Publications by authors named "ChaoChun Zou"

Core fucosylation at N-glycans, which is uniquely catalyzed by fucosyltransferase FUT8, plays essential roles in post-translational regulation of protein function. Aberrant core fucosylation leads to neurological disorders in individuals with congenital glycosylation disorders (CDG). However, the underlying mechanisms for these neurological defects remain largely unknown.

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TLK2 variants were identified as the cause for several neurodevelopmental disorders by impacting brain development. The incidence of mutation in TLK2 is low, which has common clinical features with other rare diseases. Herein, we reported a 5-year-old boy with TLK2 heterozygous mutation who presented distinctive facial features, gastrointestinal diseases, short stature, language delay, autism spectrum disorder, heart diseases, abnormal genitourinary system and skeletal abnormality.

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  • Osteoporosis is a widespread disease causing significant economic strain, driven by imbalances in bone loss and formation due to malfunctioning osteoclasts and osteoblasts.
  • Research has highlighted the impact of immune response and inflammation on osteoporosis development, with specific cytokines influencing the behavior of macrophage subtypes.
  • Bilobalide (Bil), an active compound from Ginkgo biloba, shows promise in reducing osteoclast generation and enhancing bone density, making it a potential treatment for osteoporosis management.
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  • Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II) is a rare genetic disorder caused by mutations in the IDS gene, leading to reduced enzyme activity and the accumulation of harmful substances in cells, affecting multiple body systems.
  • Symptoms of MPS II include distinctive facial features, skeletal abnormalities, respiratory issues, and hernias, and diagnosis involves clinical evaluation, imaging, lab tests, and genetic analysis.
  • Treatment mainly focuses on managing symptoms, as options like enzyme replacement therapy and stem cell transplantation are limited by costs and availability, resulting in high misdiagnosis rates in places like China.
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Background: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare multisystemic hereditary illness. Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) therapy is widely recognized as the primary treatment for PWS. This study aimed to examine how different PWS genotypes influence the outcome of rhGH treatment in children with PWS.

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  • Maternal uniparental disomy for chromosome 6 (upd) is linked to intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), but the exact clinical details are not well defined.
  • Two new cases were analyzed, one showing mixed isodisomy and heterodisomy patterns, and the other having a homozygous mutation in SCUBE3 along with maternal upd.
  • Of the 21 documented cases of maternal upd, 85.7% experienced IUGR, highlighting a significant correlation between this genetic condition and growth issues in utero.
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To investigate the impact of Sitagliptin against obesity and the underlying mechanism. Obese immature mice were treated with 10, 30, and 90 mg/kg Sitagliptin, respectively. The body weights were recorded and the level of serum biochemical indexes were detected.

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  • * Recent advancements in therapies have improved treatment options for MPS patients, but early diagnosis remains a challenge due to delays in recognition of the disease.
  • * Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is a promising analytical technique that can detect GAGs, facilitating early screening and diagnosis, monitoring treatment effectiveness, and identifying potential biomarkers for improved patient outcomes.
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Objective: To characterize the phenotype spectrum, diagnosis, and response to growth-promoting therapy in patients with ACAN variants causing familial short stature.

Methods: Three families with ACAN variants causing short stature were reported. Similar cases in the literature were summarized, and the genotype and phenotype were analyzed.

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Background: Kenny-Caffey syndrome type 2 (KCS2) is an extremely rare inherited disorder characterized by proportionate short stature, skeletal defects, ocular and dental abnormalities, and transient hypocalcemia. It is caused by variants in FAM111A gene. Diagnosis of KCS2 can be challenging because of its similarities to other syndromes, the absence of clear hallmarks and the deficient number of genetically confirmed cases.

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  • The study aimed to improve detection and management of sitosterolemia in Chinese children by analyzing their physical traits and genetic factors.
  • Out of 26 diagnosed children, the most common symptoms were xanthomas (73.1%), joint pain (26.9%), and stunted growth (15.4%), with significant genetic findings linking ABCG5 and ABCG8 variants to the condition.
  • Results showed that dietary changes and ezetimibe treatment notably reduced cholesterol levels, emphasizing the importance of genetic testing and dietary management for effective sitosterolemia control.
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  • Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetic condition linked to orthopedic issues like scoliosis and hip dysplasia (HD), and this study focused on analyzing these deformities in patients.
  • A retrospective study of 175 patients revealed that 43.7% had scoliosis, predominantly mild, with a notable increase in prevalence around age 5, while 38.2% had HD, mostly diagnosed by age 1.
  • The findings suggest early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for improving orthopedic outcomes in PWS patients since treatment rates were low and various skeletal issues showed distinct onset ages.
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Aberrant activation of sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling and its effector transcriptional factor GLI1 are essential for oncogenesis of SHH-dependent medulloblastoma (MB) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Here, we show that SHH inactivates p38α (MAPK14) in a smoothened-dependent manner, conversely, p38α directly phosphorylates GLI1 on Ser937/Ser941 (human/mouse) to induce GLI1's proteasomal degradation and negates the transcription of SHH signaling. As a result, Gli1 loss-of-function knock-in significantly reduces the incidence and severity of smoothened-M2 transgene-induced spontaneous MB, whereas Gli1 gain-of-function knock-in phenocopies Gli1 transgene in causing BCC-like proliferation in skin.

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The genotype-phenotype relationship in PWS patients is important for a better understanding of the clinical phenotype and clinical characteristics of different genotypes of PWS in children. We aimed to explore the influence of specific gene changes on the clinical symptoms of PWS and the value of early screening and early intervention of the condition. All data in this study were extracted from the database of the XiaoPang Weili Rare Disease Care Center.

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The gene encodes the catalytic subunit of the N-terminal acetyltransferase protein complex A (NatA), which is supposed to acetylate approximately 40% of the human proteins. After the advent of next-generation sequencing, more variants in the gene and Ogden syndrome (OMIM# 300855) have been reported. Individuals with -related syndrome have a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and the genotype-phenotype correlation is still far from being confirmed.

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The genetic disorder Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is mainly caused by the loss of multiple paternally expressed genes in chromosome 15q11-q13 (the PWS region). Early diagnosis of PWS is essential for timely treatment, leading to effectively easing some clinical symptoms. Molecular approaches for PWS diagnosis at the DNA level are available, but the diagnosis of PWS at the RNA level has been limited.

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Introduction: Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder that impacts multiple systems and may cause developmental delays. These medical and developmental issues impose a heavy burden on affected children and their families. However, there was no study on children's health-related quality of life (HRQoL) with WS and only two studies about family quality of life globally.

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Thyroid storm is a rare but life-threatening condition mainly triggered by infection and abrupt discontinuation of antithyroid drug therapy for Graves’ disease. Pancytopenia is a rare adverse reaction to antithyroid drugs. We present a 13-year-old girl with thyroid storm and pancytopenia with symptoms similar to those of methimazole-induced pancytopenia.

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Background: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare and multisystemic genetic disorder that is characterized by severe hypotonia, hyperphagia, short stature, and global developmental delay. Although early recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) treatment has been proven to rescue some symptoms and bring additional benefits to PWS patients, studies in patients under 2 years old are scarce. Thus, this study aims to investigate the effectiveness and safety of rhGH treatment for young children.

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The myelin regulatory factor (; MIM# 608329) gene was first identified as a critical transcription factor involved in oligodendrocyte differentiation and central nervous system myelination. With the recent development of exome sequencing, pathogenic variants of had been considered as the cause of cardiac-urogenital syndrome (CUGS), 46,XY and 46,XX disorders/differences of sex development (DSDs), and nanophthalmos. Herein, we described a 4-year-7-month-old "girl" with ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, severe pulmonary hypertension, moderate-to-severe tricuspid regurgitation, enlarged coronary sinus, left superior vena cava, and right lung hypoplasia at birth.

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Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic phenomenon of monoallelic gene expression pattern depending on parental origin. In humans, congenital imprinting disruptions resulting from genetic or epigenetic mechanisms can cause a group of diseases known as genetic imprinting disorders (IDs). Genetic IDs involve several distinct syndromes sharing homologies in terms of genetic etiologies and phenotypic features.

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Trichorhinophalangeal syndrome type I (TRPS I; MIM 190350) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder of congenital malformations due to variants of the gene TRPS1. We reported on an 11-year-old Chinese boy with TRPS I. He had typical clinical findings, including sparse hair, a bulbous nose, a long philtrum, a thin upper lip, and skeletal abnormalities including cone-shaped epiphyses, shortening of the phalanges, and short stature.

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Background: Idiopathic hypogonadotropin hypogonadism (IHH) is caused by hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis dysfunction. This is divided into Kallmann syndrome which has an impaired sense of smell and hypogonadotropin hypogonadism with normal olfactory (nIHH sense. Approximately 60% of patients are associated with Kallmann syndrome, whereas there are approximately 40% with hypogonadotropin hypogonadism (nIHH).

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