Systematic documentation and analysis of human genetic variation in hemoglobinopathies using the microattribution approach.

We developed a series of interrelated locus-specific databases to store all published and unpublished genetic variation related to hemoglobinopathies and thalassemia and implemented microattribution to encourage submission of unpublished observations of genetic variation to these public repositories. A total of 1,941 unique genetic variants in 37 genes, encoding globins and other erythroid proteins, are currently documented in these databases, with reciprocal attribution of microcitations to data contributors. Our project provides the first example of implementing microattribution to incentivise submission of all known genetic variation in a defined system.

PM-Scl-75 is the main autoantigen in patients with the polymyositis/scleroderma overlap syndrome.

Objective: To compare the autoantigenicity of the recently described N-terminally elongated PM-Scl-75 protein with that of PM-Scl-100 and the originally defined PM-Scl-75 polypeptide, and to determine its value for analyzing sera from patients with the polymyositis (PM)/scleroderma overlap syndrome.

Methods: Serum samples obtained from patients with the PM/scleroderma overlap syndrome and from patients with several other diseases were analyzed for the presence of autoantibodies reactive with recombinant PM-Scl-100 and PM-Scl-75 (both the original and the longer form) proteins, in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results: Autoantibodies recognizing the longer PM-Scl-75 protein isoform were detected in 28% of the patients with PM/scleroderma.