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Scheiper-Welling S, Tabunscik M, Gross TE, Jenewein T, Beckmann BM, Niess C, Gradhand E, Wunder C, Schneider PM, Rothschild MA, Verhoff MA, Kauferstein S. Variant interpretation in molecular autopsy: a useful dilemma. Int J Legal Med 2022; 136:475-482. [PMID: 35091851 PMCID: PMC8847204 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-021-02764-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in adolescents and young adults may be the first manifestation of an inherited arrhythmic syndrome. Thus identification of a genetic origin in sudden death cases deemed inconclusive after a comprehensive autopsy and may help to reduce the risk of lethal episodes in the remaining family. Using next-generation sequencing (NGS), a large number of variants of unknown significance (VUS) are detected. In the majority of cases, there is insufficient evidence of pathogenicity, representing a huge dilemma in current genetic investigations. Misinterpretation of such variants may lead to inaccurate genetic diagnoses and/or the adoption of unnecessary and/or inappropriate therapeutic approaches. In our study, we applied current (ACMG) recommendations for variant classification in post-mortem genetic screening of a cohort of 56 SCD victims. We identified a total 53 rare protein-altering variants (MAF < 0.2%) classified as VUS or worse. Twelve percent of the cases exhibited a clinically actionable variant (pathogenic, likely pathogenic or VUS – potentially pathogenic) that would warrant cascade genetic screening in relatives. Most of the variants detected by means of the post-mortem genetic investigations were VUS. Thus, genetic testing by itself might be fairly meaningless without supporting background data. This data reinforces the need for an experienced multidisciplinary team for obtaining reliable and accountable interpretations of variant significance for elucidating potential causes for SCDs in the young. This enables the early identification of relatives at risk or excludes family members as genetic carriers. Also, development of adequate forensic guidelines to enable appropriate interpretation of rare genetic variants is fundamental.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Monika Tabunscik
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Goethe University, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Theresa E Gross
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Clinic, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Tina Jenewein
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Goethe University, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Britt M Beckmann
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Goethe University, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Constanze Niess
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Goethe University, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Elise Gradhand
- Institute of Pathology, Goethe University, University Hospital Frankfurt, Kennedyallee 104, 60596, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Cora Wunder
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Goethe University, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Peter M Schneider
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Clinic, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Markus A Rothschild
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Clinic, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Marcel A Verhoff
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Goethe University, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Silke Kauferstein
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Goethe University, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
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2
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Stiles MK, Wilde AAM, Abrams DJ, Ackerman MJ, Albert CM, Behr ER, Chugh SS, Cornel MC, Gardner K, Ingles J, James CA, Juang JMJ, Kääb S, Kaufman ES, Krahn AD, Lubitz SA, MacLeod H, Morillo CA, Nademanee K, Probst V, Saarel EV, Sacilotto L, Semsarian C, Sheppard MN, Shimizu W, Skinner JR, Tfelt-Hansen J, Wang DW. 2020 APHRS/HRS expert consensus statement on the investigation of decedents with sudden unexplained death and patients with sudden cardiac arrest, and of their families. J Arrhythm 2021; 37:481-534. [PMID: 34141003 PMCID: PMC8207384 DOI: 10.1002/joa3.12449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
This international multidisciplinary document intends to provide clinicians with evidence-based practical patient-centered recommendations for evaluating patients and decedents with (aborted) sudden cardiac arrest and their families. The document includes a framework for the investigation of the family allowing steps to be taken, should an inherited condition be found, to minimize further events in affected relatives. Integral to the process is counseling of the patients and families, not only because of the emotionally charged subject, but because finding (or not finding) the cause of the arrest may influence management of family members. The formation of multidisciplinary teams is essential to provide a complete service to the patients and their families, and the varied expertise of the writing committee was formulated to reflect this need. The document sections were divided up and drafted by the writing committee members according to their expertise. The recommendations represent the consensus opinion of the entire writing committee, graded by Class of Recommendation and Level of Evidence. The recommendations were opened for public comment and reviewed by the relevant scientific and clinical document committees of the Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS) and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS); the document underwent external review and endorsement by the partner and collaborating societies. While the recommendations are for optimal care, it is recognized that not all resources will be available to all clinicians. Nevertheless, this document articulates the evaluation that the clinician should aspire to provide for patients with sudden cardiac arrest, decedents with sudden unexplained death, and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin K Stiles
- Waikato Clinical School Faculty of Medicine and Health Science The University of Auckland Hamilton New Zealand
| | - Arthur A M Wilde
- Heart Center Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology Amsterdam University Medical Center University of Amsterdam Amsterdam the Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Elijah R Behr
- Cardiovascular Clinical Academic Group, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Institute St George's University of London, and St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London UK
| | | | - Martina C Cornel
- Amsterdam University Medical Center Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Clinical Genetics Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute Amsterdam the Netherlands
| | | | - Jodie Ingles
- Agnes Ginges Centre for Molecular Cardiology at Centenary Institute The University of Sydney Sydney Australia
| | | | - Jyh-Ming Jimmy Juang
- Cardiovascular Center and Division of Cardiology Department of Internal Medicine National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine Taipei Taiwan
| | - Stefan Kääb
- Department of Medicine I University Hospital LMU Munich Munich Germany
| | | | | | | | - Heather MacLeod
- Data Coordinating Center for the Sudden Death in the Young Case Registry Okemos MI USA
| | | | - Koonlawee Nademanee
- Chulalongkorn University Faculty of Medicine, and Pacific Rim Electrophysiology Research Institute at Bumrungrad Hospital Bangkok Thailand
| | | | - Elizabeth V Saarel
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Cardiology at Case Western Reserve University Cleveland OH USA
- St Luke's Medical Center Boise ID USA
| | - Luciana Sacilotto
- Heart Institute University of São Paulo Medical School São Paulo Brazil
| | - Christopher Semsarian
- Agnes Ginges Centre for Molecular Cardiology at Centenary Institute The University of Sydney Sydney Australia
| | - Mary N Sheppard
- Cardiovascular Clinical Academic Group, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Institute St George's University of London, and St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London UK
| | - Wataru Shimizu
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine Nippon Medical School Tokyo Japan
| | | | - Jacob Tfelt-Hansen
- Department of Forensic Medicine Faculty of Medical Sciences Rigshospitalet Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Dao Wu Wang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University Nanjing China
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3
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Stiles MK, Wilde AAM, Abrams DJ, Ackerman MJ, Albert CM, Behr ER, Chugh SS, Cornel MC, Gardner K, Ingles J, James CA, Jimmy Juang JM, Kääb S, Kaufman ES, Krahn AD, Lubitz SA, MacLeod H, Morillo CA, Nademanee K, Probst V, Saarel EV, Sacilotto L, Semsarian C, Sheppard MN, Shimizu W, Skinner JR, Tfelt-Hansen J, Wang DW. 2020 APHRS/HRS expert consensus statement on the investigation of decedents with sudden unexplained death and patients with sudden cardiac arrest, and of their families. Heart Rhythm 2021; 18:e1-e50. [PMID: 33091602 PMCID: PMC8194370 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2020.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
This international multidisciplinary document intends to provide clinicians with evidence-based practical patient-centered recommendations for evaluating patients and decedents with (aborted) sudden cardiac arrest and their families. The document includes a framework for the investigation of the family allowing steps to be taken, should an inherited condition be found, to minimize further events in affected relatives. Integral to the process is counseling of the patients and families, not only because of the emotionally charged subject, but because finding (or not finding) the cause of the arrest may influence management of family members. The formation of multidisciplinary teams is essential to provide a complete service to the patients and their families, and the varied expertise of the writing committee was formulated to reflect this need. The document sections were divided up and drafted by the writing committee members according to their expertise. The recommendations represent the consensus opinion of the entire writing committee, graded by Class of Recommendation and Level of Evidence. The recommendations were opened for public comment and reviewed by the relevant scientific and clinical document committees of the Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS) and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS); the document underwent external review and endorsement by the partner and collaborating societies. While the recommendations are for optimal care, it is recognized that not all resources will be available to all clinicians. Nevertheless, this document articulates the evaluation that the clinician should aspire to provide for patients with sudden cardiac arrest, decedents with sudden unexplained death, and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin K Stiles
- Waikato Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, The University of Auckland, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Arthur A M Wilde
- Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Heart Center, Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Elijah R Behr
- Cardiovascular Clinical Academic Group, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Institute, St George's, University of London, and St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sumeet S Chugh
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Martina C Cornel
- Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Clinical Genetics, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Jodie Ingles
- Agnes Ginges Centre for Molecular Cardiology at Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Jyh-Ming Jimmy Juang
- Cardiovascular Center and Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Stefan Kääb
- Department of Medicine I, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Andrew D Krahn
- The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Heather MacLeod
- Data Coordinating Center for the Sudden Death in the Young Case Registry, Okemos, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Koonlawee Nademanee
- Chulalongkorn University, Faculty of Medicine, and Pacific Rim Electrophysiology Research Institute at Bumrungrad Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Elizabeth V Saarel
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Cardiology at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, and St Luke's Medical Center, Boise, Idaho, USA
| | - Luciana Sacilotto
- Heart Institute, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Christopher Semsarian
- Agnes Ginges Centre for Molecular Cardiology at Centenary Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Mary N Sheppard
- Cardiovascular Clinical Academic Group, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Institute, St George's, University of London, and St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Wataru Shimizu
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jonathan R Skinner
- Cardiac Inherited Disease Group, Starship Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jacob Tfelt-Hansen
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Dao Wu Wang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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6
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Martín M, Díaz-Chirón L, Rozado J, de la Varga LG, Reguero JJR, Cabo RA, Morís C. Thoracic Aneurysms and Dissections: Towards a Further and Better Knowledge. J Cardiovasc Transl Res 2017. [PMID: 28631165 DOI: 10.1007/s12265-017-9757-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- María Martín
- Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
| | - Laura Díaz-Chirón
- Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - José Rozado
- Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | | | | | - Rubén Alvarez Cabo
- Cardiac Surgery Department, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - César Morís
- Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
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