Extensive molecular genetic survey of Taiwanese patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Neurobiol Aging

Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Published: October 2014

Identification of genetic mutations has been of burgeoning importance in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in recent years. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and spectrum of mutations in major ALS-causing genes in a Taiwanese ALS cohort of Han Chinese origin. Mutational analyses of the SOD1, TARDBP, FUS, OPTN, VCP, UBQLN2, SQSTM1, PFN1, HNRNPA1, and HNRNPA2B1 genes were carried out by direct sequencing in 161 unrelated patients with ALS, including 30 with familial ALS (FALS) and 131 with sporadic ALS (SALS). The CAG repeat size in ATXN2 and the GGGGCC repeat expansion in C9ORF72 of the patients were also investigated. Mutations were identified in 33 patients (20.5%, 33/161), including 22 with FALS and 11 with SALS. Mutations were identified most frequently in SOD1 (7.5%). Three mutations are novel, including SOD1 p.G10A, SOD1 p.D83N, and OPTN p.L494W. These findings broaden the spectrum of ALS-causing mutations and are indispensable for designing optimal strategies of mutational analysis and genetic counseling of ALS for patients of Chinese origin.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2014.05.008DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

amyotrophic lateral
8
lateral sclerosis
8
chinese origin
8
mutations identified
8
mutations
6
als
6
patients
5
extensive molecular
4
molecular genetic
4
genetic survey
4

Similar Publications

Purpose: High-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) of muscle and nerve has the potential to be a reliable, responsive, and informative biomarker of disease progression for individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). High-frequency ultrasound is not able to visualize median nerve fascicles to the same extent as ultra-high-frequency ultrasound (UHFUS). Evaluating the number and size of fascicles within a nerve may facilitate a better understanding of nerve diseases.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are a diverse phylum of photosynthetic, Gram-negative bacteria and one of the largest microbial taxa. These organisms produce cyanotoxins, which are secondary metabolites that can have significant impacts on both human health and the environment. While toxins like Microcystins and Cylindrospermopsins are well-documented and have been extensively studied, other cyanotoxins, including those produced by and , remain underexplored.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The innate immune response aims to prevent pathogens from entering the organism and/or to facilitate pathogen clearance. Innate immune cells, such as macrophages, mast cells (MCs), natural killer cells and neutrophils, bear pattern recognition receptors and are thus able to recognize common molecular patterns, such as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), the later occurring in the context of neuroinflammation. An inflammatory component in the pathology of otherwise "primary cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative" disease has recently been recognized and targeted as a means of therapeutic intervention.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Transactive response DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) is a major component of pathological inclusions in various neurodegenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. The detection of TDP-43 in biofluids is crucial for the development of diagnostic and prognostic indicators of disease and therapeutic development for TDP-43-related proteinopathies. Despite its potential as a biomarker for numerous neurological disorders, the lack of a sensitive and reproducible TDP-43 assay hinders progress in TDP-43-based therapy development, underscoring the need for an effective and standardized method for accurate quantification.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by dysfunction and loss of upper and lower motor neurons. Several studies have identified structural and functional alterations in the motor neurons before the manifestation of symptoms, yet the underlying cause of such alterations and how they contribute to the progressive degeneration of affected motor neuron networks remain unclear. Importantly, the short and long-term spatiotemporal dynamics of neuronal network activity make it challenging to discern how ALS-related network reconfigurations emerge and evolve.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!