Publications by authors named "Belinda Campos Xavier"

Volume-regulated anion channels (VRACs) are multimeric proteins composed of different paralogs of the LRRC8 family. They are activated in response to hypotonic swelling, but little is known about their specific functions. We studied two human individuals with the same congenital syndrome affecting blood vessels, brain, eyes, and bones.

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  • * Diagnostic protocols for increased nuchal translucency include rapid tests for aneuploidy, cytogenetic analysis, and in some cases, whole exome sequencing (WES), though its role in isolated cases is still debated.
  • * In a study involving two euploid fetuses with isolated increased nuchal translucency, whole genome sequencing revealed variants in the NUP107 gene linked to severe nephrotic syndrome, highlighting the importance of advanced genetic testing
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Patients with autosomal dominant (AD) hyper-IgE syndrome (HIES) suffer from a constellation of manifestations including recurrent bacterial and fungal infections, severe atopy, and skeletal abnormalities. This condition is typically caused by monoallelic dominant-negative (DN) STAT3 variants. In 2020, we described 12 patients from eight kindreds with DN IL6ST variants resulting in a new form of AD HIES.

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Osteocraniostenosis (OCS, OMIM #602361) is a severe, usually lethal condition characterized by gracile bones with thin diaphyses, a cloverleaf-shaped skull and splenic hypo/aplasia. The condition is caused by heterozygous mutations in the gene and is allelic to the non-lethal, dominant disorder Kenny-Caffey syndrome (KCS, OMIM #127000). Here we report two new cases of OCS, including one with a detailed pathological examination.

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The term "arthrogryposis" is used to indicate multiple congenital contractures affecting two or more areas of the body. Arthrogryposis is the consequence of an impairment of embryofetal neuromuscular function and development. The causes of arthrogryposis are multiple, and in newborns, it is difficult to predict the molecular defect as well as the clinical evolution just based on clinical findings.

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De novo variants in QRICH1 (Glutamine-rich protein 1) has recently been reported in 11 individuals with intellectual disability (ID). The function of QRICH1 is largely unknown but it is likely to play a key role in the unfolded response of endoplasmic reticulum stress through transcriptional control of proteostasis. In this study, we present 27 additional individuals and delineate the clinical and molecular spectrum of the individuals (n = 38) with QRICH1 variants.

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  • - Cranio-lenticulo-sutural dysplasia (CLSD) is a rare genetic condition, previously documented in only two families, linked to the SEC23A gene; one family showed it inherited recessively while the other had a sporadic case suggesting a different inheritance pattern.
  • - A 2-month-old boy exhibited symptoms like large fontanels and a prominent forehead, with his condition traced back to a specific SEC23A variant that was inherited from his father, who also had related features, indicating a potential new understanding of the genetic transmission of CLSD.
  • - Analysis of the SEC23A variant suggests that while it could lead to recessive inheritance, it might also cause CLSD through a dominant mechanism,
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We studied a family in which the first-born child, a girl, had developmental delay, facial dysmorphism, and agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC). The subsequent pregnancy was interrupted as the fetus was found to be also affected by ACC. Both cases were heterozygous for two variants predicting (Ala635Thr) and (Ser1155AlaTer4) that were shown to be in .

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Background: The Mauriac syndrome was described in 1930 as a peculiar combination of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus type 1, stunted growth and glycogenic hepatopathy. More recently, lactic acidosis was recognized as an additional feature, often induced by insulin treatment.

Case Presentation: A 17-year old girl known for diabetes type 1A and Mauriac syndrome was admitted to the emergency room with hyperglycemia of > 41 mmol/l without ketoacidosis.

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Background Cystationine β-synthase (CBS) deficiency is a genetic disorder characterized by severe hyperhomocysteinemia and thrombotic complications. In healthy individuals, physical exercise may result in a transient increase in plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) raising the possibility that exercise might be detrimental in CBS deficiency. Our main objective was to determine plasma tHcy kinetics in response to physical exercise in homocystinuria patients.

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Background: Classic cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX; OMIM #213700) manifests with chronic diarrhea, juvenile cataracts, tendon xanthomas and neurological symptoms. It is due to biallelic inactivation of wich leads to cholestanol accumulation in the central nervous system, eyes and tendons. Less commonly, the disease can present in young adults as spastic paraparesis in the absence of xanthomas.

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Four individuals from two families presented with a multisystemic condition of suspected genetic origin that was diagnosed only after genome analysis. The main phenotypic features were immune system dysregulation (severe immunodeficiency with autoimmunity) and intellectual disability. The four individuals were found to be homozygous for a 4.

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  • Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in gene regulation, but their involvement in human genetic diseases is not well understood.
  • Researchers discovered that deleting a specific lncRNA region on chromosome 2 led to severe congenital limb malformations in humans, including features like shortened limbs and fused digits.
  • The study identified a lncRNA named Maenli, which is essential for activating the engrailed-1 gene during limb development, revealing how mutations in lncRNA can contribute to Mendelian diseases.
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Bone dysplasias (osteochondrodysplasias) are a large group of conditions associated with short stature, skeletal disproportion, and radiographic abnormalities of skeletal elements. Nearly all are genetic in origin. We report a series of seven children with similar findings of chondrodysplasia and growth failure following early hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for pediatric non-oncologic disease: hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis or HLH (five children, three with biallelic HLH-associated variants [in PRF1 and UNC13D] and one with HLH secondary to visceral Leishmaniasis), one child with severe combined immunodeficiency and one with Omenn syndrome (both children had biallelic RAG1 pathogenic variants).

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Background: This report describes a new strategy for the care of patients with osteogenesis imperfecta, based on an interdisciplinary team working. Thereby, we aim at fulfilling three main goals: offering thorough coordinated management for all, and improving physical activity and quality of life of the patients.

Aim: With rare diseases such as osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), patients and their family often suffer from inadequate recognition of their disease, poor care coordination and incomplete information.

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Recessive loss-of-function variants in a putative zinc transporter gene, were first associated with a connective tissue disorder that is now called "Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, spondylodysplastic form type 3" (SCD-EDS, OMIM 612350) in 2008. Nine individuals have been described. We describe here four additional affected individuals from three consanguineous families and the follow up of two of the original cases.

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Variations in genes encoding for the enzymes responsible for synthesizing the linker region of proteoglycans may result in recessive conditions known as "linkeropathies". The two phenotypes related to mutations in genes and (encoding for galactosyltransferase I and II respectively) are similar, characterized by short stature, hypotonia, joint hypermobility, skeletal features and a suggestive face with prominent forehead, thin soft tissue and prominent eyes. The most outstanding feature of these disorders is the combination of severe connective tissue involvement, often manifesting in newborns and infants, and skeletal dysplasia that becomes apparent during childhood.

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Purpose: We observed four individuals in two unrelated but consanguineous families from Portugal and Brazil affected by early-onset retinal degeneration, sensorineural hearing loss, microcephaly, intellectual disability, and skeletal dysplasia with scoliosis and short stature. The phenotype precisely matched that of an individual of Azorean descent published in 1986 by Liberfarb and coworkers.

Methods: Patients underwent specialized clinical examinations (including ophthalmological, audiological, orthopedic, radiological, and developmental assessment).

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Background: A 49-year-old male presented with late-onset demyelinating peripheral neuropathy, cerebellar atrophy, and cognitive deficit. Nerve biopsy revealed intra-axonal inclusions suggestive of polyglucosan bodies, raising the suspicion of adult polyglucosan bodies disease (OMIM 263570).

Methods And Results: While known genes associated with polyglucosan bodies storage were negative, whole-exome sequencing identified an unreported monoallelic variant, c.

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  • - Spondylocostal dysostosis (SCDO) is a group of skeletal disorders marked by defects in the segmentation of vertebrae and ribs, linked to seven causal genes, including LFNG.
  • - A Japanese patient with SCDO exhibited severe vertebral anomalies and was found to carry two mutations in the LFNG gene, impacting its function as a glycosyltransferase.
  • - This case represents the second documented instance of LFNG mutations associated with SCDO, with one variant affecting an important active-site motif of the enzyme.
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LBR (Lamin B Receptor) encodes a bifunctional protein important for cholesterol biosynthesis and heterochromatin organization on the inner nuclear membrane. Pathogenic variants in LBR are associated with marked phenotypic variability, ranging from the benign Pelger-Huët anomaly to lethal Greenberg Dysplasia. We performed trio exome sequencing (ES) on two patients with atypical variants of skeletal dysplasia and their unaffected parents.

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Progressive pseudorheumatoid dysplasia (PPRD) is a genetic bone disorder characterised by the progressive degeneration of articular cartilage that leads to pain, stiffness and joint enlargement. As PPRD is a rare disease, available literature is mainly represented by single case reports and only a few larger case series. Our aim is to review the literature concerning clinical, laboratory and radiological features of PPRD.

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