Publications by authors named "Castori M"

Heterozygous deleterious null alleles and specific missense variants in the DNA-binding domain of the ETS2 repressor factor (ERF) cause craniosynostosis, while the recurrent p.(Tyr89Cys) missense variant is associated with Chitayat syndrome. Exome and whole transcriptome sequencing revealed the ERF de novo in-frame indel c.

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ASH1L gene encodes a histone lysine methyltransferase, highly expressed in both embryonic and adult human brain. De novo loss-of-function variants in ASH1L are described in an ultrarare monogenic neurodevelopmental disorder, previously called mental retardation type 52 (MRD52). At the same time, a few cases are reported in the literature and DECIPHER with 1q22 microdeletions spanning ASH1L.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), or "brittle bone disease," is a rare genetic disorder that causes fragile bones and potential deformities due to defects in collagen type I, requiring comprehensive care throughout a patient's life stages.
  • - Treatment primarily focuses on supportive measures, including medications like bisphosphonates and various orthopedic surgeries, which have shown positive results, especially in children, but there is a notable lack of guidelines for adults transitioning from pediatric care.
  • - A systematic review of existing literature emphasizes the need for a multifaceted approach by various medical specialists to enhance the transition from pediatric to adult care for OI patients, stressing the importance of education, personalized plans, and ongoing follow-up.
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Ulnar mammary syndrome (UMS) results from heterozygous variants in the TBX3 gene and impacts limb, tooth, hair, apocrine gland, and genitalia development. The expressivity of UMS is highly variable with no established genotype-phenotype correlations. TBX3 belongs to the Tbx gene family, which encodes transcription factors characterized by the presence of a T-box DNA-binding domain.

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  • The study focuses on two siblings who inherited two new variants (N935Y and H1393Q) in the Nav1.1 sodium channel, leading to a drug-responsive neurological condition while their parents remain asymptomatic.
  • Most variants in this channel are usually inherited heterozygously, but in this case, both siblings express a biallelic (two copies) inheritance pattern.
  • Functional analyses of sodium currents show that these variants reduce channel activity by about 20%, potentially contributing to their illness, but also suggest that other factors could play a role in the disease's development.
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Purpose: Pathogenic LZTR1 variants cause schwannomatosis and dominant/recessive Noonan syndrome (NS). We aim to establish an association between heterozygous loss-of-function LZTR1 alleles and isolated multiple café-au-lait macules (CaLMs).

Methods: A total of 849 unrelated participants with multiple CaLMs, lacking pathogenic/likely pathogenic NF1 and SPRED1 variants, underwent RASopathy gene panel sequencing.

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Leucine zipper-like transcription regulator 1 (LZTR1) acts as a negative factor that suppresses RAS function and MAPK signaling; mutations in this protein may dysregulate RAS ubiquitination and lead to impaired degradation of RAS superfamily proteins. Germline variants are reported in Noonan syndrome, either autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive, and in susceptibility to schwannomatosis. This article explores the genetic and phenotypic diversity of the autosomal dominant -related disorders, compiling a cohort of previously published patients (51 with the Noonan phenotype and 123 with schwannomatosis) and presenting two additional adult-onset cases: a male with schwannomatosis and Parkinson's disease and a female with Noonan syndrome, generalized joint hypermobility, and breast cancer.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The study looked at five kids who had different types of these malformations on their heads and necks, and doctors worked together to find the best ways to help them.
  • * While it’s tough to completely fix these issues, sending kids to special care centers can really help improve their lives and make things easier for their families.
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O'Donnell-Luria-Rodan (ODLURO) syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in the gene. The clinical phonotype of the affected individuals is typically characterized by global developmental delay, autism, epilepsy, hypotonia, macrocephaly, and very mild dysmorphic facial features. In this report, we describe the case of a 6-year-old boy with ODLURO syndrome who is a carrier of the synonymous mutation c.

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Rare heterozygous variants in exons 33-34 of the SRCAP gene are associated with Floating-Harbor syndrome and have a dominant-negative mechanism of action. At variance, heterozygous null alleles falling in other parts of the same gene cause developmental delay, hypotonia, musculoskeletal defects, and behavioral abnormalities (DEHMBA) syndrome. We report an 18-year-old man with DEHMBA syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea, who underwent exome sequencing (ES) and whole transcriptome sequencing (WTS) on peripheral blood.

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Background: The Phase 1/2 Treat_CCM randomized controlled trial for people with familial cerebral cavernous malformations (FCCMs) confirmed the safety of propranolol and suggested beneficial effects on intracerebral hemorrhage or new focal neurological deficits, but the effects on patient-reported outcome measures have not been reported.

Methods: Participants completed self-reported questionnaires at baseline, 1 and 2 years. Depression was assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-2); Anxiety with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory X1 and X2 (STAI X-1 and STAI X-2); and Quality of Life with the Short Form 36 (SF-36), split into the physical and mental component scales (PCS and MCS).

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Background: Cerebral Cavernous Malformation (CCM) is a rare cerebrovascular disease, characterized by the presence of multiple vascular malformations that may result in intracerebral hemorrhages (ICHs), seizure(s), or focal neurological deficits (FND). Familial CCM (fCCM) is due to loss of function mutations in one of the three independent genes KRIT1 (CCM1), Malcavernin (CCM2), or Programmed Cell death 10 (PDCD10/CCM3). The aim of this study was to identify plasma protein biomarkers of fCCM to assess the severity of the disease and predict its progression.

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Objectives: Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) is a hereditary connective tissue disorder characterised by joint hypermobility, chronic musculoskeletal pain, and skin abnormalities and easy bruising. Morphological and functional microvascular status has not yet been studied in hEDS, and dermal thickness (DT) has been poorly investigated.

Methods: The aim of the study was to investigate the microvascular morphology by nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC), peripheral blood perfusion (PBP) by laser speckle contrast analysis (LASCA), and DT by high-frequency skin ultrasound (22 MHz probe) in adults with hEDS compared to sex- and age-matched controls.

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Heterozygous deleterious variants in SKI cause Shprintzen-Goldberg Syndrome, which is mainly characterized by craniofacial features, neurodevelopmental disorder and thoracic aorta dilatations/aneurysms. The encoded protein is a member of the transforming growth factor beta signaling. Paucity of reported studies exploring the SGS molecular pathogenesis hampers disease recognition and clinical interpretation of private variants.

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Introduction: Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a rare genetic disease caused by inactivating variants of the ALPL gene. Few data are available on the clinical presentation in Italy and/or on Italian HPP surveys.

Methods: There were 30 suspected HPP patients recruited from different Italian tertiary cares.

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Background: Joint hypermobility (JHM) is a common physical trait. It may occur alone or in combination with musculoskeletal (MSK) pain, outside or within more complex phenotypes. Hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) are diagnosed in individuals with JHM and related MSK pain, when an alternative diagnosis cannot be identified.

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Accurate diagnosis for patients living with neurodevelopmental disorders is often met with numerous challenges, related to the ambiguity of findings and lack of specificity in genetic variants leading to pathology. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis has been used to develop highly sensitive and specific 'episignatures' as biomarkers capable of differentiating and classifying complex neurodevelopmental disorders. In this study we describe distinct episignatures for KAT6A syndrome, caused by pathogenic variants in the lysine acetyltransferase A gene (), and for the two neurodevelopmental disorders associated with lysine acetyl transferase B ().

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Article Synopsis
  • - Deleterious variants in collagen genes are a primary cause of hereditary connective tissue disorders (HCTD), and there's a need for better adaptations of existing classification criteria by ACMG/AMP.
  • - A multidisciplinary team developed tailored ACMG/AMP specifications for key collagen genes, effectively classifying pathogenic variants, particularly focusing on null alleles and certain glycine substitutions.
  • - The new criteria aim to clarify the interpretation of genetic variants in HCTD, helping reduce ambiguities and improving the clinical application of molecular testing by fostering better collaboration between labs and clinicians.
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Article Synopsis
  • Thrombin can activate certain receptors in the brain, which leads to inflammation and makes blood vessels leakier.
  • This process is related to some brain diseases like cancer and neurodegeneration, particularly a condition called sporadic cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM).
  • Researchers found that in CCM, certain genes related to the thrombin pathway are overactive and that this can hurt brain cells and cause problems with important proteins.
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Achalasia is an esophageal smooth muscle motility disorder with unknown pathogenesis. Taking into account our previous results on the downexpression of miR-200c-3p in tissues of patients with achalasia correlated with an increased expression of , , and genes, our aim was to explore the unknown biological interaction between these genes and human miR-200c-3p and if this relation could unravel their functional role in the etiology of achalasia. To search for putative miR-200c-3p binding sites in the 3'-UTR of , and , a bioinformatics tool was used.

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Deleterious variants of DYNC2H1 gene are associated with a wide spectrum of skeletal ciliopathies (SC). We used targeted parallel sequencing to analyze 25 molecularly unsolved families with different SCs. Deleterious DYNC2H1 variants were found in six sporadic patients and two monozygotic (MZ) twins.

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