Publications by authors named "Pierpont M"

Purpose: The human chromosome 19q13.11 deletion syndrome is associated with a variable phenotype that includes aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) and ectrodactyly as specific features. UBA2 (ubiquitin-like modifier-activating enzyme 2) lies adjacent to the minimal deletion overlap region.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Biallelic damaging variants in ALPK3, encoding alpha-protein kinase 3, cause pediatric-onset cardiomyopathy with manifestations that are incompletely defined.

Methods And Results: We analyzed clinical manifestations of damaging biallelic ALPK3 variants in 19 pediatric patients, including nine previously published cases. Among these, 11 loss-of-function (LoF) variants, seven compound LoF and deleterious missense variants, and one homozygous deleterious missense variant were identified.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * Approximately 25% of those with these variants exhibited a Noonan-like phenotype, notably more than traditional NF1 patients (p < .0001), with p.Arg1276 and p.Lys1423 linked to serious cardiovascular issues.
  • * The p.Met1149 variant presented a milder phenotype mainly with skin symptoms, affecting 0.4% of the UAB cohort, highlighting important genotype-phenotype correlations that can improve patient counseling and
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

While neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and Noonan syndrome (NS) are clinically distinct genetic syndromes, they have overlapping features because they are caused by pathogenic variants in genes encoding molecules within the Ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. Increased risk for emotional and behavioral challenges has been reported in both children and adults with these syndromes. The current study examined parent-report and self-report measures of emotional functioning among children with NF1 and NS as compared to their unaffected siblings.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

NS and related RAS/MAPK pathway (RASopathy) disorders are the leading genetic cause of HCM presenting in infancy. HCM is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children with Noonan spectrum disorders, especially in the first year of life. Previously, there have been only isolated reports of heart transplantation as a treatment for heart failure in NS.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This review provides an updated summary of the state of our knowledge of the genetic contributions to the pathogenesis of congenital heart disease. Since 2007, when the initial American Heart Association scientific statement on the genetic basis of congenital heart disease was published, new genomic techniques have become widely available that have dramatically changed our understanding of the causes of congenital heart disease and, clinically, have allowed more accurate definition of the pathogeneses of congenital heart disease in patients of all ages and even prenatally. Information is presented on new molecular testing techniques and their application to congenital heart disease, both isolated and associated with other congenital anomalies or syndromes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • A correction has been released for the article.
  • Both the PDF and HTML versions have been updated to reflect this correction.
  • Readers are encouraged to refer to the updated versions for accurate information.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children and young adults with Marfan syndrome participating in a trial, using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL).
  • Results showed that younger patients (5-18 years) had significantly lower HRQOL scores in both physical and psychosocial areas compared to healthy peers, while older patients (19-25 years) scored higher, indicating a shift in HRQOL with age.
  • Factors like age, sex, and neurodevelopmental disorders were found to significantly impact HRQOL, whereas treatment type (atenolol vs. losartan) and physical severity of Marfan syndrome did not exhibit significant differences.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is characterized by a highly variable clinical presentation, but almost all NF1-affected adults present with cutaneous and/or subcutaneous neurofibromas. Exceptions are individuals heterozygous for the NF1 in-frame deletion, c.2970_2972del (p.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose Of Review: To provide information on the scope of cardiac disease in Noonan syndrome.

Recent Findings: Noonan syndrome is a common autosomal dominant RASopathy disorder characterized by clinical findings of facial dysmorphism, congenital heart disease, and short stature. The degree of genetic heterogeneity has recently become evident in that Noonan syndrome is now known to be caused by mutations in a large variety of genes which produce dysregulation of the RAS-MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) signaling pathway.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Gene mutations within the RAS-MAPK signaling cascade result in Noonan syndrome (NS), neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), and related disorders. Recent research has documented an increased risk for social difficulties and features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among children with these conditions. Despite this emerging evidence, the neuropsychological characteristics associated with social skills deficits are not well understood, particularly for children with NS.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Congenital disorders of glycosylation are rare conditions caused by genetic defects in glycan synthesis, processing or transport. Most congenital disorders of glycosylation involve defects in the formation or transfer of the lipid-linked oligosaccharide precursor of N-linked glycans. SLC35A2-CDG (previously CDG-IIm) is caused by hemizygous or heterozygous mutations in the X-linked gene SLC35A2 that encodes a UDP-galactose transporter.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Most individuals with cardiomyopathy associated with variants of the LMNA (lamin A) gene present with cardiac conduction abnormalities followed by dilated cardiomyopathy and cardiac failure; some also have skeletal muscle weakness. In this report, an individual with restrictive cardiomyopathy presenting with conduction defects followed by cardiac dysfunction of a restrictive nature eventually requiring cardiac transplantation is described. Subsequently, progressive skeletal muscle weakness became evident.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The Pediatric Heart Network randomized trial of atenolol versus losartan in the Marfan syndrome showed no treatment differences in the rates of aortic-root growth or clinical outcomes. In this report we present treatment effects on aortic stiffness and determine whether baseline aortic stiffness predicts aortic-root growth and clinical outcomes. Echocardiograms at 0, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months from 608 subjects (6 months to 25 years) who met original Ghent criteria and had a maximum aortic-root z-score (ARz) >3 were centrally reviewed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Exome sequencing has improved the identification of genes associated with Mendelian disorders, particularly in cases with unclear diagnoses, revealing more frequent phenotypic variations due to genetic mutations.
  • Research indicates that missense variants in the CDC42 gene, related to various growth and developmental issues, lead to a range of clinical symptoms, including facial and immunological abnormalities, similar to those seen in Noonan syndrome.
  • The study shows that mutations in CDC42 can disrupt its normal function, affecting cellular processes in different ways and complicating the classification of related disorders, highlighting the need for thorough functional analysis in understanding these syndromes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Features of Costello Syndrome, a systemic disorder caused by germline mutations in the proto-oncogene HRAS from the RAS/MAPK pathway, include failure-to-thrive, short stature, coarse facial features, cardiac defects including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, intellectual disability, and predisposition to neoplasia. Two unrelated boys with Costello syndrome and an HRAS mutation (p.Gly13Cys) are presented with their ophthalmologic findings.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mutations in MAP2K1, a gene expressed within the RAS-mitogen activated protein kinase (RAS/MAPK) pathway, are generally associated with the clinical phenotype of cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome. Here we describe two male patients (ages 16 and 20 years) with mutations in MAP2K1 and heterogeneous clinical presentations. Both young men had short stature, some facial features suggesting a RASopathy and minimal cardiac involvement.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In 1985, we briefly reported infant sisters with a unique, lethal, autosomal recessive disorder designated congenital sclerosing osteomalacia with cerebral calcification. In 1986, this condition was entered into Mendelian Inheritance In Man (MIM) as osteomalacia, sclerosing, with cerebral calcification (MIM 259660). However, no attestations followed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mosaicism is increasingly recognized as a cause of developmental disorders with the advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS). Mosaic mutations of have been associated with the widest spectrum of phenotypes associated with overgrowth and vascular malformations. We performed targeted NGS using 2 independent deep-coverage methods that utilize molecular inversion probes and amplicon sequencing in a cohort of 241 samples from 181 individuals with brain and/or body overgrowth.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The combination of developmental delay, facial characteristics, hearing loss and abnormal fat distribution in the distal limbs is known as Pierpont syndrome. The aim of the present study was to detect and study the cause of Pierpont syndrome.

Methods: We used whole-exome sequencing to analyse four unrelated individuals with Pierpont syndrome, and Sanger sequencing in two other unrelated affected individuals.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Aortic-root dissection is a serious complication in Marfan's syndrome, and this study compares the effectiveness of losartan and atenolol for slowing aortic-root enlargement in affected children and young adults.* -
  • The randomized trial involved 608 participants aged 6 months to 25 years and measured changes in aortic-root dimensions over 3 years, finding no significant differences between the two treatment groups.* -
  • The results indicated that both medications reduced aortic-root size relative to body surface area, but there were no significant differences in surgery, dissection, or death rates between the losartan and atenolol groups.*
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome (CFC) is one of the RASopathies that bears many clinical features in common with the other syndromes in this group, most notably Noonan syndrome and Costello syndrome. CFC is genetically heterogeneous and caused by gene mutations in the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. The major features of CFC include characteristic craniofacial dysmorphology, congenital heart disease, dermatologic abnormalities, growth retardation, and intellectual disability.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF