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Zampatti S, Peconi C, Megalizzi D, Calvino G, Trastulli G, Cascella R, Strafella C, Caltagirone C, Giardina E. Innovations in Medicine: Exploring ChatGPT's Impact on Rare Disorder Management. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:421. [PMID: 38674356 PMCID: PMC11050022 DOI: 10.3390/genes15040421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the field of medicine, announcing a new era of innovation and efficiency. Among AI programs designed for general use, ChatGPT holds a prominent position, using an innovative language model developed by OpenAI. Thanks to the use of deep learning techniques, ChatGPT stands out as an exceptionally viable tool, renowned for generating human-like responses to queries. Various medical specialties, including rheumatology, oncology, psychiatry, internal medicine, and ophthalmology, have been explored for ChatGPT integration, with pilot studies and trials revealing each field's potential benefits and challenges. However, the field of genetics and genetic counseling, as well as that of rare disorders, represents an area suitable for exploration, with its complex datasets and the need for personalized patient care. In this review, we synthesize the wide range of potential applications for ChatGPT in the medical field, highlighting its benefits and limitations. We pay special attention to rare and genetic disorders, aiming to shed light on the future roles of AI-driven chatbots in healthcare. Our goal is to pave the way for a healthcare system that is more knowledgeable, efficient, and centered around patient needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Zampatti
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.)
| | - Cristina Peconi
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.)
| | - Domenica Megalizzi
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.)
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Calvino
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.)
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Trastulli
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.)
- Department of System Medicine, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Raffaella Cascella
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.)
- Department of Chemical-Toxicological and Pharmacological Evaluation of Drugs, Catholic University Our Lady of Good Counsel, 1000 Tirana, Albania
| | - Claudia Strafella
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.)
| | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy;
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.)
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy
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Giardina E, Mandich P, Ghidoni R, Ticozzi N, Rossi G, Fenoglio C, Tiziano FD, Esposito F, Capellari S, Nacmias B, Mineri R, Campopiano R, Di Pilla L, Sammarone F, Zampatti S, Peconi C, De Angelis F, Palmieri I, Galandra C, Nicodemo E, Origone P, Gotta F, Ponti C, Nicsanu R, Benussi L, Peverelli S, Ratti A, Ricci M, Di Fede G, Magri S, Serpente M, Lattante S, Domi T, Carrera P, Saltimbanco E, Bagnoli S, Ingannato A, Albanese A, Tagliavini F, Lodi R, Caltagirone C, Gambardella S, Valente EM, Silani V. Distribution of the C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion in healthy subjects: a multicenter study promoted by the Italian IRCCS network of neuroscience and neurorehabilitation. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1284459. [PMID: 38356886 PMCID: PMC10865370 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1284459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction High repeat expansion (HRE) alleles in C9orf72 have been linked to both amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD); ranges for intermediate allelic expansions have not been defined yet, and clinical interpretation of molecular data lacks a defined genotype-phenotype association. In this study, we provide results from a large multicenter epidemiological study reporting the distribution of C9orf72 repeats in healthy elderly from the Italian population. Methods A total of 967 samples were collected from neurologically evaluated healthy individuals over 70 years of age in the 13 institutes participating in the RIN (IRCCS Network of Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation) based in Italy. All samples were genotyped using the AmplideXPCR/CE C9orf72 Kit (Asuragen, Inc.), using standardized protocols that have been validated through blind proficiency testing. Results All samples carried hexanucleotide G4C2 expansion alleles in the normal range. All samples were characterized by alleles with less than 25 repeats. In particular, 93.7% of samples showed a number of repeats ≤10, 99.9% ≤20 repeats, and 100% ≤25 repeats. Conclusion This study describes the distribution of hexanucleotide G4C2 expansion alleles in an Italian healthy population, providing a definition of alleles associated with the neurological healthy phenotype. Moreover, this study provides an effective model of federation between institutes, highlighting the importance of sharing genomic data and standardizing analysis techniques, promoting translational research. Data derived from the study may improve genetic counseling and future studies on ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Giardina
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Mandich
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino – UOC Genetica Medica, Genova, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Health, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Roberta Ghidoni
- Molecular Markers Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, “Dino Ferrari” Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Giacomina Rossi
- Unit of Neurology V – Neuropathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Fenoglio
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Danilo Tiziano
- Section of Genomic Medicine, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Unit of Medical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Science and Infectious Diseases, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Esposito
- Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Laboratory of Human Genetics of Neurological Disorders, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Sabina Capellari
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- DIBINEM Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Benedetta Nacmias
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
| | - Rossana Mineri
- Laboratory Medicine, Department of Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Stefania Zampatti
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Peconi
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Flavio De Angelis
- Department of Mental, Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA, United States
| | | | | | | | - Paola Origone
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino – UOC Genetica Medica, Genova, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Health, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Fabio Gotta
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino – UOC Genetica Medica, Genova, Italy
| | - Clarissa Ponti
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino – UOC Genetica Medica, Genova, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Health, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Roland Nicsanu
- Molecular Markers Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Luisa Benussi
- Molecular Markers Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Silvia Peverelli
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonia Ratti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Martina Ricci
- Unit of Neurology V – Neuropathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Di Fede
- Unit of Neurology V – Neuropathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefania Magri
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Serpente
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Serena Lattante
- Section of Genomic Medicine, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Teuta Domi
- Experimental Neuropathology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Neurology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Carrera
- Laboratory of Clinical Molecular Biology, Unit of Genomics for Human Disease Diagnosis, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Saltimbanco
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Silvia Bagnoli
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
| | - Assunta Ingannato
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
| | - Alberto Albanese
- Department of Neurology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Raffaele Lodi
- Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi, Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DiBiNeM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Gambardella
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy
| | - Enza Maria Valente
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, “Dino Ferrari” Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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Ferese R, Scala S, Suppa A, Campopiano R, Asci F, Zampogna A, Chiaravalloti MA, Griguoli A, Storto M, Pardo AD, Giardina E, Zampatti S, Fornai F, Novelli G, Fanelli M, Zecca C, Logroscino G, Centonze D, Gambardella S. Cohort analysis of novel SPAST variants in SPG4 patients and implementation of in vitro and in vivo studies to identify the pathogenic mechanism caused by splicing mutations. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1296924. [PMID: 38145127 PMCID: PMC10748595 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1296924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Pure hereditary spastic paraplegia (SPG) type 4 (SPG4) is caused by mutations of SPAST gene. This study aimed to analyze SPAST variants in SPG4 patients to highlight the occurrence of splicing mutations and combine functional studies to assess the relevance of these variants in the molecular mechanisms of the disease. Methods We performed an NGS panel in 105 patients, in silico analysis for splicing mutations, and in vitro minigene assay. Results and discussion The NGS panel was applied to screen 105 patients carrying a clinical phenotype corresponding to upper motor neuron syndrome (UMNS), selectively affecting motor control of lower limbs. Pathogenic mutations in SPAST were identified in 12 patients (11.42%), 5 missense, 3 frameshift, and 4 splicing variants. Then, we focused on the patients carrying splicing variants using a combined approach of in silico and in vitro analysis through minigene assay and RNA, if available. For two splicing variants (i.e., c.1245+1G>A and c.1414-2A>T), functional assays confirm the types of molecular alterations suggested by the in silico analysis (loss of exon 9 and exon 12). In contrast, the splicing variant c.1005-1delG differed from what was predicted (skipping exon 7), and the functional study indicates the loss of frame and formation of a premature stop codon. The present study evidenced the high splice variants in SPG4 patients and indicated the relevance of functional assays added to in silico analysis to decipher the pathogenic mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Antonio Suppa
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Emiliano Giardina
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Zampatti
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Fornai
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Novelli
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Mirco Fanelli
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Urbino, Italy
| | - Chiara Zecca
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, Department of Clinical Research in Neurology of the University of Bari “Aldo Moro” at “Pia Fondazione Card G. Panico” Hospital Tricase, Lecce, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Logroscino
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, Department of Clinical Research in Neurology of the University of Bari “Aldo Moro” at “Pia Fondazione Card G. Panico” Hospital Tricase, Lecce, Italy
| | - Diego Centonze
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Gambardella
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Urbino, Italy
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Di Fonzo A, Percetti M, Monfrini E, Palmieri I, Albanese A, Avenali M, Bartoletti-Stella A, Blandini F, Brescia G, Calandra-Buonaura G, Campopiano R, Capellari S, Colangelo I, Comi GP, Cuconato G, Ferese R, Galandra C, Gambardella S, Garavaglia B, Gaudio A, Giardina E, Invernizzi F, Mandich P, Mineri R, Panteghini C, Reale C, Trevisan L, Zampatti S, Cortelli P, Valente EM. Harmonizing Genetic Testing for Parkinson's Disease: Results of the PARKNET Multicentric Study. Mov Disord 2023; 38:2241-2248. [PMID: 37750340 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Early-onset Parkinson's disease (EOPD) commonly recognizes a genetic basis; thus, patients with EOPD are often addressed to diagnostic testing based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) of PD-associated multigene panels. However, NGS interpretation can be challenging in a diagnostic setting, and few studies have addressed this issue so far. METHODS We retrospectively collected data from 648 patients with PD with age at onset younger than 55 years who underwent NGS of a minimal shared panel of 15 PD-related genes, as well as PD-multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification in eight Italian diagnostic laboratories. Data included a minimal clinical dataset, the complete list of variants included in the diagnostic report, and final interpretation (positive/negative/inconclusive). Patients were further stratified based on age at onset ≤40 years (very EOPD, n = 157). All variants were reclassified according to the latest American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics criteria. For classification purposes, PD-associated GBA1 variants were considered diagnostic. RESULTS In 186 of 648 (29%) patients, the diagnostic report listed at least one variant, and the outcome was considered diagnostic (positive) in 105 (16%). After reanalysis, diagnosis changed in 18 of 186 (10%) patients, with 5 shifting from inconclusive to positive and 13 former positive being reclassified as inconclusive. A definite diagnosis was eventually reached in 97 (15%) patients, of whom the majority carried GBA1 variants or, less frequently, biallelic PRKN variants. In 89 (14%) cases, the genetic report was inconclusive. CONCLUSIONS This study attempts to harmonize reporting of PD genetic testing across several diagnostic labs and highlights current difficulties in interpreting genetic variants emerging from NGS-multigene panels, with relevant implications for counseling. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Di Fonzo
- Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neurology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Percetti
- Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- School of Medicine and Surgery, Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milan-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Foundation IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, Monza, Italy
| | - Edoardo Monfrini
- Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neurology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Micol Avenali
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Brain and Behavior Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Anna Bartoletti-Stella
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- DIMEC, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Fabio Blandini
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Gloria Brescia
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Sabina Capellari
- DIMEC, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- DIBINEM, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Isabel Colangelo
- Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico C. Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Giacomo Pietro Comi
- Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neurology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Giada Cuconato
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Caterina Galandra
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Stefano Gambardella
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy
| | - Barbara Garavaglia
- Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico C. Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Gaudio
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory-UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Invernizzi
- Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico C. Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Mandich
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- DINOGMI, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Celeste Panteghini
- Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico C. Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Reale
- Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico C. Besta, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Stefania Zampatti
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory-UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Pietro Cortelli
- DIMEC, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- DIBINEM, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Enza Maria Valente
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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Zampatti S, Peconi C, Calvino G, Ferese R, Gambardella S, Cascella R, Sebastiani J, Falsini B, Cusumano A, Giardina E. A Splicing Variant in RDH8 Is Associated with Autosomal Recessive Stargardt Macular Dystrophy. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1659. [PMID: 37628710 PMCID: PMC10454646 DOI: 10.3390/genes14081659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Stargardt macular dystrophy is a genetic disorder, but in many cases, the causative gene remains unrevealed. Through a combined approach (whole-exome sequencing and phenotype/family-driven filtering algorithm) and a multilevel validation (international database searching, prediction scores calculation, splicing analysis assay, segregation analyses), a biallelic mutation in the RDH8 gene was identified to be responsible for Stargardt macular dystrophy in a consanguineous Italian family. This paper is a report on the first family in which a biallelic deleterious mutation in RDH8 is detected. The disease phenotype is consistent with the expected phenotype hypothesized in previous studies on murine models. The application of the combined approach to genetic data and the multilevel validation allowed the identification of a splicing mutation in a gene that has never been reported before in human disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Zampatti
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.)
| | - Cristina Peconi
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.)
| | - Giulia Calvino
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.)
| | | | - Stefano Gambardella
- Neuromed IRCSS, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”, 61029 Urbino, Italy
| | - Raffaella Cascella
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Catholic University Our Lady of Good Counsel, 1000 Tirana, Albania
| | | | - Benedetto Falsini
- Macula & Genoma Foundation, 00133 Rome, Italy; (J.S.)
- Department of Ophthalmology, Policlinico A. Gemelli, IRCCS/Catholic University, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Macula & Genoma Foundation USA, New York, NY 10017, USA
| | - Andrea Cusumano
- Macula & Genoma Foundation, 00133 Rome, Italy; (J.S.)
- Macula & Genoma Foundation USA, New York, NY 10017, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.)
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy
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Graziani L, Zampatti S, Carriero ML, Minotti C, Peconi C, Bengala M, Giardina E, Novelli G. Co-Inheritance of Pathogenic Variants in PKD1 and PKD2 Genes Determined by Parental Segregation and De Novo Origin: A Case Report. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1589. [PMID: 37628640 PMCID: PMC10454652 DOI: 10.3390/genes14081589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common hereditary renal disease, and it is typically caused by PKD1 and PKD2 heterozygous variants. Nonetheless, the extensive phenotypic variability observed among affected individuals, even within the same family, suggests a more complex pattern of inheritance. We describe an ADPKD family in which the proband presented with an earlier and more severe renal phenotype (clinical diagnosis at the age of 14 and end-stage renal disease aged 24), compared to the other affected family members. Next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based analysis of polycystic kidney disease (PKD)-associated genes in the proband revealed the presence of a pathogenic PKD2 variant and a likely pathogenic variant in PKD1, according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) criteria. The PKD2 nonsense p.Arg872Ter variant was segregated from the proband's father, with a mild phenotype. A similar mild disease presentation was found in the proband's aunts and uncle (the father's siblings). The frameshift p.Asp3832ProfsTer128 novel variant within PKD1 carried by the proband in addition to the pathogenic PKD2 variant was not found in either parent. This report highlights that the co-inheritance of two or more PKD genes or alleles may explain the extensive phenotypic variability among affected family members, thus emphasizing the importance of NGS-based techniques in the definition of the prognostic course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovico Graziani
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (M.L.C.); (C.M.); (E.G.); (G.N.)
| | - Stefania Zampatti
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.); (C.P.)
| | - Miriam Lucia Carriero
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (M.L.C.); (C.M.); (E.G.); (G.N.)
| | - Chiara Minotti
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (M.L.C.); (C.M.); (E.G.); (G.N.)
| | - Cristina Peconi
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.); (C.P.)
| | - Mario Bengala
- Medical Genetics Unit, Tor Vergata University Hospital, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (M.L.C.); (C.M.); (E.G.); (G.N.)
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.); (C.P.)
| | - Giuseppe Novelli
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (M.L.C.); (C.M.); (E.G.); (G.N.)
- Medical Genetics Unit, Tor Vergata University Hospital, 00133 Rome, Italy;
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7
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Mastrapasqua M, Rossi R, De Cosmo L, Resta A, Errede M, Bizzoca A, Zampatti S, Resta N, Giardina E, Ruggieri M, Virgintino D, Annese T, Laforgia N, Girolamo F. Autophagy increase in Merosin-Deficient Congenital Muscular Dystrophy type 1A. Eur J Transl Myol 2023; 33:11501. [PMID: 37522802 PMCID: PMC10583158 DOI: 10.4081/ejtm.2023.11501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The autophagy process recycles dysfunctional cellular components and protein aggregates by sequestering them in autophagosomes directed to lysosomes for enzymatic degradation. A basal level of autophagy is essential for skeletal muscle maintenance. Increased autophagy occurs in several forms of muscular dystrophy and in the merosin-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy 1A mouse model (dy3k/dy3k) lacking the laminin-α2 chain. This pilot study aimed to compare autophagy marker expression and autophagosomes presence using light and electron microscopes and western blotting in diagnostic muscle biopsies from newborns affected by different congenital muscular myopathies and dystrophies. Morphological examination showed dystrophic muscle features, predominance of type 2A myofibers, accumulation of autophagosomes in the subsarcolemmal areas, increased number of autophagosomes overexpressing LC3b, Beclin-1 and ATG5, in the merosin-deficient newborn suggesting an increased autophagy. In Duchenne muscular dystrophy, nemaline myopathy, and spinal muscular atrophy the predominant accumulation of p62+ puncta rather suggests an autophagy impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariangela Mastrapasqua
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Bari.
| | - Roberta Rossi
- Section of Pathology, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Jonian Area (DiMePRe-J), University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari.
| | - Lucrezia De Cosmo
- Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Ospedale SS. Annunziata, Taranto.
| | - Annalisa Resta
- Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Ospedale Miulli, Acquaviva delle Fonti.
| | - Mariella Errede
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Bari.
| | - Antonella Bizzoca
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Bari.
| | - Stefania Zampatti
- Laboratory of Genomic Medicine - Santa Lucia Foundation - IRCCS, Roma.
| | - Nicoletta Resta
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area (DiMePRe-J), University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari.
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Laboratory of Genomic Medicine - Santa Lucia Foundation - IRCCS, Roma.
| | - Maddalena Ruggieri
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Bari.
| | - Daniela Virgintino
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Bari.
| | - Tiziana Annese
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Bari, Italy; Department of Medicine and Surgery, Libera Università del Mediterraneo (LUM) Giuseppe Degennaro University, Bari.
| | - Nicola Laforgia
- Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine (DIM), University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari.
| | - Francesco Girolamo
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Bari.
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8
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Zampatti S, Peconi C, Campopiano R, Gambardella S, Caltagirone C, Giardina E. C9orf72-Related Neurodegenerative Diseases: From Clinical Diagnosis to Therapeutic Strategies. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:907122. [PMID: 35754952 PMCID: PMC9226392 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.907122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hexanucleotide expansion in C9orf72 has been related to several phenotypes to date, complicating the clinical recognition of these neurodegenerative disorders. An early diagnosis can improve the management of patients, promoting early administration of therapeutic supportive strategies. Here, we report known clinical presentations of C9orf72-related neurodegenerative disorders, pointing out suggestive phenotypes that can benefit the genetic characterization of patients. Considering the high variability of C9orf72-related disorder, frequent and rare manifestations are described, with detailed clinical, instrumental evaluation, and supportive therapeutical approaches. Furthermore, to improve the understanding of molecular pathways of the disease and potential therapeutical targets, a detailed description of the cellular mechanisms related to the pathological effect of C9orf72 is reported. New promising therapeutical strategies and ongoing studies are reported highlighting their molecular role in cellular pathological pathways of C9orf72. These therapeutic approaches are particularly promising because they seem to stop the disease before neuronal damage. The knowledge of clinical and molecular features of C9orf72-related neurodegenerative disorders improves the therapeutical application of known strategies and will lay the basis for the development of new potential therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Zampatti
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Peconi
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Gambardella
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy
| | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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9
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Ferese R, Scala S, Suppa A, Campopiano R, Asci F, Chiaravalloti MA, Zampogna A, D'Alessio C, Fittipaldi F, Buttari F, Di Pardo A, Giardina E, Zampatti S, Fornai F, Novelli G, Fanelli M, Zecca C, Logroscino G, Centonze D, Gambardella S. Decipher non-canonical SPAST splicing mutations with the help of functional assays in patients affected by spastic paraplegia 4 (SPG4). Clin Genet 2022; 102:155-156. [PMID: 35524423 DOI: 10.1111/cge.14142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Flowchart showing the molecular approach used to decipher the non-canonical splicing mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Antonio Suppa
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Asci
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Emiliano Giardina
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Zampatti
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Fornai
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Novelli
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Mirco Fanelli
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy
| | - Chiara Zecca
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, Bari University, "Pia Fondazione Card G.Panico" Lecce, Bari, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Logroscino
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, Bari University, "Pia Fondazione Card G.Panico" Lecce, Bari, Italy
| | - Diego Centonze
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Gambardella
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy
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10
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Zampatti S, Giardina E. Bioinformatic tools are essential to integrating pharmacogenomics into clinical practice: lessons from neuropsychiatric disorders. Pharmacogenomics 2022; 23:221-223. [PMID: 35147039 DOI: 10.2217/pgs-2022-0008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Zampatti
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, 00179, Italy
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, 00179, Italy.,Department of Biomedicine & Prevention, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, 00133, Italy
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11
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Zampatti S, Fabrizio C, Ragazzo M, Campoli G, Caputo V, Strafella C, Pellicano C, Cascella R, Spalletta G, Petrosini L, Caltagirone C, Termine A, Giardina E. Precision Medicine into Clinical Practice: A Web-Based Tool Enables Real-Time Pharmacogenetic Assessment of Tailored Treatments in Psychiatric Disorders. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11090851. [PMID: 34575628 PMCID: PMC8471120 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11090851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The management of neuropsychiatric disorders involves different pharmacological treatments. In order to perform efficacious drug treatments, the metabolism of CYP genes can help to foresee potential drug–drug interactions. The NeuroPGx software is an open-source web-based tool for genotype/diplotype/phenotype interpretation for neuropharmacogenomic purposes. The software provides information about: (i) the genotypes of evaluated SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms); (ii) the main diplotypes in CYP genes and corresponding metabolization phenotypes; (iii) the list of neuropsychiatric drugs with recommended dosage adjustment (according to CPIC and DPWG guidelines); (iv) the list of possible (rare) diplotypes and corresponding metabolization phenotypes. The combined application of NeuroPGx software to the OpenArray technology results in an easy, quick, and highly automated device ready to be used in routine clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Zampatti
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.); (C.F.); (G.C.); (C.S.); (R.C.); (A.T.)
| | - Carlo Fabrizio
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.); (C.F.); (G.C.); (C.S.); (R.C.); (A.T.)
| | - Michele Ragazzo
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy; (M.R.); (V.C.)
| | - Giulia Campoli
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.); (C.F.); (G.C.); (C.S.); (R.C.); (A.T.)
| | - Valerio Caputo
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy; (M.R.); (V.C.)
| | - Claudia Strafella
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.); (C.F.); (G.C.); (C.S.); (R.C.); (A.T.)
| | - Clelia Pellicano
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (C.P.); (G.S.)
| | - Raffaella Cascella
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.); (C.F.); (G.C.); (C.S.); (R.C.); (A.T.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Catholic University Our Lady of Good Counsel, 1000 Tirana, Albania
| | - Gianfranco Spalletta
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (C.P.); (G.S.)
| | - Laura Petrosini
- Department of Experimental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00143 Rome, Italy;
| | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy;
| | - Andrea Termine
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.); (C.F.); (G.C.); (C.S.); (R.C.); (A.T.)
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.); (C.F.); (G.C.); (C.S.); (R.C.); (A.T.)
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy; (M.R.); (V.C.)
- Correspondence:
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12
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Ferese R, Campopiano R, Scala S, D'Alessio C, Storto M, Buttari F, Centonze D, Logroscino G, Zecca C, Zampatti S, Fornai F, Cianci V, Manfroi E, Giardina E, Magnani M, Suppa A, Novelli G, Gambardella S. Cohort Analysis of 67 Charcot-Marie-Tooth Italian Patients: Identification of New Mutations and Broadening of Phenotype Expression Produced by Rare Variants. Front Genet 2021; 12:682050. [PMID: 34354735 PMCID: PMC8329958 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.682050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is the most prevalent inherited motor sensory neuropathy, which clusters a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of disorders with more than 90 genes associated with different phenotypes. The goal of this study is to identify the genetic features in the recruited cohort of patients, highlighting the role of rare variants in the genotype-phenotype correlation. We enrolled 67 patients and applied a diagnostic protocol including multiple ligation-dependent probe amplification for copy number variation (CNV) detection of PMP22 locus, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) for sequencing of 47 genes known to be associated with CMT and routinely screened in medical genetics. This approach allowed the identification of 26 patients carrying a whole gene CNV of PMP22. In the remaining 41 patients, NGS identified the causative variants in eight patients in the genes HSPB1, MFN2, KIF1A, GDAP1, MTMR2, SH3TC2, KIF5A, and MPZ (five new vs. three previously reported variants; three sporadic vs. five familial variants). Familial segregation analysis allowed to correctly interpret two variants, initially reported as "variants of uncertain significance" but re-classified as pathological. In this cohort is reported a patient carrying a novel familial mutation in the tail domain of KIF5A [a protein domain previously associated with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)], and a CMT patient carrying a HSPB1 mutation, previously reported in ALS. These data indicate that combined tools for gene association in medical genetics allow dissecting unexpected phenotypes associated with previously known or unknown genotypes, thus broadening the phenotype expression produced by either pathogenic or undefined variants. Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03084224).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Diego Centonze
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Laboratory of Synaptic Immunopathology, Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Logroscino
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, The University of Bari "Aldo Moro," "Pia Fondazione Card G. Panico" Hospital Tricase, Lecce, Italy.,Department of Basic Medicine Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University "Aldo Moro" Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Chiara Zecca
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain, Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, The University of Bari "Aldo Moro," "Pia Fondazione Card G. Panico" Hospital Tricase, Lecce, Italy
| | - Stefania Zampatti
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Genomic Medicine Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Fornai
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Vittoria Cianci
- Regional Epilepsy Centre, Great Metropolitan Hospital Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli, Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Manfroi
- Department of Neuroscience- Neurogenetics, Santa Maria Hospital, Terni, Italy
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata," Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Magnani
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo," Urbino, Italy
| | - Antonio Suppa
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Novelli
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata," Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Gambardella
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo," Urbino, Italy
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13
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Zampatti S, Ragazzo M, Fabrizio C, Termine A, Campoli G, Caputo V, Strafella C, Cascella R, Caltagirone C, Giardina E. Genetic Variants Allegedly Linked to Antisocial Behaviour Are Equally Distributed Across Different Populations. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11030213. [PMID: 33809805 PMCID: PMC8002417 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11030213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Human behaviour is determined by a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors. Several studies have demonstrated different associations between human behaviour and numerous genetic variants. In particular, allelic variants in SLC6A4, MAOA, DRD4, and DRD2 showed statistical associations with major depressive disorder, antisocial behaviour, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder; BDNF polymorphic variants were associated with depressive, bipolar, and schizophrenia diseases, and TPH2 variants were found both in people with unipolar depression and in children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Independent studies have failed to confirm polymorphic variants associated with criminal and aggressive behaviour. In the present study, a set of genetic variants involved in serotoninergic, dopaminergic, and neurobiological pathways were selected from those previously associated with criminal behaviour. The distribution of these genetic variants was compared across worldwide populations. While data on single polymorphic variants showed differential distribution across populations, these differences failed to be significant when a comprehensive analysis was conducted on the total number of published variants. The lack of reproducibility of the genetic association data published to date, the weakness of statistical associations, the heterogeneity of the phenotype, and the massive influence of the environment on human behaviour do not allow us to consider these genetic variants as undoubtedly associated with antisocial behaviour. Moreover, these data confirm the absence of ethnic predisposition to aggressive and criminal behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Zampatti
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.); (C.F.); (A.T.); (G.C.); (C.S.); (R.C.)
| | - Michele Ragazzo
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy; (M.R.); (V.C.)
| | - Carlo Fabrizio
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.); (C.F.); (A.T.); (G.C.); (C.S.); (R.C.)
| | - Andrea Termine
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.); (C.F.); (A.T.); (G.C.); (C.S.); (R.C.)
| | - Giulia Campoli
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.); (C.F.); (A.T.); (G.C.); (C.S.); (R.C.)
| | - Valerio Caputo
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy; (M.R.); (V.C.)
| | - Claudia Strafella
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.); (C.F.); (A.T.); (G.C.); (C.S.); (R.C.)
| | - Raffaella Cascella
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.); (C.F.); (A.T.); (G.C.); (C.S.); (R.C.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Catholic University Our Lady of Good Counsel, 1000 Tirana, Albania
| | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Department of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy;
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179 Rome, Italy; (S.Z.); (C.F.); (A.T.); (G.C.); (C.S.); (R.C.)
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy; (M.R.); (V.C.)
- Correspondence:
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14
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Fusco C, Nardella G, Petracca A, Ronchi D, Paciello N, Di Giacomo M, Gambardella S, Lanfranconi S, Zampatti S, D'Agruma L, Micale L, Castori M. Improving clinical interpretation of five KRIT1 and PDCD10 intronic variants. Clin Genet 2021; 99:829-835. [PMID: 33604894 DOI: 10.1111/cge.13944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) is a vascular malformation of the central nervous system which may occur sporadically or segregate within families due to heterozygous variants in KRIT1/CCM1, MGC4607/CCM2 or PDCD10/CCM3. Intronic variants are not uncommon in familial CCM, but their clinical interpretation is often hampered by insufficient data supporting in silico predictions. Here, the mRNA analysis for two intronic unpublished variants (KRIT1 c.1147-7 T > G and PDCD10 c.395 + 2 T > G) and three previously published variants in KRIT1 but without data supporting their effects was carried out. This study demonstrated that all variants can induce a frameshift with the lack of residues located in the C-terminal regions and involved in protein-protein complex formation, which is essential for vascular homeostasis. These results support the introduction of mRNA analysis in the diagnostic pathway of familial CCM and expand the knowledge of abnormal splicing patterning in this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmela Fusco
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS-Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Grazia Nardella
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS-Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Antonio Petracca
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS-Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Dario Ronchi
- Dino Ferrari Center, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), IRCCS Foundation Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Paciello
- Unit of Neurology, Azienda Ospedaliera Regionale San Carlo, Potenza, Italy
| | - Marilena Di Giacomo
- Unit of Pathology and Medical Genetics, Azienda Ospedaliera Regionale San Carlo, Potenza, Italy
| | - Stefano Gambardella
- Molecular Genomics Center, IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy
| | - Silvia Lanfranconi
- Unit of Neurology, IRCCS Foundation Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefania Zampatti
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Leonardo D'Agruma
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS-Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Lucia Micale
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS-Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Marco Castori
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS-Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
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15
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Campopiano R, Ferese R, Zampatti S, Giardina E, Biagioni F, Colonnese C, Centonze D, Storto M, Buttari F, Fraviga E, Broccoli V, Fanelli M, Fornai F, Gambardella S. A novel POLR3A genotype leads to leukodystrophy type-7 in two siblings with unusually late age of onset. BMC Neurol 2020; 20:258. [PMID: 32600288 PMCID: PMC7322863 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-020-01835-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leukodystrophies are familial heterogeneous disorders primarily affecting the white matter, which are defined as hypomyelinating or demyelinating based on disease severity as assessed at MRI. Recently, a group of clinically overlapping hypomyelinating leukodystrophies (HL) has been associated with mutations in RNA polymerase III enzymes (Pol III) subunits. CASE PRESENTATION In this manuscript, we describe two Italian siblings carrying a novel POLR3A genotype. MRI imaging, genetic analysis, and clinical data led to diagnosing HL type 7. The female sibling, at the age of 34, is tetra-paretic and suffers from severe cognitive regression. She had a disease onset at the age of 19, characterized by slow and progressive cognitive impairment associated with gait disturbances and amenorrhea. The male sibling was diagnosed during an MRI carried out for cephalalgia at the age of 41. After 5 years, he developed mild cognitive impairment, dystonia with 4-limb hypotonia, and moderate dysmetria with balance and gait impairment. CONCLUSIONS The present study provides the first evidence of unusually late age of onset in HL, describing two siblings with a novel POLR3A genotype which showed the first symptoms at the age of 41 and 19, respectively. This provides a powerful insight into clinical heterogeneity and genotype-phenotype correlation in POLR3A related HL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Campopiano
- I.R.C.C.S. I.N.M. Neuromed, via Atinense 18, 86077, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Rosangela Ferese
- I.R.C.C.S. I.N.M. Neuromed, via Atinense 18, 86077, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Stefania Zampatti
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Diego Centonze
- I.R.C.C.S. I.N.M. Neuromed, via Atinense 18, 86077, Pozzilli, Italy.,Dipartimento di Medicina dei Sistemi, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Marianna Storto
- I.R.C.C.S. I.N.M. Neuromed, via Atinense 18, 86077, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Fabio Buttari
- I.R.C.C.S. I.N.M. Neuromed, via Atinense 18, 86077, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Edoardo Fraviga
- Stem Cell and Neurogenesis Unit, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Vania Broccoli
- Stem Cell and Neurogenesis Unit, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy
| | - Mirco Fanelli
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy
| | - Francesco Fornai
- I.R.C.C.S. I.N.M. Neuromed, via Atinense 18, 86077, Pozzilli, Italy.,Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefano Gambardella
- I.R.C.C.S. I.N.M. Neuromed, via Atinense 18, 86077, Pozzilli, Italy. .,Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy.
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16
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Strafella C, Caputo V, Campoli G, Galota RM, Mela J, Zampatti S, Minozzi G, Sancricca C, Servidei S, Giardina E, Cascella R. Genetic Counseling and NGS Screening for Recessive LGMD2A Families. High Throughput 2020; 9:ht9020013. [PMID: 32397577 PMCID: PMC7349198 DOI: 10.3390/ht9020013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic counseling applied to limb–girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMDs) can be very challenging due to their clinical and genetic heterogeneity and the availability of different molecular assays. Genetic counseling should therefore be addressed to select the most suitable approach to increase the diagnostic rate and provide an accurate estimation of recurrence risk. This is particularly true for families with a positive history for recessive LGMD, in which the presence of a known pathogenetic mutation segregating within the family may not be enough to exclude the risk of having affected children without exploring the genetic background of phenotypically unaffected partners. In this work, we presented a family with a positive history for LGMD2A (OMIM #253600, also known as calpainopathy) characterized by compound heterozygosity for two CAPN3 mutations. The genetic specialist suggested the segregation analysis of both mutations within the family as a first-level analysis. Sequentially, next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis was performed in the partners of healthy carriers to provide an accurate recurrence/reproductive risk estimation considering the genetic background of the couple. Finally, this work highlighted the importance of providing a genetic counseling/testing service even in unaffected individuals with a carrier partner. This approach can support genetic counselors in estimating the reproductive/recurrence risk and eventually, suggesting prenatal testing, early diagnosis or other medical surveillance strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Strafella
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (V.C.); (G.C.); (R.M.G.); (J.M.); (S.Z.); (E.G.); (R.C.)
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Valerio Caputo
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (V.C.); (G.C.); (R.M.G.); (J.M.); (S.Z.); (E.G.); (R.C.)
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Campoli
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (V.C.); (G.C.); (R.M.G.); (J.M.); (S.Z.); (E.G.); (R.C.)
| | - Rosaria Maria Galota
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (V.C.); (G.C.); (R.M.G.); (J.M.); (S.Z.); (E.G.); (R.C.)
| | - Julia Mela
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (V.C.); (G.C.); (R.M.G.); (J.M.); (S.Z.); (E.G.); (R.C.)
| | - Stefania Zampatti
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (V.C.); (G.C.); (R.M.G.); (J.M.); (S.Z.); (E.G.); (R.C.)
| | - Giulietta Minozzi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy;
| | - Cristina Sancricca
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, UOC Neurofisiopatologia, 00168 Rome, Italy; (C.S.); (S.S.)
- Unione Italiana Lotta Distrofia Muscolare (UILDM), Sezione Laziale, 00167 Rome, Italy
| | - Serenella Servidei
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, UOC Neurofisiopatologia, 00168 Rome, Italy; (C.S.); (S.S.)
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (V.C.); (G.C.); (R.M.G.); (J.M.); (S.Z.); (E.G.); (R.C.)
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Raffaella Cascella
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (V.C.); (G.C.); (R.M.G.); (J.M.); (S.Z.); (E.G.); (R.C.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Catholic University Our Lady of Good Counsel, 1000 Tirana, Albania
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17
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Strafella C, Caputo V, Pagliaroli G, Iozzo N, Campoli G, Carboni S, Peconi C, Galota RM, Zampatti S, Minozzi G, Novelli G, Giardina E, Cascella R. NGS Analysis for Molecular Diagnosis of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP): Detection of a Novel Variant in PRPH2 Gene. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10100792. [PMID: 31614793 PMCID: PMC6826621 DOI: 10.3390/genes10100792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This work describes the application of NGS for molecular diagnosis of RP in a family with a history of severe hypovision. In particular, the proband received a clinical diagnosis of RP on the basis of medical, instrumental examinations and his family history. The proband was subjected to NGS, utilizing a customized panel including 24 genes associated with RP and other retinal dystrophies. The NGS analysis revealed a novel missense variant (c.668T > A, I223N) in PRPH2 gene, which was investigated by segregation and bioinformatic analysis. The variant is located in the D2 loop domain of PRPH2, which is critical for protein activity. Bioinformatic analysis described the c.668T > A as a likely pathogenic variant. Moreover, a 3D model prediction was performed to better characterize the impact of the variant on the protein, reporting a disruption of the α-helical structures. As a result, the variant protein showed a substantially different conformation with respect to the wild-type PRPH2. The identified variant may therefore affect the oligomerization ability of the D2 loop and, ultimately, hamper PRPH2 proper functioning and localization. In conclusion, PRPH2_c.668T > A provided a molecular explanation of RP symptomatology, highlighting the clinical utility of NGS panels to facilitate genotype-phenotype correlations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Strafella
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy.
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy.
| | - Valerio Caputo
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy.
| | - Giulia Pagliaroli
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy.
| | - Nicola Iozzo
- Organi di Senso Department, University "la Sapienza", 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Giulia Campoli
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy.
| | - Stefania Carboni
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy.
| | - Cristina Peconi
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy.
| | | | - Stefania Zampatti
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy.
| | - Giulietta Minozzi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Novelli
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy.
- Neuromed IRCSS, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy.
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy.
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy.
| | - Raffaella Cascella
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, 00133 Rome, Italy.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Catholic University Our Lady of Good Counsel, 1000 Tirana, Albania.
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18
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Strafella C, Campoli G, Galota RM, Caputo V, Pagliaroli G, Carboni S, Zampatti S, Peconi C, Mela J, Sancricca C, Primiano G, Minozzi G, Servidei S, Cascella R, Giardina E. Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophies (LGMDs): The Clinical Application of NGS Analysis, a Family Case Report. Front Neurol 2019; 10:619. [PMID: 31263448 PMCID: PMC6585112 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The diagnosis of LGMD2A (calpainopathy) can be challenging due to genetic heterogeneity and to high similarity with other LGMDs or neuromuscular disorders. In this setting, NGS panels are highly recommended to perform differential diagnosis, identify new causative mutations and enable genotype-phenotype correlations. In this manuscript, the case of a patient affected by LGMD2A is reported, for which the application of a defined custom designed NGS panel allowed to confirm the diagnosis of calpainopathy linked with two heterozygous variants in CAPN3, namely c.550delA and c.1813G>C. The first variant has been extensively described in relation to calpainopathy. The second variant c.1813G>C, instead, is novel and has been predicted to be probably damaging. In addition, NGS analysis on the proband revealed a heterozygous variant (c.550C>T) in the LMNA gene, which is associated with dilated cardiomyopathy. The variant is novel and has been predicted to be deleterious by subsequent bioinformatic analysis. Successively, segregation analysis was performed on family members. Interestingly, none of them showed neuromuscular symptoms but the mother was diagnosed with bradycardia and syncopal episodes and showed a positive family history for cardiomyopathy. The segregation analysis reported that the proband inherited the c.1813G>C (CAPN3) from the father who was a healthy carrier. The mother was positive for c.550delA (CAPN3) and c.550C>T (LMNA), suggesting thereby a possible genetic explanation for her cardiovascular problems. Segregation analysis, therefore, confirmed the inheritance pattern of the variants carried by the proband and highlighted a familiarity for cardiomyopathy which should not be neglected. The NGS analysis was further performed on the partner of the proband, to estimate the reproductive risk of the couple. The partner was negative to NGS screening, suggesting thereby a low risk to have an affected child with calpainopathy and 50% probability to inherit the LMNA variant. This case report showed the clinical utility of the NGS panel in providing accurate LGMD2A diagnosis and identifying complex phenotypes originating from mutations in multiple genes. However, NGS results should always be accomplished by a dedicated genetic counseling, not only to evaluate the recurrence and reproductive risks but also to uncover unexpected findings which can be clinically significant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Strafella
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory Unione Italiana Lotta Distrofia Muscolare (UILDM), Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Campoli
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory Unione Italiana Lotta Distrofia Muscolare (UILDM), Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosaria Maria Galota
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory Unione Italiana Lotta Distrofia Muscolare (UILDM), Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Valerio Caputo
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory Unione Italiana Lotta Distrofia Muscolare (UILDM), Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Pagliaroli
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory Unione Italiana Lotta Distrofia Muscolare (UILDM), Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Carboni
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory Unione Italiana Lotta Distrofia Muscolare (UILDM), Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Zampatti
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory Unione Italiana Lotta Distrofia Muscolare (UILDM), Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Peconi
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory Unione Italiana Lotta Distrofia Muscolare (UILDM), Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Julia Mela
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory Unione Italiana Lotta Distrofia Muscolare (UILDM), Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Sancricca
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, UOC Neurofisiopatologia, Rome, Italy.,Unione Italiana Lotta Distrofia Muscolare (UILDM), Sezione Laziale, Rome, Italy
| | - Guido Primiano
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, UOC Neurofisiopatologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulietta Minozzi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Serenella Servidei
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, UOC Neurofisiopatologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Raffaella Cascella
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory Unione Italiana Lotta Distrofia Muscolare (UILDM), Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Catholic University Our Lady of Good Counsel, Tirana, Albania
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory Unione Italiana Lotta Distrofia Muscolare (UILDM), Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
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19
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Mancini V, Mastria G, Frantellizzi V, Troiani P, Zampatti S, Carboni S, Giardina E, Campopiano R, Gambardella S, Turchi F, Petolicchio B, Toscano M, Liberatore M, Viganò A, Di Piero V. Migrainous Infarction in a Patient With Sporadic Hemiplegic Migraine and Cystic Fibrosis: A 99mTc-HMPAO Brain SPECT Study. Headache 2019; 59:253-258. [DOI: 10.1111/head.13472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Mancini
- Department of Human Neurosciences; Sapienza University of Rome; Rome Italy
| | - Giulio Mastria
- Department of Human Neurosciences; Sapienza University of Rome; Rome Italy
| | - Viviana Frantellizzi
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomopathological Sciences; Sapienza University of Rome; Rome Italy
| | - Patrizia Troiani
- Department of Pediatrics; Sapienza University of Rome; Rome Italy
| | - Stefania Zampatti
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM; IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation; Rome Italy
- Molecular Genetics Center; IRCCS Neuromed; Pozzilli Italy
| | - Stefania Carboni
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM; IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation; Rome Italy
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory UILDM; IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation; Rome Italy
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention; University of Rome “Tor Vergata”; Rome Italy
| | | | | | - Federica Turchi
- Department of Human Neurosciences; Sapienza University of Rome; Rome Italy
| | | | | | - Mauro Liberatore
- Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomopathological Sciences; Sapienza University of Rome; Rome Italy
| | - Alessandro Viganò
- Department of Human Neurosciences; Sapienza University of Rome; Rome Italy
| | - Vittorio Di Piero
- Department of Human Neurosciences; Sapienza University of Rome; Rome Italy
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20
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Cascella R, Strafella C, Caputo V, Galota RM, Errichiello V, Scutifero M, Petillo R, Marella GL, Arcangeli M, Colantoni L, Zampatti S, Ricci E, Deidda G, Politano L, Giardina E. Digenic Inheritance of Shortened Repeat Units of the D4Z4 Region and a Loss-of-Function Variant in SMCHD1 in a Family With FSHD. Front Neurol 2018; 9:1027. [PMID: 30546343 PMCID: PMC6279899 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.01027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a neuromuscular disorder which is typically transmitted by an autosomal dominant pattern, although reduced penetrance and sporadic cases caused by de novo mutations, are often observed. FSHD may be caused by a contraction of a repetitive element, located on chromosome 4 (4q35). This locus is named D4Z4 and consists of 11 to more than 100 repeated units (RU). The D4Z4 is normally hypermethylated and the genes located on this locus are silenced. In case of FSHD, the D4Z4 region is characterized by 1–10 repeats and results in the region being hypomethylated. However, 5% of FSHD cases do not carry the short allele of D4Z4 region. To date, two forms of FSHD (FSHD1 and FSHD2) are known. FSHD2 is usually observed in patients without the D4Z4 fragment contraction and carrying variants in SMCHD1 (18p11.32) gene. We report the case of a young adult patient who shows severe symptoms of FSHD. Preliminary genetic analysis did not clarify the phenotype, therefore we decided to study the family members by genetic and epigenetic approaches. The analysis of D4Z4 fragment resulted to be 8 RU in the affected proband and in his father; 26 RU in the mother and 25 RU in the maternal uncle. SMCHD1 analysis revealed a heterozygous variation within the exon 41. The variant was detected in the proband, her mother and the uncle. Furthermore, epigenetic analysis of CpG6 methylation regions showed significant hypomethylation in the affected patient (54%) and in the mother (56%), in contrast to the father (88%) and the uncle (81%) carrying higher methylation levels. The analysis of DR1 methylation levels reported hypomethylation for the proband (19%), the mother (11%), and the uncle (16%). The father showed normal DR1 methylation levels (>30%). Given these results, the combined inheritance of SMCHD1 variant and the short fragment might explain the severe FSHD phenotype displayed by the proband. On this subject, SMCHD1 analysis should be promoted in a larger number of patients, even in presence of D4Z4 contractions, to facilitate the genotype-phenotype correlation as well as, to enable a more precise diagnosis and prognosis of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Cascella
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Chemical-Toxicological and Pharmacological Evaluation of Drugs, Catholic University Our Lady of Good Counsel, Tirana, Albania
| | - Claudia Strafella
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy.,Emotest Laboratory, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Valerio Caputo
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Valeria Errichiello
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Marianna Scutifero
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Cardiomyology and Medical Genetics, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Roberta Petillo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Cardiomyology and Medical Genetics, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Gian Luca Marella
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Arcangeli
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Colantoni
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Zampatti
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Enzo Ricci
- Institute of Neurology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Deidda
- Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, National Research Council of Italy, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
| | - Luisa Politano
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Cardiomyology and Medical Genetics, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biomedicine and Prevention Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
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Zampatti S, Mela J, Peconi C, Pagliaroli G, Carboni S, Barrano G, Zito I, Cascella R, Marella G, Milano F, Arcangeli M, Caltagirone C, Novelli A, Giardina E. Identification of Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy mosaic carriers through a combined DNA/RNA analysis. Prenat Diagn 2018; 38:1096-1102. [PMID: 30303263 DOI: 10.1002/pd.5369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD) carrier screening includes the evaluation of mutations in DMD gene, and the most widely used analysis is the multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) for the DMD deletions/duplications detection. The high frequency of de novo mutations permits to estimate a risk up to 20% of mosaicisms for mothers of sporadic DMD children. The purpose of this study is to evaluate alternative analytical strategy for the detection of mosaics carrier women, in order to improve the recurrence risk estimation. METHOD Different DNA and RNA analyses were conducted on samples from a woman that conceived a DMD fetus without previous family history of dystrophynopathy. RESULTS Standard MLPA analysis failed to identify mosaicism, even if MLPA doses suggested it. Electrophoresis and direct sequencing conducted on RNA permitted to detect two different amplicons of cDNAs, demonstrating the presence of somatic mosaicism. Subsequent detection of a second affected fetus confirmed the mosaic status on the mother. CONCLUSION The implementation of RNA analysis in diagnostic algorithm can increase the sensitivity of carrier test for mothers of sporadic affected patients, permitting detection of mosaic status. A revision of analytical guidelines is needed in order to improve the recurrence risk estimation and support prenatal genetic counseling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Zampatti
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Julia Mela
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Peconi
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Pagliaroli
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Carboni
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Barrano
- S. Pietro Fatebenefratelli Hospital, UOSD Medical Genetics, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Zito
- S. Pietro Fatebenefratelli Hospital, UOSD Medical Genetics, Rome, Italy
| | - Raffaella Cascella
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, School of Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome, Italy.,Department of Chemical-Toxicological and Pharmacological Evaluation of Drugs, Catholic University Our Lady of Good Counsel, Tirana, Albania
| | - Gianluca Marella
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Filippo Milano
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, School of Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Arcangeli
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Carlo Caltagirone
- Laboratory of Clinical and Behavioral Neurology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation
| | - Antonio Novelli
- S. Pietro Fatebenefratelli Hospital, UOSD Medical Genetics, Rome, Italy.,Medical Genetics Unit, Medical Genetics Laboratory, Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, School of Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome, Italy
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Strafella C, Caputo V, Galota MR, Zampatti S, Marella G, Mauriello S, Cascella R, Giardina E. Application of Precision Medicine in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Neurol 2018; 9:701. [PMID: 30190701 PMCID: PMC6115491 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the main challenges for healthcare systems is the increasing prevalence of neurodegenerative pathologies together with the rapidly aging populations. The enormous progresses made in the field of biomedical research and informatics have been crucial for improving the knowledge of how genes, epigenetic modifications, aging, nutrition, drugs and microbiome impact health and disease. In fact, the availability of high technology and computational facilities for large-scale analysis enabled a deeper investigation of neurodegenerative disorders, providing a more comprehensive overview of disease and encouraging the development of a precision medicine approach for these pathologies. On this subject, the creation of collaborative networks among medical centers, research institutes and highly qualified specialists can be decisive for moving the precision medicine from the bench to the bedside. To this purpose, the present review has been thought to discuss the main components which may be part of precise and personalized treatment programs applied to neurodegenerative disorders. Parkinson Disease will be taken as an example to understand how precision medicine approach can be clinically useful and provide substantial benefit to patients. In this perspective, the realization of web-based networks can be decisive for the implementation of precision medicine strategies across different specialized centers as well as for supporting clinical/therapeutical decisions and promoting a more preventive and participative medicine for neurodegenerative disorders. These collaborative networks are essentially addressed to find innovative, sustainable and effective strategies able to provide optimal and safer therapies, discriminate at risk individuals, identify patients at preclinical or early stage of disease, set-up individualized and preventative strategies for improving prognosis and patient's quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Strafella
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy.,Emotest Laboratory, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Valerio Caputo
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria R Galota
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Zampatti
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Raffaella Cascella
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Chemical-Toxicological and Pharmacological Evaluation of Drugs, Catholic University Our Lady of Good Counsel, Tirana, Albania
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy.,Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
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Ferese R, Scala S, Biagioni F, Giardina E, Zampatti S, Modugno N, Colonnese C, Storto M, Fornai F, Novelli G, Ruggieri S, Gambardella S. Heterozygous PLA2G6 Mutation Leads to Iron Accumulation Within Basal Ganglia and Parkinson's Disease. Front Neurol 2018; 9:536. [PMID: 30042723 PMCID: PMC6048271 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations of PLA2G6 gene are responsible for PARK14, an autosomal recessive L-DOPA responsive dystonia/parkinsonism with early/adult onset. This phenotype possesses an high clinical variability, which consists in the occurrence of cerebral and cerebellar atrophy, iron accumulation in the basal ganglia, and cognitive decline. This report describes a PD patient carrying an heterozygous PLA2G6 mutation, which was identified also in his PD affected sister. This patient is characterized by a L-DOPA responsive typical parkinsonian syndrome without the occurrence of dystonia, a slight cognitive decline, presence of iron accumulation both in neo and paleostriatum while cerebellar atrophy was absent. Clinical and imaging features are compatible with the PARK14 phenotype. Although PARK14 has been previously reported to be inherited as a recessive disorder, clinical and genetic analysis of this proband and his family rise the hypothesis that even heterozygous PLA2G6 mutations may cause PARK14. It remains to be analyzed whether these heterozygous variants may act as dominant mutations, or they merely increase the risk to develop PD by acting within a context of synergistic genetic and/or environmental backgrounds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Emiliano Giardina
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Zampatti
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Claudio Colonnese
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,DAI Neurology and Psichiatry, Department of Neuroradiology, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Fornai
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Novelli
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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Cascella R, Strafella C, Caputo V, Errichiello V, Zampatti S, Milano F, Potenza S, Mauriello S, Novelli G, Ricci F, Cusumano A, Giardina E. Towards the application of precision medicine in Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Prog Retin Eye Res 2017; 63:132-146. [PMID: 29197628 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2017.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The review essentially describes genetic and non-genetic variables contributing to the onset and progression of exudative Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) in Italian population. In particular, AMD susceptibility within Italian population is contributed to by genetic variants, accounting for 23% of disease and non-genetic variants, accounting for 10% of AMD. Our data highlighted prominent differences concerning genetic and non-genetic contributors to AMD in our cohort with respect to worldwide populations. Among genetic variables, SNPs of CFH, ARMS2, IL-8, TIMP3, SLC16A8, RAD51B, VEGFA and COL8A1 were significantly associated with the risk of AMD in the Italian cohort. Surprisingly, other susceptibility variants described in European, American and Asiatic populations, did not reach the significance threshold in our cohort. As expected, advanced age, smoking and dietary habits were associated with the disease. In addition, we also describe a number of gene-gene and gene-phenotype interactions. In fact, AMD-associated genes may be involved in the alteration of Bruch's membrane and induction of angiogenesis, contributing to exacerbate the damage caused by aging and environmental factors. Our review provides an overview of genetic and non-genetic factors characterizing AMD susceptibility in Italian population, outlining the differences with respect to the worldwide populations. Altogether, these data reflect historical, geographic, demographic and lifestyle peculiarities of Italian population. The role of epigenetics, pharmacogenetics, comorbities and genetic counseling in the management of AMD patients have been described, in the perspective of the application of a "population-specific precision medicine" approach addressed to prevent AMD onset and improve patients' quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Cascella
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Ardeatina 354, 00142, Rome, Italy; Department of Chemical Pharmaceutical and Biomolecular Technologies, Catholic University "Our Lady of Good Counsel" Laprakë, Rruga Dritan Hoxha, 1000, Tirane, Albania
| | - Claudia Strafella
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, ''Tor Vergata'' University, Via Montpellier 1, 00133, Rome, Italy; Emotest Laboratory, Via Patria Montenuovo Licola 60, 80078, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Valerio Caputo
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, ''Tor Vergata'' University, Via Montpellier 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Errichiello
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, ''Tor Vergata'' University, Via Montpellier 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Zampatti
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Ardeatina 354, 00142, Rome, Italy; Neuromed IRCCS, Via Atinense, 18, 86077, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Filippo Milano
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, ''Tor Vergata'' University, Via Montpellier 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Saverio Potenza
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, ''Tor Vergata'' University, Via Montpellier 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvestro Mauriello
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, ''Tor Vergata'' University, Via Montpellier 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Novelli
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, ''Tor Vergata'' University, Via Montpellier 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Federico Ricci
- UOSD Retinal Pathology PTV Foundation "Policlinico Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford, 81, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Cusumano
- UOSD Retinal Pathology PTV Foundation "Policlinico Tor Vergata", Viale Oxford, 81, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Ardeatina 354, 00142, Rome, Italy; Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, ''Tor Vergata'' University, Via Montpellier 1, 00133, Rome, Italy.
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25
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Ferese R, Scorzolini L, Campopiano R, Albano V, Griguoli AM, Giardina E, Scala S, Ryskalin L, D'Alessio C, Zampatti S, Fantozzi R, Storto M, Fornai F, Gambardella S. PCR-based approach for qualitative molecular analysis of six neurotropic pathogens. Acta Virol 2017; 61:273-279. [PMID: 28854791 DOI: 10.4149/av_2017_305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In the last few years, polymerase chain reaction analysis is frequently required to improve the detection of pathogen infections in central nervous system as a potential cause of neurological disorders and neuropsychiatric symptoms. The goal of this paper is to set up a fast, cheap and reliable molecular approach for qualitative detection of six neurotropic pathogens. A method based on PCR has been designed and implemented to guarantee the qualitative DNA detection of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSVI/II), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), rubella virus (RUBV) and Toxoplasma gondii in the cerebrospinal fluid, where otherwise they are barely detectable. Each PCR assay was tested using dilutions of positive controls, which demonstrated a sensitivity allowing to detect up to 102 copies/ml in PCR and 10 copies/ml in real-time PCR for each pathogen. Once been set up, the protocol was applied to evaluate the cerebrospinal fluid from 100 patients with suspected infectious diseases of the central nervous system and 50 patients without any infection. The method allowed to identify 17 positive cerebrospinal fluid with polymerase chain reaction and 22 with real-time PCR (RT-PCR), respectively. Therefore, application of RT PCR allows a fast and sensitive evaluation of neurotropic DNA pathogens in the course of diagnostic routine within neurological units.
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Ferese R, Zampatti S, Griguoli AMP, Fornai F, Giardina E, Barrano G, Albano V, Campopiano R, Scala S, Novelli G, Gambardella S. A New Splicing Mutation in the L1CAM Gene Responsible for X-Linked Hydrocephalus (HSAS). J Mol Neurosci 2016; 59:376-81. [DOI: 10.1007/s12031-016-0754-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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27
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Cascella R, Stocchi L, Strafella C, Mezzaroma I, Mannazzu M, Vullo V, Montella F, Parruti G, Borgiani P, Sangiuolo F, Novelli G, Pirazzoli A, Zampatti S, Giardina E. Comparative analysis between saliva and buccal swabs as source of DNA: lesson from HLA-B*57:01 testing. Pharmacogenomics 2015; 16:1039-46. [PMID: 26230858 DOI: 10.2217/pgs.15.59] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Our work aimed to designate the optimal DNA source for pharmacogenetic assays, such as the screening for HLA-B*57:01 allele. MATERIALS & METHODS A saliva and four buccal swab samples were taken from 104 patients. All the samples were stored at different time and temperature conditions and then genotyped for the HLA-B*57:01 allele by SSP-PCR and classical/capillary electrophoresis. RESULTS The genotyping analysis reported different performance rates depending on the storage conditions of the samples. Given our results, the buccal swab demonstrated to be more resistant and stable in time with respect to the saliva. CONCLUSION Our investigation designates the buccal swab as the optimal DNA source for pharmacogenetic assays in terms of resistance, low infectivity, low-invasiveness and easy sampling, and safe transport in centralized medical centers providing specialized pharmacogenetic tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Cascella
- Department of Biomedicine & Prevention, School of Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata,' Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Stocchi
- Department of Biomedicine & Prevention, School of Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata,' Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Strafella
- Department of Biomedicine & Prevention, School of Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata,' Rome, Italy
| | - Ivano Mezzaroma
- Department of Clinical Medicine, 'Sapienza' University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Vincenzo Vullo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, 'Sapienza' University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Montella
- Internal Medicine & Clinical Immunology Unit, 'San Giovanni' Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Giustino Parruti
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Pescara General Hospital, Pescara, Italy
| | - Paola Borgiani
- Department of Biomedicine & Prevention, School of Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata,' Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Sangiuolo
- Department of Biomedicine & Prevention, School of Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata,' Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Novelli
- Department of Biomedicine & Prevention, School of Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata,' Rome, Italy
| | | | - Stefania Zampatti
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Neuromed IRCCS, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Department of Biomedicine & Prevention, School of Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata,' Rome, Italy.,Molecular Genetics Laboratory UILDM, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
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Pietropolli A, Vicario R, Peconi C, Zampatti S, Quitadamo MC, Capogna MV, Ragazzo M, Nardone AM, Postorivo D, Spitalieri P, Sarta S, Ratto F, Novelli G, Sangiuolo F, Piccione E, Giardina E. Transabdominal coelocentesis as early source of fetal DNA for chromosomal and molecular diagnosis. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2014; 27:1656-60. [DOI: 10.3109/14767058.2013.871697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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29
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Zampatti S, Ricci F, Cusumano A, Marsella LT, Novelli G, Giardina E. Review of nutrient actions on age-related macular degeneration. Nutr Res 2013; 34:95-105. [PMID: 24461310 DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2013.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Revised: 10/11/2013] [Accepted: 10/28/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The actions of nutrients and related compounds on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are explained in this review. The findings from 80 studies published since 2003 on the association between diet and supplements in AMD were reviewed. Antioxidants and other nutrients with an effect on AMD susceptibility include carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin, β-carotene), vitamins (vitamin A, E, C, D, B), mineral supplements (zinc, copper, selenium), dietary fatty acids [monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA both omega-3 PUFA and omega-6 PUFA), saturated fatty acids and cholesterol], and dietary carbohydrates. The literature revealed that many of these antioxidants and nutrients exert a protective role by functioning synergistically. Specifically, the use of dietary supplements with targeted actions can provide minimal benefits on the onset or progression of AMD; however, this does not appear to be particularly beneficial in healthy people. Furthermore, some supplements or nutrients have demonstrated discordant effects on AMD in some studies. Since intake of dietary supplements, as well as exposure to damaging environmental factors, is largely dependent on population habits (including dietary practices) and geographical localization, an overall healthy diet appears to be the best strategy in reducing the risk of developing AMD. As of now, the precise mechanism of action of certain nutrients in AMD prevention remains unclear. Thus, future studies are required to examine the effects that nutrients have on AMD and to determine which factors are most strongly correlated with reducing the risk of AMD or preventing its progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Zampatti
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, School of Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Federico Ricci
- UOSD Patologia retinica Fondazione PTV "Policlinico Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Cusumano
- UOSD Patologia retinica Fondazione PTV "Policlinico Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi Tonino Marsella
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, School of Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Novelli
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, School of Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy; S. Pietro Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, School of Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy; Laboratorio di Genetica Molecolare UILDM, Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
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Bertoli M, Alesi V, Gullotta F, Zampatti S, Abate MR, Palmieri C, Novelli A, Frontali M, Nardone AM. Another patient with 12q13 microduplication. Am J Med Genet A 2013; 161A:2004-8. [PMID: 23824684 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.35991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2013] [Accepted: 04/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Interstitial duplication of the long arm of chromosome 12 is a rare cytogenetic condition. While several reports describe distal 12q duplication, only one case report of homogeneous, non-mosaic interstitial 12q13 duplication has been documented to date. The authors of that observation proposed that the associated phenotype represented a phenocopy of Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome [Dallapiccola et al., 2009]. Only a few other recorded patients with deletion 12q13 → 12q21 involved mosaicism. We describe a new patient with homogeneous 12q13 duplication in a 6-year-old girl who, in early infancy, presented with dysmorphic features suggesting Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. What is potentially significant about this patient is that her facial phenotype evolved with age, suggesting a different gestalt in older patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Bertoli
- S. Pietro Fatebenefratelli Hospital, UOSD Medical Genetics, Rome, Italy.
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31
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Ricci F, Staurenghi G, Lepre T, Missiroli F, Zampatti S, Cascella R, Borgiani P, Marsella LT, Eandi CM, Cusumano A, Novelli G, Giardina E. Haplotypes in IL-8 Gene Are Associated to Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Case-Control Study. PLoS One 2013; 8:e66978. [PMID: 23840568 PMCID: PMC3686762 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2012] [Accepted: 05/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the main cause of blindness in the developed world. The etiology of AMD is multifactorial due to the interaction between genetic and environmental factors. IL-8 has a role in inflammation and angiogenesis; we report the genetic characterization of IL-8 allele architecture and evaluate the role of SNPs or haplotypes in the susceptibility to wet AMD, case-control study. Methods Case-control study including 721 AMD patients and 660 controls becoming from Italian population. Genotyping was carried out by Real Time-PCR. Differences in the frequencies were estimated by the chi-square test. Direct sequencing was carried out by capillary electrophoresis trough ABI3130xl. Results rs2227306 showed a p–value of 4.15*10−5 and an Odds Ratio (OR) for T allele of 1.39 [1.19–1.62]. After these positive results, we sequenced the entire IL-8 regulatory and coding regions of 60 patients and 30 controls stratified for their genotype at rs2227306. We defined two different haplotypes involving rs4073 (A/T), rs2227306 (C/T), rs2227346 (C/T) and rs1126647 (A/T): A-T-T-T (p-value: 2.08*10−9; OR: 1.68 [1.43–1.97]) and T-C-C-A (p-value: 7.07*10−11; OR: 0.60 [0.51–0.70]). To further investigate a potential functional role of associated haplotypes, we performed an expression study on RNA extracted from whole blood of 75 donors to verify a possible direct correlation between haplotype and gene expression, failing to reveal significant differences. Conclusions These results suggest a possible secondary role of IL-8 gene in the development of the disease. This paper outlines the importance of association between inflammation and AMD. Moreover IL-8 is a new susceptibility genomic biomarker of AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Ricci
- UOSD Patologia retinica Fondazione PTV “Policlinico Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Staurenghi
- Eye Clinic, Department of Clinical Science “Luigi Sacco”, Sacco Hospital, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Tiziana Lepre
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Centre of Excellence for Genomic Risk Assessment in Multifactorial and Complex Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Filippo Missiroli
- UOSD Patologia retinica Fondazione PTV “Policlinico Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Zampatti
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Centre of Excellence for Genomic Risk Assessment in Multifactorial and Complex Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Raffaella Cascella
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Centre of Excellence for Genomic Risk Assessment in Multifactorial and Complex Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Borgiani
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Centre of Excellence for Genomic Risk Assessment in Multifactorial and Complex Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi Tonino Marsella
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Centre of Excellence for Genomic Risk Assessment in Multifactorial and Complex Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Maria Eandi
- Department of Clinical Physiopathology, Eye Clinic, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Andrea Cusumano
- UOSD Patologia retinica Fondazione PTV “Policlinico Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Novelli
- National Agency of Evaluation of Universities and Research (ANVUR), Rome, Italy
- S. Pietro Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Emiliano Giardina
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Centre of Excellence for Genomic Risk Assessment in Multifactorial and Complex Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail:
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32
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Stocchi L, Cascella R, Zampatti S, Pirazzoli A, Novelli G, Giardina E. The Pharmacogenomic HLA Biomarker Associated to Adverse Abacavir Reactions: Comparative Analysis of Different Genotyping Methods. Curr Genomics 2012. [PMID: 23204921 PMCID: PMC3394119 DOI: 10.2174/138920212800793311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Many pharmacogenomic biomarkers (PGBM) were identified and translated into clinical practice, affecting the usage of drugs via label updates. In this context, abacavir is one of the most brilliant examples of pharmacogenetic studies translated into clinical practice. Pharmacogenetic studies have revealed that abacavir HSRs are highly associated with the major histocompatibility complex class I. Large studies established the effectiveness of prospective HLA-B*57:01 screening to prevent HSRs to abacavir. Accordingly to these results the abacavir label has been modified: the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the FDA recommend/suggested that the administration of abacavir must be preceded by a specific genotyping test. The HLA locus is extremely polymorphic, exhibiting many closely related alleles, making it difficult to discriminate HLA-B*57:01 from other related alleles, and a number of different molecular techniques have been developed recently to detect the presence of HLA-B*57:01. In this review, we provide a summary of the available techniques used by laboratories to genotype HLA-B*57:01, outlining the scientific and pharmacoeconomics pros and cons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Stocchi
- Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, Centro di Eccellenza per lo Studio del Rischio Genomico in Patologie Complesse Multifattoriali, Roma, Italy
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33
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Zampatti S, Castori M, Fischer B, Ferrari P, Garavelli L, Dionisi-Vici C, Agolini E, Wischmeijer A, Morava E, Novelli G, Häberle J, Kornak U, Brancati F. De Barsy Syndrome: a genetically heterogeneous autosomal recessive cutis laxa syndrome related to P5CS and PYCR1 dysfunction. Am J Med Genet A 2012; 158A:927-31. [PMID: 22411858 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.35231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2011] [Accepted: 12/14/2011] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Zampatti
- Department of Biopathology and Diagnostic Imaging, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
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34
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Giardina E, Stocchi L, Foti Cuzzola V, Zampatti S, Gambardella S, Patrizi MP, Bramanti P, Pirazzoli A, Novelli G. A fluorescence-based sequence-specific primer PCR for the screening of HLA-B(*)57:01. Electrophoresis 2010; 31:3525-30. [PMID: 20925049 DOI: 10.1002/elps.201000283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Abacavir (ABC) is an antiretroviral drug highly effective in the treatment of HIV, but its intake can cause severe hypersensitivity reaction (HSR). A strong association between HLA-B(*)57:01 and ABC HSRs was reported by several studies, which demonstrated that HLA-B(*)57:01 screening had a 100% negative predictive value and that it could accurately identify patients at high risk of ABC HSRs. We propose a new sequence-specific primer PCR assay based on fluorescence detection through CE which is highly sensitive, allowing the use of non-infective sources of DNA such as saliva and buccal swabs, in addition to blood and reproducible, allowing automation of the analytical process. The results of our study were first compared with a standard sequence-specific primer PCR technique and reported a concordance of 100%, and then a blind external validation further confirmed the accuracy of our method.
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Ricci F, Zampatti S, D'Abbruzzi F, Missiroli F, Martone C, Lepre T, Pietrangeli I, Sinibaldi C, Peconi C, Novelli G, Giardina E. Typing of ARMS2 and CFH in age-related macular degeneration: case-control study and assessment of frequency in the Italian population. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 127:1368-72. [PMID: 19822855 DOI: 10.1001/archophthalmol.2009.237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To determine the effects of the polymorphisms CFH Tyr402His and ARMS2 del443ins54 on susceptibility to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and to find the frequencies of these single-nucleotide polymorphisms in an Italian population that was not examined clinically. METHODS A total of 286 control subjects (126 men and 160 women) and 159 white patients (73 men and 86 women) harboring exudative AMD in 1 eye were recruited. A third group of 182 DNA samples from blood donors of the same geographical areas were also typed to assess the frequency of CFH Tyr402His and ARMS2 del443ins54 polymorphisms in the general population. The data were analyzed statistically by a standard 2 x 2 table, Fisher exact tests, and odds ratios. RESULTS The deletion-insertion at chromosome 10q26 (del443ins54) showed the strongest association with AMD in terms of both P value and odds ratio (P = 2.7 x 10(-15); odds ratio = 3.25), and a highly significant association was also confirmed for Tyr402His at the CFH locus (P = 9.9 x 10(-13); odds ratio = 2.86). We found no differences in allele and genotype association between classic and occult choroidal neovascularization. We also observed that 39% of the samples in the general Italian population were at least 5.4 times more likely than control subjects to develop AMD. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first confirmation of the association of del443ins54 in Italian patients with AMD, and we also confirmed the association of Tyr402His with CFH. Genetic analysis of the general population suggested that analysis of the ARMS2 and CFH risk alleles alone may be helpful in differentiating high-risk individuals (odds ratio > 5.00) from low-risk individuals (odds ratio < 0.45). CLINICAL RELEVANCE Individuals at high risk for developing AMD could be identified and selected for specific prevention programs. In this context, the development of prevention programs based on dietary antioxidants or on close monitoring of at-risk individuals should be considered or suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Ricci
- Unità Operative Semplici Dipartimentali Patologia Retinica Fondazione PTV Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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Giardina E, Pietrangeli I, Martone C, Zampatti S, Marsala P, Gabriele L, Ricci O, Solla G, Asili P, Arcudi G, Spinella A, Novelli G. Whole genome amplification and real-time PCR in forensic casework. BMC Genomics 2009; 10:159. [PMID: 19366436 PMCID: PMC2675535 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-10-159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2008] [Accepted: 04/14/2009] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background WGA (Whole Genome Amplification) in forensic genetics can eliminate the technical limitations arising from low amounts of genomic DNA (gDNA). However, it has not been used to date because any amplification bias generated may complicate the interpretation of results. Our aim in this paper was to assess the applicability of MDA to forensic SNP genotyping by performing a comparative analysis of genomic and amplified DNA samples. A 26-SNPs TaqMan panel specifically designed for low copy number (LCN) and/or severely degraded genomic DNA was typed on 100 genomic as well as amplified DNA samples. Results Aliquots containing 1, 0.1 and 0.01 ng each of 100 DNA samples were typed for a 26-SNPs panel. Similar aliquots of the same DNA samples underwent multiple displacement amplification (MDA) before being typed for the same panel. Genomic DNA samples showed 0% PCR failure rate for all three dilutions, whilst the PCR failure rate of the amplified DNA samples was 0% for the 1 ng and 0.1 ng dilutions and 0.077% for the 0.01 ng dilution. The genotyping results of both the amplified and genomic DNA samples were also compared with reference genotypes of the same samples obtained by direct sequencing. The genomic DNA samples showed genotype concordance rates of 100% for all three dilutions while the concordance rates of the amplified DNA samples were 100% for the 1 ng and 0.1 ng dilutions and 99.923% for the 0.01 ng dilution. Moreover, ten artificially-degraded DNA samples, which gave no results when analyzed by current forensic methods, were also amplified by MDA and genotyped with 100% concordance. Conclusion We investigated the suitability of MDA material for forensic SNP typing. Comparative analysis of amplified and genomic DNA samples showed that a large number of SNPs could be accurately typed starting from just 0.01 ng of template. We found that the MDA genotyping call and accuracy rates were only slightly lower than those for genomic DNA. Indeed, when 10 pg of input DNA was used in MDA, we obtained 99.923% concordance, indicating a genotyping error rate of 1/1299 (7.7 × 10-4). This is quite similar to the genotyping error rate of STRs used in current forensic analysis. Such efficiency and accuracy of SNP typing of amplified DNA suggest that MDA can also generate large amounts of genome-equivalent DNA from a minimal amount of input DNA. These results show for the first time that MDA material is suitable for SNP-based forensic protocols and in general when samples fail to give interpretable STR results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Giardina
- Centre of Excellence for Genomic Risk Assessment in Multifactorial and Complex Diseases, School of Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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