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Mariani MV, Pierucci N, Fanisio F, Laviola D, Silvetti G, Piro A, La Fazia VM, Chimenti C, Rebecchi M, Drago F, Miraldi F, Natale A, Vizza CD, Lavalle C. Inherited Arrhythmias in the Pediatric Population: An Updated Overview. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2024; 60:94. [PMID: 38256355 PMCID: PMC10819657 DOI: 10.3390/medicina60010094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Pediatric cardiomyopathies (CMs) and electrical diseases constitute a heterogeneous spectrum of disorders distinguished by structural and electrical abnormalities in the heart muscle, attributed to a genetic variant. They rank among the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population, with an annual incidence of 1.1-1.5 per 100,000 in children under the age of 18. The most common conditions are dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Despite great enthusiasm for research in this field, studies in this population are still limited, and the management and treatment often follow adult recommendations, which have significantly more data on treatment benefits. Although adult and pediatric cardiac diseases share similar morphological and clinical manifestations, their outcomes significantly differ. This review summarizes the latest evidence on genetics, clinical characteristics, management, and updated outcomes of primary pediatric CMs and electrical diseases, including DCM, HCM, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), Brugada syndrome (BrS), catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), long QT syndrome (LQTS), and short QT syndrome (SQTS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Valerio Mariani
- Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Aenesthesiological and Geriatric Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (N.P.); (D.L.); (G.S.); (A.P.); (C.C.); (C.D.V.); (C.L.)
| | - Nicola Pierucci
- Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Aenesthesiological and Geriatric Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (N.P.); (D.L.); (G.S.); (A.P.); (C.C.); (C.D.V.); (C.L.)
| | - Francesca Fanisio
- Division of Cardiology, Policlinico Casilino, 00169 Rome, Italy; (F.F.); (M.R.)
| | - Domenico Laviola
- Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Aenesthesiological and Geriatric Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (N.P.); (D.L.); (G.S.); (A.P.); (C.C.); (C.D.V.); (C.L.)
| | - Giacomo Silvetti
- Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Aenesthesiological and Geriatric Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (N.P.); (D.L.); (G.S.); (A.P.); (C.C.); (C.D.V.); (C.L.)
| | - Agostino Piro
- Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Aenesthesiological and Geriatric Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (N.P.); (D.L.); (G.S.); (A.P.); (C.C.); (C.D.V.); (C.L.)
| | - Vincenzo Mirco La Fazia
- Department of Electrophysiology, St. David’s Medical Center, Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, Austin, TX 78705, USA; (V.M.L.F.); (A.N.)
| | - Cristina Chimenti
- Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Aenesthesiological and Geriatric Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (N.P.); (D.L.); (G.S.); (A.P.); (C.C.); (C.D.V.); (C.L.)
| | - Marco Rebecchi
- Division of Cardiology, Policlinico Casilino, 00169 Rome, Italy; (F.F.); (M.R.)
| | - Fabrizio Drago
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital and Research Institute, 00165 Rome, Italy;
| | - Fabio Miraldi
- Cardio Thoracic-Vascular and Organ Transplantation Surgery Department, Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Andrea Natale
- Department of Electrophysiology, St. David’s Medical Center, Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, Austin, TX 78705, USA; (V.M.L.F.); (A.N.)
| | - Carmine Dario Vizza
- Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Aenesthesiological and Geriatric Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (N.P.); (D.L.); (G.S.); (A.P.); (C.C.); (C.D.V.); (C.L.)
| | - Carlo Lavalle
- Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Nephrological, Aenesthesiological and Geriatric Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (N.P.); (D.L.); (G.S.); (A.P.); (C.C.); (C.D.V.); (C.L.)
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Huang WC, Huang HT, Chen PY, Wang WC, Ko TM, Shrestha S, Yang CD, Tai CS, Chiew MY, Chou YP, Hu YF, Huang HD. SVAD: A genetic database curates non-ischemic sudden cardiac death-associated variants. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237731. [PMID: 32813752 PMCID: PMC7437891 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is an important cause of mortality worldwide. It accounts for approximately half of all deaths from cardiovascular disease. While coronary artery disease and acute myocardial infarction account for the majority of SCD in the elderly population, inherited cardiac diseases (inherited CDs) comprise a substantial proportion of younger SCD victims with a significant genetic component. Currently, the use of next-generation sequencing enables the rapid analysis to investigate relationships between genetic variants and inherited CDs causing SCD. Genetic contribution to risk has been considered an alternate predictor of SCD. In the past years, large numbers of SCD susceptibility variants were reported, but these results are scattered in numerous publications. Here, we present the SCD-associated Variants Annotation Database (SVAD) to facilitate the interpretation of variants and to meet the needs of data integration. SVAD contains data from a broad screening of scientific literature. It was constructed to provide a comprehensive collection of genetic variants along with integrated information regarding their effects. At present, SVAD has accumulated 2,292 entries within 1,239 variants by manually surveying pertinent literature, and approximately one-third of the collected variants are pathogenic/likely-pathogenic following the ACMG guidelines. To the best of our knowledge, SVAD is the most comprehensive database that can provide integrated information on the associated variants in various types of inherited CDs. SVAD represents a valuable source of variant information based on scientific literature and benefits clinicians and researchers, and it is now available on http://svad.mbc.nctu.edu.tw/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Chih Huang
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Hsin-Tzu Huang
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Industrial Development Graduate Program of College of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Po-Yuan Chen
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Wei-Chi Wang
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Tai-Ming Ko
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Sirjana Shrestha
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Chi-Dung Yang
- Warshel Institute for Computational Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
- School of Life and Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chun-San Tai
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Bioengineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Men-Yee Chiew
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Yu-Pao Chou
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Yu-Feng Hu
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, and Cardiovascular Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C
- * E-mail: (HDH); (YFH)
| | - Hsien-Da Huang
- Warshel Institute for Computational Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
- School of Life and Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
- * E-mail: (HDH); (YFH)
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Gaertner-Rommel A, Tiesmeier J, Jakob T, Strickmann B, Veit G, Bachmann-Mennenga B, Paluszkiewicz L, Klingel K, Schulz U, Laser KT, Karger B, Pfeiffer H, Milting H. Molecular autopsy and family screening in a young case of sudden cardiac death reveals an unusually severe case of FHL1 related hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2019; 7:e841. [PMID: 31293105 PMCID: PMC6687666 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic cardiomyopathy with a prevalence of about 1:200. It is characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction and interstitial fibrosis; HCM might lead to sudden cardiac death (SCD) especially in the young. Due to low autopsy frequencies of sudden unexplained deaths (SUD) the true prevalence of SCD and especially of HCM among SUD remains unclear. Even in cases of proven SCD genetic testing is not a routine procedure precluding appropriate risk stratification and counseling of relatives. METHODS Here we report a case of SCD in a 19-year-old investigated by combined forensic and molecular autopsy. RESULTS During autopsy of the index-patient HCM was detected. As no other possible cause of death could be uncovered by forensic autopsy the event was classified as SCD. Molecular autopsy identified two (probably) pathogenic genetic variants in FHL1 and MYBPC3. The MYBPC3 variant had an incomplete penetrance. The FHL1 variant was a de novo mutation. We detected reduced FHL1 mRNA levels and no FHL1 protein in muscle samples suggesting nonsense-mediated mRNA decay and/or degradation of the truncated protein in the SCD victim revealing a plausible disease mechanism. CONCLUSION The identification of the genetic cause of the SCD contributed to the rational counseling of the relatives and risk assessment within the family. Furthermore our study revealed evidences for the pathomechanism of FHL1 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Gaertner-Rommel
- Klinikum der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Klinik für Thorax- und Kardiovaskularchirurgie und Erich und Hanna Klessmann-Institut für Kardiovaskuläre Forschung und Entwicklung, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
| | - Jens Tiesmeier
- Mühlenkreiskliniken, Krankenhaus Lübbecke-Rahden, Institut für Anästhesiologie, Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin, Medizin Campus OWL, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Thomas Jakob
- Klinikum Herford, Universitätsklinik für Anästhesiologie, Medizin Campus OWL, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Herford, Germany
| | | | - Gunter Veit
- Mühlenkreiskliniken, Krankenhaus Lübbecke-Rahden, Institut für Anästhesiologie, Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin, Medizin Campus OWL, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Bernd Bachmann-Mennenga
- Mühlenkreiskliniken, Johannes Wesling Klinikum, Universitätsinstitut für Anästhesiologie, Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin, Medizin Campus OWL, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Minden, Germany
| | - Lech Paluszkiewicz
- Klinikum der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Klinik für Thorax- und Kardiovaskularchirurgie und Erich und Hanna Klessmann-Institut für Kardiovaskuläre Forschung und Entwicklung, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
| | - Karin Klingel
- Kardiopathologie, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Institut für Pathologie und Neuropathologie, Tubingen, Germany
| | - Uwe Schulz
- Klinikum der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Klinik für Thorax- und Kardiovaskularchirurgie und Erich und Hanna Klessmann-Institut für Kardiovaskuläre Forschung und Entwicklung, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
| | - Kai T Laser
- Zentrum für angeborene Herzfehler, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Klinikum der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
| | - Bernd Karger
- Universitätsklinikum Münster, Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Münster, Germany
| | - Heidi Pfeiffer
- Universitätsklinikum Münster, Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Münster, Germany
| | - Hendrik Milting
- Klinikum der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Klinik für Thorax- und Kardiovaskularchirurgie und Erich und Hanna Klessmann-Institut für Kardiovaskuläre Forschung und Entwicklung, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum NRW, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
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Campuzano O, Sarquella-Brugada G, Cesar S, Arbelo E, Brugada J, Brugada R. Recent Advances in Short QT Syndrome. Front Cardiovasc Med 2018; 5:149. [PMID: 30420954 PMCID: PMC6215807 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2018.00149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Short QT syndrome is a highly malignant inherited cardiac disease characterized by ventricular tachyarrhythmias leading to syncope and sudden cardiac death. It is responsible of lethal episodes in young people, mainly infants. International guidelines establish diagnostic criteria with the presence of a QTc ≤ 340 ms in the electrocardiogram despite clinical diagnostic values remain controversial. In last years, clinical diagnosis, risk stratification as well as preventive therapies have been improved due to identification of pathophysiological mechanisms. The only effective option is implantation of a defibrillator despite Quinidine may be at times an effective option. Currently, a limited number of rare variants have been identified in seven genes, which account for nearly 20–30% of families. However, some of these variants are associated with phenotypes showing a shorter QT interval but no conclusive diagnosis of Short QT syndrome. Therefore, an exhaustive interpretation of each variant and a close genotype-phenotype correlation is necessary before clinical translation. Here, we review the main clinical and genetic hallmarks of this rare entity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Campuzano
- Medical Science Department, University of Girona, Girona, Spain.,Cardiovascular Genetics Center, IDIBGI, Girona, Spain.,Centro Investigación Biomédica Red Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Georgia Sarquella-Brugada
- Medical Science Department, University of Girona, Girona, Spain.,Pediatric Arrhythmia Unit, Cardiology Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sergi Cesar
- Pediatric Arrhythmia Unit, Cardiology Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena Arbelo
- Centro Investigación Biomédica Red Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain.,Institut Clínic Cardiovascular, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Brugada
- Centro Investigación Biomédica Red Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain.,Pediatric Arrhythmia Unit, Cardiology Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut Clínic Cardiovascular, Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ramon Brugada
- Medical Science Department, University of Girona, Girona, Spain.,Cardiovascular Genetics Center, IDIBGI, Girona, Spain.,Pediatric Arrhythmia Unit, Cardiology Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Familial Cardiomyopathies Unit, Hospital Universitari de Girona Doctor Josep Trueta, Girona, Spain
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Hellenthal N, Gaertner-Rommel A, Klauke B, Paluszkiewicz L, Stuhr M, Kerner T, Farr M, Püschel K, Milting H. Molecular autopsy of sudden unexplained deaths reveals genetic predispositions for cardiac diseases among young forensic cases. Europace 2016; 19:1881-1890. [DOI: 10.1093/europace/euw247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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Abstract
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as death within 1 h of symptom onset (witnessed) or within 24 h of being observed alive and symptom free (unwitnessed). It affects more than 3 million people annually worldwide and affects approximately 1/1000 people each year in the USA. Familial studies of syndromes with Mendelian inheritance, candidate genes analyses, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have helped our understanding of the genetics of SCD. We will review the genetics of arrhythmogenic hereditary syndromes with Mendelian inheritance from familial studies with structural heart disease (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy) as well as primary electrical causes (long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, and short QT syndrome). In addition, we will review the genetics of intermediate phenotypes for SCD such as coronary artery disease and electrocardiographic variables (QT interval, QRS duration, and RR interval). Finally, we will review rare and common variants that are associated with SCD in the general population and were identified from candidate gene analyses and GWAS. Our understanding of the genetics of SCD will improve by the use of next-generation sequencing/whole-exome sequencing as well as whole-genome sequencing which have the potential to discover unsuspected common and rare genetic variants that might be associated with SCD.
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Marstrand P, Axelsson A, Thune JJ, Vejlstrup N, Bundgaard H, Theilade J. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging after ventricular tachyarrhythmias increases diagnostic precision and reduces the need for family screening for inherited cardiac disease. Europace 2016; 18:1860-1865. [PMID: 26838692 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euv446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS Guidelines recommend evaluation of family members of sudden cardiac death victims. However, initiation of cascade screening in families with uncertain diagnoses is not cost-effective and may cause unnecessary concern. For these reasons, we set out to assess to what extent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) would increase the diagnostic precision and thereby possibly change the indication for family screening in patients with ventricular tachyarrhythmias. METHODS AND RESULTS We retrospectively collected data from 79 patients hospitalized with aborted cardiac arrest (resuscitated from a cardiac arrest), ventricular tachycardia (VT), or syncope who underwent a CMR at the Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark. Besides CMR, the patients were evaluated with an electrocardiogram, echocardiogram (both 100%), coronary angiogram (CAG)/coronary computed tomography scan (CT-CAG) (81%), exercise stress test (47%), late potentials (54%), electrophysiological study (44%), pharmacological provocation (44%), and/or myocardial biopsy (16%). Family screening was indicated for 53 probands (67%) prior to CMR. After full workup, only 43 cases (54%) warranted evaluation of relatives (19% decrease, P = 0.034). The full evaluation changed whether family screening was indicated in 18 probands (14/18 moved to no indication for family screening). In the 18 where recommendations on family screening changed, CMR findings were the major driver for re-classification in 17 cases. CONCLUSION Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging re-defines the cardiac diagnoses in a significant proportion of cases and reduces the number of patients in whom family screening is warranted. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is highly relevant for optimal care and resource allocation when an inherited heart disease is the presumed cause of life-threatening arrhythmias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Marstrand
- Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, University Hospital Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anna Axelsson
- Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, University Hospital Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Jakob Thune
- Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, University Hospital Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Niels Vejlstrup
- Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, University Hospital Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Henning Bundgaard
- Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, University Hospital Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Juliane Theilade
- Department of Cardiology, Herlev Hospital, University Hospital Copenhagen, Denmark
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Hertz CL, Christiansen SL, Ferrero-Miliani L, Dahl M, Weeke PE, Ottesen GL, Frank-Hansen R, Bundgaard H, Morling N. Next-generation sequencing of 100 candidate genes in young victims of suspected sudden cardiac death with structural abnormalities of the heart. Int J Legal Med 2015; 130:91-102. [PMID: 26383259 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-015-1261-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In sudden, unexpected, non-traumatic death in young individuals, structural abnormalities of the heart are frequently identified at autopsy. However, the findings may be unspecific and cause of death may remain unclear. A significant proportion of these cases are most likely caused by inherited cardiac diseases, and the cases are categorized as sudden cardiac death (SCD). The purpose of this study was to explore the added diagnostic value of genetic testing by next-generation sequencing (NGS) of a broad gene panel, as a supplement to the traditional forensic investigation in cases with non-diagnostic structural abnormalities of the heart. METHODS AND RESULTS We screened 72 suspected SCD cases (<50 years) using the HaloPlex Target Enrichment System (Agilent) and NGS (Illumina MiSeq) for 100 genes previously associated with inherited cardiomyopathies and channelopathies. Fifty-two cases had non-diagnostic structural cardiac abnormalities and 20 cases, diagnosed with a cardiomyopathy post-mortem (ARVC = 14, HCM = 6), served as comparators. Fifteen (29%) of the deceased individuals with non-diagnostic findings had variants with likely functional effects based on conservation, computational prediction, allele-frequency and supportive literature. The corresponding frequency in deceased individuals with cardiomyopathies was 35% (p = 0.8). CONCLUSION The broad genetic screening revealed variants with likely functional effects at similar high rates, i.e. in 29 and 35% of the suspected SCD cases with non-diagnostic and diagnostic cardiac abnormalities, respectively. Although the interpretation of broad NGS screening is challenging, it can support the forensic investigation and help the cardiologist's decision to offer counselling and clinical evaluation to relatives of young SCD victims.
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Affiliation(s)
- C L Hertz
- The Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 11 Frederik V's Vej, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - S L Christiansen
- The Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 11 Frederik V's Vej, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - L Ferrero-Miliani
- The Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 11 Frederik V's Vej, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - M Dahl
- The Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Køge University Hospital, Køge, Denmark
| | - P E Weeke
- The Department of Cardiology, Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - G L Ottesen
- The Section of Forensic Pathology, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - R Frank-Hansen
- The Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 11 Frederik V's Vej, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - H Bundgaard
- The Unit for Inherited Cardiac Diseases, The Heart Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - N Morling
- The Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 11 Frederik V's Vej, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Hertz CL, Ferrero-Miliani L, Frank-Hansen R, Morling N, Bundgaard H. A comparison of genetic findings in sudden cardiac death victims and cardiac patients: the importance of phenotypic classification. Europace 2014; 17:350-7. [PMID: 25345827 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euu210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is responsible for a large proportion of non-traumatic, sudden and unexpected deaths in young individuals. Sudden cardiac death is a known manifestation of several inherited cardiac diseases. In post-mortem examinations, about two-thirds of the SCD cases show structural abnormalities at autopsy. The remaining cases stay unexplained after thorough investigations and are referred to as sudden unexplained deaths. A routine forensic investigation of the SCD victims in combination with genetic testing makes it possible to establish a likely diagnosis in some of the deaths previously characterized as unexplained. Additionally, a genetic diagnose in a SCD victim with a structural disease may not only add to the differential diagnosis, but also be of importance for pre-symptomatic family screening. In the case of SCD, the optimal establishment of the cause of death and management of the family call for standardized post-mortem procedures, genetic screening, and family screening. Studies of genetic testing in patients with primary arrhythmia disorders or cardiomyopathies and of victims of SCD presumed to be due to primary arrhythmia disorders or cardiomyopathies, were systematically identified and reviewed. The frequencies of disease-causing mutation were on average between 16 and 48% in the cardiac patient studies, compared with ∼10% in the post-mortem studies. The frequency of pathogenic mutations in heart genes in cardiac patients is up to four-fold higher than that in SCD victims in a forensic setting. Still, genetic investigation of SCD victims is important for the diagnosis and the possible investigation of relatives at risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christin L Hertz
- Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 11 Frederik V's Vej, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Laura Ferrero-Miliani
- Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 11 Frederik V's Vej, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rune Frank-Hansen
- Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 11 Frederik V's Vej, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Niels Morling
- Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 11 Frederik V's Vej, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Henning Bundgaard
- Rigshospitalets Unit for Inherited Heart Diseases, The Heart Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark
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van der Werf C, Stiekema L, Tan HL, Hofman N, Alders M, van der Wal AC, van Langen IM, Wilde AA. Low rate of cardiac events in first-degree relatives of diagnosis-negative young sudden unexplained death syndrome victims during follow-up. Heart Rhythm 2014; 11:1728-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2014.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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Suárez-Peñaranda JM, Cordeiro C, Rodríguez-Calvo M, Vieira DN, Muñoz-Barús JI. Cardiac Inhibitory Reflex as a Cause/Mechanism of Death. J Forensic Sci 2013; 58:1644-7. [DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.12212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2012] [Revised: 08/18/2012] [Accepted: 08/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jose M. Suárez-Peñaranda
- Department of Pathology and Forensic Science; University of Santiago de Compostela; Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Cristina Cordeiro
- National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of Portugal; Centre Branch; Coimbra Portugal
- Centre of Forensic Sciences (CENCIFOR); University of Coimbra; Coimbra Portugal
| | - Marisol Rodríguez-Calvo
- Department of Pathology and Forensic Science; University of Santiago de Compostela; Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Duarte N. Vieira
- National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of Portugal; Centre Branch; Coimbra Portugal
- Centre of Forensic Sciences (CENCIFOR); University of Coimbra; Coimbra Portugal
| | - Jose Ignacio Muñoz-Barús
- Department of Pathology and Forensic Science; University of Santiago de Compostela; Santiago de Compostela Spain
- Institute of Forensic Science; University of Santiago de Compostela; Rúa San Francisco s/n; 15782 Santiago de Compostela Spain
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van der Werf C, Onderwater AT, van Langen IM, Smets EMA. Experiences, considerations and emotions relating to cardiogenetic evaluation in relatives of young sudden cardiac death victims. Eur J Hum Genet 2013; 22:192-6. [PMID: 23736216 DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2013.126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2013] [Revised: 04/07/2013] [Accepted: 05/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Relatives of young sudden cardiac death (SCD) victims are at increased risk of carrying a potentially fatal inherited cardiac disease. Hence, it is recommended to perform an autopsy on the victim and to refer his or her relatives to a cardiogenetics clinic for a full evaluation to identify those at risk and allow preventive measures to be taken. However, at present, the number of families attending a cardiogenetics clinic after the SCD of a young relative is low in the Netherlands. We performed a qualitative study and report on the experiences and attitudes of first-degree relatives who attended a cardiogenetics clinic for evaluation. In total, we interviewed nine first-degree relatives and one spouse of seven SCD victims about their experiences, considerations and emotions before attendance and at the first stage of the cardiogenetic evaluation before DNA results were available. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed. Medical professionals did not have an important role in informing or referring relatives to a cardiogenetics clinic. Importantly, all participants indicated that they would have appreciated a more directive approach from medical professionals, because their mourning process hampered their own search for information and decision-making. A need to understand the cause of death and wanting to prevent another SCD event occurring in the family were the most important reasons for attending a clinic. There are possibilities to improve the information process and better support their decision-making. The multidisciplinary cardiogenetic evaluation was appreciated, but could be improved by minor changes in the way it is implemented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian van der Werf
- Department of Cardiology, Heart Failure Research Centre, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Astrid T Onderwater
- Department of Medical Psychology, Academic Medical Centre/University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Irene M van Langen
- Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ellen M A Smets
- Department of Medical Psychology, Academic Medical Centre/University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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14
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Differences in investigations of sudden unexpected deaths in young people in a nationwide setting. Int J Legal Med 2011; 126:223-9. [DOI: 10.1007/s00414-011-0602-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2011] [Accepted: 07/01/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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