Background: COVID-19 is a viral disease notorious for frequent worldwide outbreaks. It is difficult to control, thereby resulting in overload of the healthcare system. A possible solution to prevent overcrowding is rapid triage of patients, which makes it possible to focus care on the high-risk patients and minimize the impact of crowding on patient prognosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and/or associated multiple congenital abnormalities (MCAs) represent a genetically heterogeneous group of conditions with an adverse prognosis for the quality of intellectual and social abilities and common daily functioning. The rapid development of exome sequencing (ES) techniques, together with trio-based analysis, nowadays leads to up to 50% diagnostic yield. Therefore, it is considered as the state-of-the-art approach in these diagnoses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVaccine-induced protection against tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is mediated by antibodies to the viral particle/envelope protein. The detection of non-structural protein 1 (NS1) specific antibodies has been suggested as a marker indicative of natural infections. However, recent work has shown that TBEV vaccines contain traces of NS1, and immunization of mice induced low amounts of NS1-specific antibodies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPathogenic variants affecting the gene are responsible for the manifestation of extremely rare cancer‑predisposing Bloom syndrome. The present study reports on a case of an infant with a congenital hypotrophy, short stature and abnormal facial appearance. Initially she was examined using a routine molecular diagnostic algorithm, including the cytogenetic analysis of her karyotype, microarray analysis and methylation‑specific MLPA, however, she remained undiagnosed on a molecular level.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIdentification of genomic variability in population plays an important role in the clinical diagnostics of human genetic diseases. Thanks to rapid technological development in the field of massive parallel sequencing technologies, also known as next-generation sequencing (NGS), complex genomic analyses are now easier and cheaper than ever before, which consequently leads to more effective utilization of these techniques in clinical practice. However, interpretation of data from NGS is still challenging due to several issues caused by natural variability of DNA sequences in human populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPathogenic sequence variant in the GNAI1 gene were recently introduced as a cause of novel syndrome with a manifestation of variable developmental delay and autistic features. In our study, we report a case of monozygotic twins with severe intellectual disability and motor delay and developmental dysphasia. Both probands and their parents were examined using multi-step molecular diagnostic algorithm including whole-exome sequencing (WES), resulting in the identification of a novel, de novo pathogenic sequence variant in the GNAI1 gene, NM_002069.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlport syndrome with intellectual disability (ATS-ID, AMME complex; OMIM #300194) is an X-linked contiguous gene deletion syndrome associated with an Xq22.3 locus mainly characterized by hematuria, renal failure, hearing loss/deafness, neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD), midface retrusion, and elliptocytosis. It is thought that ATS-ID is caused by the loss of function of () and FACL4 (ACSL4) genes through the interstitial (micro)deletion of chromosomal band Xq22.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The adjuvanted recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) is highly immunogenic and efficacious in adults ≥50 years of age. We evaluated (1) long-term immunogenicity of an initial 2-dose RZV schedule, by following up adults vaccinated at ≥60 years of age and by modeling, and (2) immunogenicity of 2 additional doses administered 10 years after initial vaccination.
Methods: Persistence of humoral and cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses to 2 initial RZV doses was assessed through 10 years after initial vaccination, and modeled through 20 years using a Piecewise, Power law and Fraser model.
During 2008-2018, we collected samples from rodents and patients throughout the Czech Republic and characterized hantavirus isolates. We detected Dobrava-Belgrade and Puumala orthohantaviruses in patients and Dobrava-Belgrade, Tula, and Seewis orthohantaviruses in rodents. Increased knowledge of eco-epidemiology of hantaviruses will improve awareness among physicians and better outcomes of patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Chromosomal microarray analysis has been shown to be a valuable and cost effective assay for elucidating copy number variants (CNVs) in children with intellectual disability and developmental delay (ID/DD).
Methods: In our study, we performed array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) analysis using oligonucleotide-based platforms in 542 Czech patients with ID/DD, autism spectrum disorders and multiple congenital abnormalities. Prior to the array-CGH analysis, all the patients were first examined karyotypically using G-banding.
In two pivotal efficacy studies (ZOE-50; ZOE-70), the adjuvanted recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) demonstrated >90% efficacy against herpes zoster (HZ).Adults aged ≥50 or ≥70 years (ZOE-50 [NCT01165177]; ZOE-70 [NCT01165229]) were randomized to receive 2 doses of RZV or placebo 2 months apart. Vaccine efficacy and safety were evaluated post-hoc in the pooled (ZOE-50/70) population according to the number and type of selected medical conditions present at enrollment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDe novo sequence variants, including truncating and splicing variants, in the additional sex‑combs like 3 gene (ASXL3) have been described as the cause of Bainbridge‑Ropers syndrome (BRS). This pathology is characterized by delayed psychomotor development, severe intellectual disability, growth delay, hypotonia and facial dimorphism. The present study reports a case of a girl (born in 2013) with severe global developmental delay, central hypotonia, microcephaly and poor speech.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The herpes zoster subunit vaccine (HZ/su), consisting of varicella-zoster virus glycoprotein E (gE) and AS01B Adjuvant System, was highly efficacious in preventing herpes zoster in the ZOE-50 and ZOE-70 trials. We present immunogenicity results from those trials.
Methods: Participants (ZOE-50: ≥50; ZOE-70: ≥70 years of age) received 2 doses of HZ/su or placebo, 2 months apart.
Background: In adults aged ≥60 years, two doses of the herpes zoster subunit vaccine (HZ/su; 50 µg varicella-zoster virus glycoprotein E [gE] and AS01 Adjuvant System) elicited humoral and cell-mediated immune responses persisting for at least six years. We assessed immunogenicity nine years post-initial vaccination.
Methods: This open extension study (NCT02735915) followed 70 participants who received two HZ/su doses in the initial trial (NCT00434577).
Background: Catastrophic chromosomal event known as chromothripsis was proven to be a significant hallmark of poor prognosis in several cancer diseases. While this phenomenon is very rare in among multiple myeloma (MM) patients, its presence in karyotype is associated with very poor prognosis.
Case Presentation: In our case, we report a 62 year female patient with rapid progression of multiple myeloma (MM) into extramedullary disease and short overall survival (OS = 23 months).
Mumps outbreaks, especially in adolescents and young adults, have been reported in the Czech Republic. The aim of the presented study was to determine the seroprevalence of specific IgG antibodies against mumps in the adult population of the Czech Republic. The study was designed as a multicenter serological survey of adults aged 18 years and over.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSeasonal influenza is a prevalent and serious annual illness resulting in widespread morbidity and economic disruption throughout the population; the elderly and immunocompromised are particularly vulnerable to serious sequelae and mortality. The changing demographics worldwide to an aging society have important implications for public health policy and pharmaceutical innovations. For instance, primary prevention via immunization is effective in reducing the burden of influenza illness among the elderly.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMonoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance is a pre-malignant precursor of multiple myeloma with a 1% risk of progression per year. Although targeted analyses have shown the presence of specific genetic abnormalities such as translocations, deletion, 1q gain, hyperdiploidy or RAS gene mutations, little is known about the molecular mechanism of malignant transformation. We performed whole exome sequencing together with comparative genomic hybridization plus single nucleotide polymorphism array analysis in 33 flow-cytometry-separated abnormal plasma cell samples from patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance to describe somatic gene mutations and chromosome changes at the genome-wide level.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChronic hepatitis C is curable disease. Low detection rate could be one of the reasons of poor treatment uptake. It is important to identify HCV prevalence and anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) positive patients in population by effective screening strategy such as risk-based or birth cohort screening programs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: In recent years, Europe has recorded an increase in the number of measles outbreaks despite the implementation of vaccination into the National Immunization Programs. The Czech Republic introduced vaccination against measles into National Immunization Program in 1969. The aim of this study was to determine seroprevalence of IgG antibodies against measles in adults.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: A trial involving adults 50 years of age or older (ZOE-50) showed that the herpes zoster subunit vaccine (HZ/su) containing recombinant varicella-zoster virus glycoprotein E and the AS01B adjuvant system was associated with a risk of herpes zoster that was 97.2% lower than that associated with placebo. A second trial was performed concurrently at the same sites and examined the safety and efficacy of HZ/su in adults 70 years of age or older (ZOE-70).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStudies focused on arbovirus diseases transmitted by invasive species of mosquitoes have become increasingly significant in recent years, due to the fact that these vectors have successfully migrated to Europe and become established in the region. Mosquitoes, represented by more than 3 200 species, occur naturally worldwide, except in Antarctica. They feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals and by this route, they are capable of transmitting dangerous diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMonoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a benign condition with an approximate 1% annual risk of symptomatic plasma cell disorder development, mostly to multiple myeloma (MM). We performed genomewide screening of copy-number alterations (CNAs) in 90 MGUS and 33 MM patients using high-density DNA microarrays. We identified CNAs in a smaller proportion of MGUS (65.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPreimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a complex approach for detecting genetic abnormalities in early-stage embryos using genetic or molecular cytogenetic methods. Recently, single cell genomic methods based on DNA microarrays have been used for PGD. In the presented paper, we discuss and demonstrate the possibility to detect copy number variation (CNVs) in trophectoderm cells biopsied from 5-day embryos using 60-mer oligonucleotide-based array-CGH with CytoSure 8 × 15K Aneuploidy Array.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlterations in the genome that lead to changes in DNA sequence copy number are characteristic features of solid tumors. We used CGH+SNP microarray and HPV-FISH techniques for detailed screening of copy number alterations (CNAs) in a cohort of 26 patients with cervical carcinoma (CC). This approach identified CNAs in 96.
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