the healthcare burden and addressing service and educational needs. Existing studies are limited to quaternary centres or focus on a single genotype or phenotype and estimate disease prevalence at 12.5 per 100 000.

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  • A survey was conducted among 516 optometrists in Australia and New Zealand to assess their knowledge and attitudes towards genetic testing and gene therapy for retinal diseases.
  • Key barriers identified to accessing genetic testing included unclear referral pathways (81%), costs (65%), and lack of treatment options (50%).
  • Although optometrists showed a strong interest in ocular genetics, significant knowledge gaps were identified, highlighting the need for better education and communication within the eye care community.
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  • The study aimed to assess outer retinal bands using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to create a new imaging biomarker that can distinguish between ABCA4- and PRPH2-associated retinopathy.
  • A multicenter case-control design involved 45 patients each with ABCA4 or PRPH2 variants, and a control group to evaluate the thickness of specific retinal bands.
  • Results showed significant differences in band thickness and the band 2/band 4 ratio between the two patient groups and achieved high diagnostic capability, suggesting that this measure could be useful for future clinical applications.
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Objective: To assess diabetes eye service use in New Zealand among people aged ≥15 years by estimating service attendance, biennial screening rate, and disparities in the use of screening and treatment services.

Methods: We obtained Ministry of Health data from the National Non-Admitted Patient Collection on diabetes eye service events between 1 July 2006 and 31 December 2019 and sociodemographic and mortality data from the Virtual Diabetes Register and linked these using a unique patient identifier (encrypted National Health Index). We 1) summarized attendance at retinal screening and ophthalmology services, 2) calculated biennial and triennial screening rate, 3) summarized treatment with laser and anti-VEGF and used log-binomial regression to examine associations of all of these with age group, ethnicity, and area-level deprivation.

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  • The study aimed to identify eligible individuals for gene replacement therapy in patients with X-linked inherited retinal dystrophy (XL-IRD) in New Zealand.
  • It involved analyzing 32 probands and 72 family members through comprehensive medical tests to detail the genetic mutations and their associated symptoms.
  • Findings revealed a significant presence of disease in female carriers, frequent novel pathogenic variants, and a higher occurrence of mutations in a specific gene region, informing better gene testing and clinical care strategies.
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Rapid and reliable identification of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genetic clades of an influenza A virus (IAV) sequence from swine can inform control measures and multivalent vaccine composition. Current approaches to genetically characterize HA or NA sequences are based on nucleotide similarity or phylogenetic analyses. Public databases exist to acquire IAV genetic sequences for comparison, but personnel at the diagnostic or production level have difficulty in adequately updating and maintaining relevant sequence datasets for IAV in swine.

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Defining factors that influence spatial and temporal patterns of influenza A virus (IAV) is essential to inform vaccine strain selection and strategies to reduce the spread of potentially zoonotic swine-origin IAV. The relative frequency of detection of the H3 phylogenetic clade 1990.4.

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  • Blue cone monochromacy (BCM) is an X-linked retinal disorder leading to low vision, sensitivity to light, and difficulty distinguishing colors due to mutations in a gene cluster on the X chromosome.
  • In a study of 213 BCM families, about one-third were found to carry structural variants (SVs), predominantly deletions within the affected gene cluster, with 42 distinct SVs identified, including many new ones.
  • A common SV was found in 22 families from the U.S., indicating a single ancestral mutation, while the study suggests that the structure of the gene cluster makes it vulnerable to these genetic variations.
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  • Harboyan syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner, primarily characterized by congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy (CHED) and later onset sensorineural hearing loss.
  • A case study of a 4-year-old girl diagnosed with congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection initially suggested she had hearing and visual impairments, which can also occur due to CMV.
  • Through detailed phenotyping and genetic testing, the girl's symptoms were more accurately attributed to Harboyan syndrome instead of CMV.
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The neuraminidase (NA) and hemagglutinin (HA) are essential surface glycoproteins of influenza A virus (IAV). In this study, the evolution of subtype N2 NA paired with H1 and H3 subtype HA in swine was evaluated to understand if the genetic diversity of HA and NA were linked. Using time-scaled Bayesian phylodynamic analyses, the relationships of paired swine N2 with H1 or H3 from 2009 to 2018 were evaluated.

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Objectives: The aims of the study were to evaluate whether in situ (on-site) simulation training is associated with increased telemedicine use for patients presenting to rural emergency departments (EDs) with severe sepsis and septic shock and to evaluate the association between simulation training and telehealth with acute sepsis bundle (SEP-1) compliance and mortality.

Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study of patients presenting to 2 rural EDs with severe sepsis and/or septic shock before and after rollout of in situ simulation training that included education on sepsis management and the use of telehealth. Unadjusted and adjusted analyses were conducted to describe the association of simulation training with sepsis process of care markers and with mortality.

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In 2017, the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory detected a reverse-zoonotic transmission of a human seasonal H3 influenza A virus into swine (IAV-S) in Oklahoma. Pairwise comparison between the recently characterized human seasonal H3 IAV-S (H3.2010.

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  • Influenza A virus (IAV) causes respiratory diseases in both humans and swine, but vaccines must frequently adapt to evolving strains, with potential mismatches leading to reduced effectiveness.
  • Whole inactivated virus (WIV) vaccines can trigger vaccine-associated enhanced respiratory disease (VAERD) when there is an antigenic mismatch between the vaccine and the infecting virus, a phenomenon previously confirmed in pigs.
  • This study successfully replicated VAERD in ferrets, showing increased clinical symptoms and lung lesions after vaccination with a mismatched strain, indicating that VAERD can affect multiple species and should be a consideration in vaccine development.
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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the natural history of visual function change in cohorts of patients affected with retinal degeneration due to biallelic variants in Bardet-Biedl syndrome genes: BBS1 and BBS10.

Methods: Patients were recruited from nine academic centers from six countries (Belgium, Canada, France, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United States). Inclusion criteria were: (1) female or male patients with a clinical diagnosis of retinal dystrophy, (2) biallelic disease-causing variants in BBS1 or BBS10, and (3) measures of visual function for at least one visit.

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Influenza A virus (IAV) is passively surveilled in swine in the United States through a U.S. Department of Agriculture administered surveillance system.

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