Positive association of serum FUT8 activity with renal tubulointerstitial injury in IgA nephropathy patients.

Background: α-1,6 Fucosyltransferase (FUT8) appears to play an essential role in the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis. However, it remained unknown whether FUT8 also contributed to renal fibrosis in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). In the present study, we explored the association of serum FUT8 activity with renal tubulointerstitial injury in IgAN patients.

TMEM151A Variants Cause Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Dyskinesia: A Large-Sample Study.

Background: Paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD) is the most common type of paroxysmal dyskinesias. Only one-third of PKD patients are attributed to proline-rich transmembrane protein 2 (PRRT2) mutations.

Objective: We aimed to explore the potential causative gene for PKD.

The Phenotypic and Genetic Spectrum of Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Dyskinesia in China.

Background: Paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia is a spectrum of involuntary dyskinetic disorders with high clinical and genetic heterogeneity. Mutations in proline-rich transmembrane protein 2 have been identified as the major pathogenic factor.

Objectives: We analyzed 600 paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia patients nationwide who were identified by the China Paroxysmal Dyskinesia Collaborative Group to summarize the clinical phenotypes and genetic features of paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia in China and to provide new thoughts on diagnosis and therapy.

A proposed synergistic effect of and variants contributes to binge eating in hereditary diffuse leukoencephalopathy with spheroids.

Background: The genetic mechanisms of binge eating (BE) as a disease identity remain obscure. BE is usually viewed as a part of the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) features. We encountered a family with hereditary diffuse leukoencephalopathy with spheroids (HDLS) that manifested uniformly with binge-eating-onset dementia.

Proline-rich transmembrane protein 2-negative paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia: Clinical and genetic analyses of 163 patients.

Background: Paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia is the most common type of paroxysmal dyskinesia. Approximately half of the cases of paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia worldwide are attributable to proline-rich transmembrane protein 2 mutations.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate potential causative genes and clinical characteristics in proline-rich transmembrane protein 2-negative patients with paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia.

Whole-exome sequencing identifies a missense mutation in hnRNPA1 in a family with flail arm ALS.

Objective: To identify the disease-causing gene of a family with upper limb predominant, slowly progressive amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which was diagnosed as flail arm syndrome (FAS).

Methods: After causation of 24 known ALS genes was excluded by targeted next-generation sequencing, whole-exome sequencing was applied in the FAS family. Cellular localization of mutant hnRNPA1 was examined in transfected HeLa cells.

Identification of a novel loss-of-function C9orf72 splice site mutation in a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Abnormal expansion of a hexanucleotide GGGGCC repeat in the C9orf72 gene is the most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia in Caucasians. However, the underlying pathologic mechanisms remain controversial, and both loss-of-function and gain-of-function models have been proposed. To gain further insight into these mechanisms, we performed mutation analysis of C9orf72 in 276 Han Chinese patients with ALS.

Quick genetic screening using targeted next-generation sequencing in patients with tuberous sclerosis.

Tuberous sclerosis complex is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by hamartomas in multiple organ systems. Mutations in the 2 large genes TSC1 and TSC2 have been demonstrated to be associated with tuberous sclerosis complex by various mutation screening methods. Targeted next-generation sequencing for genetic analysis is performed in the current study and is proved to be less cost, labor, and time consuming compared with Sanger sequencing.

Re-evaluation of PRRT2 mutations in paroxysmal disorders.

Mutations in PRRT2 have recently been identified as the major cause of autosomal dominant benign familial infantile epilepsy (BFIE), infantile convulsions with choreoathetosis syndrome (ICCA), and paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD). Other paroxysmal disorders like febrile seizures, migraine, paroxysmal exercise-induced dyskinesia, and paroxysmal non-kinesigenic dyskinesia have also been shown to be associated with this gene. We re-evaluated PRRT2 mutations and genetic-clinical correlations in additional cases with PKD/ICCA and other paroxysmal disorders.