DCTN4 as a modifier of chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in cystic fibrosis.

Background And Aims: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) infection in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients is associated with worse long-term pulmonary disease and shorter survival, and chronic Pa infection (CPA) is associated with reduced lung function, faster rate of lung decline, increased rates of exacerbations and shorter survival. By using exome sequencing and extreme phenotype design, it was recently shown that isoforms of dynactin 4 (DCTN4) may influence Pa infection in CF, leading to worse respiratory disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of DCTN4 missense variants on Pa infection incidence, age at first Pa infection and chronic Pa infection incidence in a cohort of adult CF patients from a single centre.

Characterization of SLC26A9 in patients with CF-like lung disease.

Diffuse bronchiectasis is a common problem in respiratory clinics. We hypothesized that mutations in the solute carrier 26A9 (SLC26A9) gene, encoding for a chloride (Cl(-)) transporter mainly expressed in lungs, may lead to defects in mucociliary clearance. We describe two missense variants in the SLC26A9 gene in heterozygote patients presenting with diffuse idiopathic bronchiectasis : p.

Could a defective epithelial sodium channel lead to bronchiectasis.

Background: Bronchiectasis is defined as a permanent dilation of the airways arising from chronic bronchial inflammation/infection. In 50% of cases, no etiology can be identified. Recently, the role of the epithelial sodium channel ENaC has been pointed out in the pathophysiology of cystic fibrosis, a disease due to mutations in the CFTR gene and causing bronchiectasis in the airways.

ENaCbeta and gamma genes as modifier genes in cystic fibrosis.

Background: Clinical phenotype varies among cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with identical CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)genotype, suggesting that genetic modifiers exist. Transgenic mice that overexpress SCNN1beta present CF-like lung disease symptoms. Mutations or variants in SCNN1beta may therefore potentially modulate the clinical phenotype in CF patients.

A frequent large rearrangement in the CFTR gene in cystic fibrosis patients from Reunion Island.

Reunion Island is a French province, 800 km east of Madagascar and 200 km west of Mauritius. On Reunion Island, the birth prevalence of cystic fibrosis (CF) is particularly high in the population of European origin, approximately 1:1000. In a previous study, we demonstrated that the screening of the 27 exons of the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene by denaturing high-pressure liquid chromatography (DHPLC) in 114 CF families allowed the detection of about 93% of the molecular defects present on Reunion Island.

A novel missense mutation A1081P in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene identified in a Laotian patient with congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens.

Cystic fibrosis is the most common autosomal disorder in the Caucasion population. However, the disease is rare in Asia and little is known about the spectrum of CF transmembrane conductance regulator, CFTR, mutations in this population. We studied a 39-year-old Loatian patient with congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens and identified a novel missense mutation in exon 17b (3373G>C).