Publications by authors named "Francou B"

Background And Purpose: Small-fiber neuropathy (SFN) affects only unmyelinated and thin myelinated fibers. It may be caused by amyloidogenic mutations of the transthyretin (TTR) gene, but not all TTR gene variants are pathogenic. The nonamyloidogenic c.

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Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the implementation of NGS within the French mitochondrial network, MitoDiag, from targeted gene panels to whole exome sequencing (WES) or whole genome sequencing (WGS) focusing on mitochondrial nuclear-encoded genes.

Methods: Over 2000 patients suspected of Primary Mitochondrial Diseases (PMD) were sequenced by either targeted gene panels, WES or WGS within MitoDiag. We described the clinical, biochemical, and molecular data of 397 genetically confirmed patients, comprising 294 children and 103 adults, carrying pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in nuclear-encoded genes.

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Objective: We aimed to describe characteristics of patients with ATTR variant polyneuropathy (ATTRv-PN) and ATTRv-mixed and assess the real-world use and safety profile of tafamidis meglumine 20mg.

Methods: Thirty-eight French hospitals were invited. Patient files were reviewed to identify clinical manifestations, diagnostic methods, and treatment compliance.

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Background: Hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis is a life-threatening autosomal dominant systemic disease due to pathogenic variants (ATTRv), mostly affecting the peripheral nerves and heart. The disease is characterised by a combination of symptoms, organ involvement and histological amyloid deposition. The available disease-modifying ATTRv treatments (DMTs) are more effective if initiated early.

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Like other secreted peptides, nascent parathyroid hormone (PTH) is synthesized with a pre- and a pro-sequence (25 and 6 amino acids, respectively). These precursor segments are sequentially removed in parathyroid cells before packaging into secretory granules. Three patients from two unrelated families who presented during infancy with symptomatic hypocalcemia were found to have a homozygous serine (S) to proline (P) change affecting the first amino acid of the mature PTH.

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Introduction: Vitamin D-dependent rickets type 1A (VDDR1A) is a rare genetic disease associated with loss-of-function variations in the gene encoding the vitamin D-activating enzyme 1α-hydroxylase (CYP27B1). Phenotype-genotype correlation is unclear. Long-term outcome data are lacking.

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Next generation sequencing (NGS) is strategically used for genetic diagnosis in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) and related disorders called non-syndromic inherited peripheral neuropathies (NSIPN) in this paper. With over 100 different CMT-associated genes involved and ongoing discoveries, an important interlaboratory diversity of gene panels exists at national and international levels. Here, we present the work of the French National Network for Rare Neuromuscular Diseases (FILNEMUS) genetic diagnosis section which coordinates the seven French diagnosis laboratories using NGS for peripheral neuropathies.

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Background: To date, the usage of Galaxy, an open-source bioinformatics platform, has been reported primarily in research. We report 5 years' experience (2015 to 2020) with Galaxy in our hospital, as part of the "Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris" (AP-HP), to demonstrate its suitability for high-throughput sequencing (HTS) data analysis in a clinical laboratory setting.

Methods: Our Galaxy instance has been running since July 2015 and is used daily to study inherited diseases, cancer, and microbiology.

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Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA) is a rare autosomal recessive disease resulting from mutations in the NTRK1 gene encoding the neurotrophic tyrosine kinase-1 receptor. In this multicenter observational retrospective study, we investigated CIPA patients identified from French laboratories sequencing the NTRK1 gene, and seven patients were identified. Patients originated from France (2), Suriname (2), Mali (1), Kazakhstan (1), and Algeria (1).

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Biallelic variants in PLEKHG5 have been reported so far associated with different clinical phenotypes including Lower motor neuron disease (LMND) [also known as distal hereditary motor neuropathies (dHMN or HMN) or distal spinal muscular atrophy (DSMA4)] and intermediate Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT). We report four patients from two families presenting with intermediate CMT and atypical clinical and para-clinical findings. Patients presented with predominant distal weakness with none or mild sensory involvement and remain ambulant at last examination (22-36 years).

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Article Synopsis
  • Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, a hereditary neuropathy, is often misdiagnosed as the treatable chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP).
  • A study of 1104 patients found that 3.2% were misdiagnosed CMT cases, revealing key differences in age, symptoms, and treatment response compared to true CIDP patients.
  • The financial analysis indicated that treating the misdiagnosed CMT patients cost significantly more (4.6 million euros) than conducting genetic tests for CMT (2.7 million euros), stressing the need for genetic analysis prior to CIDP diagnosis.
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Context: Pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1B (PHP1B), also referred to as inactivating PTH/PTHrP signaling disorder (iPPSD), is characterized by proximal renal tubular resistance to parathyroid hormone (PTH) leading to hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, and elevated PTH values. Autosomal dominant PHP1B (AD-PHP1B) with loss of methylation at the maternal GNAS A/B:TSS-DMR (transcription start site-differentially methylated region) alone can be caused by maternal deletions involving STX16.

Objective: Characterize a previously not reported AD-PHP1B family with loss of methylation at GNAS A/B:TSS-DMR, but without evidence for a STX16 deletion on the maternal allele and assess GNAS-AS2:TSS-DMR methylation.

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Objective: Pseudohypoparathyroidism and related disorders belong to a group of heterogeneous rare diseases that share an impaired signaling downstream of Gsα-protein-coupled receptors. Affected patients may present with various combination of symptoms including resistance to PTH and/or to other hormones, ectopic ossifications, brachydactyly type E, early onset obesity, short stature and cognitive difficulties. Several years ago we proposed a novel nomenclature under the term of inactivating PTH/PTHrP signaling disorders (iPPSD).

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Objective: To test the hypothesis that monogenic neuropathies such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) contribute to frequent but often unexplained neuropathies in the elderly, we performed genetic analysis of 230 patients with unexplained axonal neuropathies and disease onset ≥35 years.

Methods: We recruited patients, collected clinical data, and conducted whole-exome sequencing (WES; n = 126) and single-gene sequencing (n = 104). We further queried WES repositories for variants and measured blood levels of the -encoded protein neprilysin.

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Article Synopsis
  • Androgen receptor (AR) gene mutations lead to androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS), which manifests in varying degrees from mild symptoms like gynaecomastia and infertility to complete feminization.
  • This study identifies a new AR gene mutation (Ala699Thr) in two unrelated male patients with mild AIS and examines its functional impact through 3D modeling.
  • Both patients had elevated testosterone and fertility issues; one successfully conceived twins through IVF, while the other had children naturally despite low sperm quality, highlighting the diverse presentations of MAIS and the importance of understanding AR mutations.
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Background And Purpose: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1 (CMT1) is a group of autosomal dominantly inherited demyelinating sensorimotor neuropathies. Symptoms usually start in the first to second decade and include distal muscle weakness and wasting, sensory disturbances and foot deformities. The most frequent cause is a duplication of PMP22 whilst point mutations in PMP22 and other genes are rare causes.

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X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is characterized by increased activity of circulating FGF23 resulting in renal phosphate wasting and abnormal bone mineralization. Hyperparathyroidism may develop in XLH patients; however, its prevalence, pathogenesis, and clinical presentation are not documented. This observational study (CNIL 171036 v 0) recruited XLH adult patients in a single tertiary referral center.

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Aims: To investigate the relationship between the ophthalmic and systemic phenotypes in patients with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis with the S77Y mutation (ATTRS77Y).

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, patients with genetically confirmed ATTRS77Y amyloidosis were enrolled. All patients underwent complete neurological examination, including staging with the Neuropathy Impairment Score (NIS), Polyneuropathy Disability (PND) score; complete cardiological evaluation, including echocardiography, cardiac MRI and/or cardiac scintigraphy and complete ophthalmic evaluation, including slit lamp examination and fundus examination.

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Giant axonal neuropathy (GAN) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in the GAN gene encoding gigaxonin. Patients develop a progressive sensorimotor neuropathy affecting peripheral nervous system (PNS) and central nervous system (CNS). Methods: In this multicenter observational retrospective study, we recorded French patients with GAN mutations, and 10 patients were identified.

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Currently only 25-30% of patients with axonal forms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) receive a genetic diagnosis. We aimed to identify the causative gene of CMT type 2 in 8 non-related French families with a distinct clinical phenotype. We collected clinical, electrophysiological, and laboratory findings and performed genetic analyses in four different French laboratories.

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Study Question: Does the phenotype of women with normosmic congenital hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (nCHH) and pituitary resistance to GnRH caused by biallelic mutations in the GnRH receptor (GNRHR) (nCHH/bi-GNRHR) differ from that of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)?

Summary Answer: Women with nCHH/bi-GNRHR have variable pubertal development but nearly all have primary amenorrhea and an exaggerated LH response to GnRH stimulation, similar to that seen in women with PCOS.

What Is Known Already: Women with nCHH/bi-GNRHR are very rare and their phenotype at diagnosis is not always adequately documented. The results of gonadotrophin stimulation by acute GnRH challenge test and ovarian features have not been directly compared between these patients and women with PCOS.

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Pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1A (PHP1A), pseudoPHP (PPHP), and PHP type 1B (PHP1B) are caused by maternal and paternal GNAS mutations and abnormal methylation at maternal GNAS promoter(s), respectively. Adult PHP1A patients are reportedly obese and short, whereas most PPHP patients are born small. In addition to parathyroid hormone (PTH) resistance, PHP1A and PHP1B patients may display early-onset obesity.

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Congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH) and Kallmann syndrome (KS) are rare, related diseases that prevent normal pubertal development and cause infertility in affected men and women. However, the infertility carries a good prognosis as increasing numbers of patients with CHH/KS are now able to have children through medically assisted procreation. These are genetic diseases that can be transmitted to patients' offspring.

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