Aggregate formation analysis of GFAP found in one case of Alexander disease.

Alexander disease (AxD) is a neurodegenerative disease in astrocytes caused by a mutation in the gene encoding glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP. We herein present the case of a 12-year-old girl who showed intermittent exotropia at 3 years of age and central precocious puberty at 7 years of age. The periventricular and medulla oblongata showed high signal intensity on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.

Diagnostic challenge in a patient with nephropathic juvenile cystinosis: a case report.

Background: Cystinosis is a rare autosomal recessive lysosomal disorder characterized by the accumulation of cystine in lysosomes. Cystinosis is much rarer in Asian than Caucasian populations. There are only 14 patients have with cystinosis alive in Japan.

A recurrent de novo FAM111A mutation causes Kenny-Caffey syndrome type 2.

Kenny-Caffey syndrome (KCS) is a rare dysmorphologic syndrome characterized by proportionate short stature, cortical thickening and medullary stenosis of tubular bones, delayed closure of anterior fontanelle, eye abnormalities, and hypoparathyroidism. The autosomal dominant form of KCS (KCS type 2 [KCS2]) is distinguished from the autosomal recessive form of KCS (KCS type 1 [KCS1]), which is caused by mutations of the tubulin-folding cofactor E (TBCE) gene, by the absence of mental retardation. In this study, we recruited four unrelated Japanese patients with typical sporadic KCS2, and performed exome sequencing in three patients and their parents to elucidate the molecular basis of KCS2.

Resistance to thyroid hormone due to a novel thyroid hormone receptor mutant in a patient with hypothyroidism secondary to lingual thyroid and functional characterization of the mutant receptor.

Background: We describe a rare case of congenital hypothyroidism and an extremely high serum thyrotropin (TSH) level caused by a combination of resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH) and a lingual thyroid. As the RTH mutant, R316C, was new, the optimum dose of levothyroxine was unclear. To aid in assessment of the therapy, we characterized the mutant R316C thyroid hormone receptor (TR) and compared it with a common mutant, R316H, using in vitro studies.