Genetic variants in DDX53 contribute to autism spectrum disorder associated with the Xp22.11 locus.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibits an ∼4:1 male-to-female sex bias and is characterized by early-onset impairment of social/communication skills, restricted interests, and stereotyped behaviors. Disruption of the Xp22.11 locus has been associated with ASD in males.

Molecular and Clinical Features of Adrenocortical Tumors in Beckwith-Wiedemann Spectrum.

Background/objectives: Adrenocortical tumors (ACTs), including adrenocortical adenoma (ACA) and carcinoma (ACC), represent 0.3-0.4% of pediatric tumors.

The c.-265G>A GLA gene promoter variant causes Fabry disease: The hidden culprit identified.

Here, we report the identification and functional characterization of a novel GLA variant, not detectable by routine molecular tests, in a family with FD suspicion.

A Male Child with Infantile Epilepsy due to a Mosaic Missense Variant of PCDH19.

Background: Pathogenic variants of PCDH19, located on the X-chromosome (Xq22.1), cause a rare epileptic encephalopathy with speech and development delay, seizures, behavioral and psychiatric problems. The specific underlying pathogenic mechanism is known as "cellular interference" that results in affected heterozygous females, normal hemizygous males and affected mosaic males but its functioning is not yet clear.

Landscape of Constitutional Variation in Human Disorders.

SOX proteins are transcription factors which play a role in regulating the development of progenitor cells and tissue differentiation. Twenty members are known, clustered in eight groups named A through H and sharing a common DNA-binding domain called the HMG (high-mobility-group) box. Eleven of the SOX genes have been associated with genetic disorders so far, covering a broad spectrum of developmental diseases.

Magnetic resonance imaging scoring system of the lower limbs in adult patients with suspected idiopathic inflammatory myopathy.

Purpose: We aim to propose a visual quantitative score for muscle edema in lower limb MRI to contribute to the diagnosis of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM).

Material And Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 85 consecutive patients (mean age 57.4 ± 13.

Modifiers of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease Severity: The Role of Hypomorphic Alleles.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common genetic cause of kidney failure in adult life. Rarely, ADPKD can be diagnosed in utero or in infancy, and the genetic mechanism underlying such severe presentation has been shown to be related to reduced gene dosage. Biallelic variants are often identified in early onset ADPKD, with one main pathogenic variant and a modifier hypomorphic variant showing an in trans configuration.

The Enigmatic Genetic Landscape of Hereditary Hearing Loss: A Multistep Diagnostic Strategy in the Italian Population.

Hearing loss is the most frequent sensorineural disorder, affecting approximately 1:1000 newborns. Hereditary forms (HHL) represent 50-60% of cases, highlighting the relevance of genetic testing in deaf patients. HHL is classified as non-syndromic (NSHL-70% of cases) or syndromic (SHL-30% of cases).

Chromosomal Microarray Analysis Identifies a Novel SALL1 Deletion, Supporting the Association of Haploinsufficiency with a Mild Phenotype of Townes-Brocks Syndrome.

SALL1 heterozygous pathogenic variants cause Townes-Brocks syndrome (TBS), a condition with variable clinical presentation. The main features are a stenotic or imperforate anus, dysplastic ears, and thumb malformations, and other common concerns are hearing impairments, foot malformations, and renal and heart defects. Most of the pathogenic variants are nonsense and frameshift, likely escaping nonsense-mediated mRNA decay and causing disease via a dominant-negative mechanism.

De Novo ZMYND8 variants result in an autosomal dominant neurodevelopmental disorder with cardiac malformations.

Purpose: ZMYND8 encodes a multidomain protein that serves as a central interactive hub for coordinating critical roles in transcription regulation, chromatin remodeling, regulation of super-enhancers, DNA damage response and tumor suppression. We delineate a novel neurocognitive disorder caused by variants in the ZMYND8 gene.

Methods: An international collaboration, exome sequencing, molecular modeling, yeast two-hybrid assays, analysis of available transcriptomic data and a knockdown Drosophila model were used to characterize the ZMYND8 variants.

Consolidation of the clinical and genetic definition of a related neurodevelopmental syndrome.

Background: A neurodevelopmental syndrome was recently reported in four patients with heterozygous missense variants in the high-mobility-group (HMG) DNA-binding domain. The present study aimed to consolidate clinical and genetic knowledge of this syndrome.

Methods: We newly identified 17 patients with variants, predicted variant pathogenicity using in silico tests and in vitro functional assays and analysed the patients' phenotypes.

There Is More Than Meets the Eye: Identification of Dual Molecular Diagnosis in Patients Affected by Hearing Loss.

Hearing loss (HL) is the most common sensory impairment, and it is characterized by a high clinical/genetic heterogeneity. Here we report the identification of dual molecular diagnoses (i.e.

Increased intracranial arterial tortuosity is associated with worse cardiovascular outcome in patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the association between intracranial arterial tortuosity and cardiovascular outcome in patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS). We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients with genetically confirmed LDS who underwent at least one brain MRA at our institution (n = 32); demographic and clinical features were evaluated in relation to the tortuosity of intracranial arteries as measured by tortuosity index (TI), which was calculated using the formula: [(centerline length) / (straight-line length)-1] × 100. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for intracranial TI and the binary end point of aortic surgery showed vertebrobasilar TI (VBTI) to be the best classifier among the examined arterial segments (AUC = 0.

Related Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathy: Phenotypic and Genotypic Spectrum.

Background And Objectives: Purine-rich element-binding protein A () gene encodes Pur-α, a conserved protein essential for normal postnatal brain development. Recently, a syndrome characterized by intellectual disability, hypotonia, epilepsy, and dysmorphic features was suggested. The aim of this study was to define and expand the phenotypic spectrum of syndrome by collecting data, including EEG, from a large cohort of affected patients.

Expanding the Neurological Phenotype of Ring Chromosome 10 Syndrome: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Ring chromosome 10 [r(10)] syndrome is a rare genetic condition, currently described in the medical literature in a small number of case report studies. Typical clinical features include microcephaly, short stature, facial dysmorphisms, ophthalmologic abnormalities and genitourinary malformations. We report a novel case of r(10) syndrome and review the neurological and neuroradiological phenotypes of the previously described cases.

Recurrent NF1 gene variants and their genotype/phenotype correlations in patients with Neurofibromatosis type I.

Neurofibromatosis type I, a genetic condition due to pathogenic variants in the NF1 gene, is burdened by a high rate of complications, including neoplasms, which increase morbidity and mortality for the disease. We retrospectively re-evaluated the NF1 gene variants found in the period 2000-2019 and we studied for genotype/phenotype correlations of disease complications and neoplasms 34 variants, which were shared by at least two unrelated families (range 2-11) for a total 141 of probands and 21 relatives affected by Neurofibromatosis type I. Recurrent variants could be ascribed to the most common mutational mechanisms (C to T transition, microsatellite slippage, non-homologous recombination).

Refining the mutational spectrum and gene-phenotype correlates in pontocerebellar hypoplasia: results of a multicentric study.

Background: Pontocerebellar hypoplasias (PCH) comprise a group of genetically heterogeneous disorders characterised by concurrent hypoplasia of the pons and the cerebellum and variable clinical and imaging features. The current classification includes 13 subtypes, with ~20 known causative genes. Attempts have been made to delineate the phenotypic spectrum associated to specific PCH genes, yet clinical and neuroradiological features are not consistent across studies, making it difficult to define gene-specific outcomes.

Coronary Artery Aneurysms in Patients With Marfan Syndrome: Frequent, Progressive, and Relevant.

Background: There are few data on the prevalence and clinical consequences of coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) in adult patients with Marfan syndrome (MFS).

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 109 patients with pathogenic variants in the FBN1 gene. Diameters of the left main coronary artery (LMCA) and right- coronary artery (RCA) were measured by computed tomography angiography.