Connective Tissue Disorders and Fragile X Molecular Status in Females: A Case Series and Review.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited cause of intellectual disabilities and the second most common cause after Down syndrome. FXS is an X-linked disorder due to a full mutation of the CGG triplet repeat of the FMR1 gene which codes for a protein that is crucial in synaptogenesis and maintaining functions of extracellular matrix-related proteins, key for the development of normal neuronal and connective tissue including collagen. In addition to neuropsychiatric and behavioral problems, individuals with FXS show physical features suggestive of a connective tissue disorder including loose skin and joint laxity, flat feet, hernias and mitral valve prolapse.

A Streamlined Approach to Prader-Willi and Angelman Syndrome Molecular Diagnostics.

Establishing or ruling out a molecular diagnosis of Prader-Willi or Angelman syndrome (PWS/AS) presents unique challenges due to the variety of different genetic alterations that can lead to these conditions. Point mutations, copy number changes, uniparental isodisomy (i-UPD) 15 of two subclasses (segmental or total isodisomy), uniparental heterodisomy (h-UPD), and defects in the chromosome 15 imprinting center can all cause PWS/AS. Here, we outline a combined approach using whole-exome sequencing (WES) and DNA methylation data with methylation-sensitive multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) to establish both the disease diagnosis and the mechanism of disease with high sensitivity using current standard of care technology and improved efficiency compared to serial methods.

Clinical and molecular characteristics of imerslund-gräsbeck syndrome: First report of a novel Frameshift variant in Exon 11 of AMN gene.

Introduction: Imerslund-Gräsbeck syndrome (IGS) is a rare autosomal-recessive disorder characterized by selective vitamin B12 malabsorption, megaloblastic anemia, and proteinuria. The precise incidence of this disorder is unknown in the Middle East and Arab countries. The disease is caused by a homozygous variant in either AMN or CUBN genes.

Pathogenic variant in (19q13.42) associated with recurrent gestational trophoblastic disease: Data from early embryo development observed during fertilization.

Objective: To describe development of human embryos derived from an individual with a homozygous pathogenic variant in (19q13.42) and recurrent hydatidiform mole (HM), an autosomal recessive condition thought to occur secondary to an oocyte defect.

Methods: A patient with five consecutive HM pregnancies was genomically evaluated via next generation sequencing followed by controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, fertilization (IVF) with intracytoplasmic sperm injection, embryo culture, and preimplantation genetic screening.

Discovery of potential new gene variants and inflammatory cytokine associations with fibromyalgia syndrome by whole exome sequencing.

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic musculoskeletal pain disorder affecting 2% to 5% of the general population. Both genetic and environmental factors may be involved. To ascertain in an unbiased manner which genes play a role in the disorder, we performed complete exome sequencing on a subset of FMS patients.

Nuclear translocation of type I transforming growth factor β receptor confers a novel function in RNA processing.

Signaling of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) is redirected in cancer to promote malignancy, but how TGF-β function is altered in a transformed cell is not fully understood. We investigated TGF-β signaling by profiling proteins that differentially bound to type I TGF-β receptor (TβRI) in nontransformed, HER2-transformed, and HER2-negative breast cancer cells using immunoprecipitation followed by protein identification. Interestingly, several nuclear proteins implicated in posttranscriptional RNA processing were uniquely identified in the TβRI coprecipitates from HER2-transformed cells.

De novo sequencing of circulating miRNAs identifies novel markers predicting clinical outcome of locally advanced breast cancer.

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been recently detected in the circulation of cancer patients, where they are associated with clinical parameters. Discovery profiling of circulating small RNAs has not been reported in breast cancer (BC), and was carried out in this study to identify blood-based small RNA markers of BC clinical outcome.

Methods: The pre-treatment sera of 42 stage II-III locally advanced and inflammatory BC patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) followed by surgical tumor resection were analyzed for marker identification by deep sequencing all circulating small RNAs.