The tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 (PTPN11) regulates cellular proliferation, survival, migration, and differentiation during development. Germline mutations in PTPN11 cause Noonan and LEOPARD syndromes, which have overlapping clinical features. Paradoxically, Noonan syndrome mutations increase SHP2 phosphatase activity, while LEOPARD syndrome mutants are catalytically impaired, raising the possibility that SHP2 has phosphatase-independent ...

Tourette's syndrome is a common developmental neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by chronic motor and vocal tics. Despite a strong genetic contribution, inheritance is complex, and risk alleles have proven difficult to identify. Here, we describe an analysis of linkage in a two-generation pedigree leading to the identification of a rare functional ...

Mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome has become an important cause of inherited metabolic disorders, especially in children, but also in adults. The manifestations vary from tissue-specific mtDNA depletion to wide-spread multisystemic disorders. Nine genes are known to underlie this group of disorders, and many disease genes are still unidentified. However, the ...

Noonan syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by short stature, typical craniofacial features, and congenital heart defects. The underlying genetic defects were not clear until 2001. This report is the first to describe a molecular analysis and associated clinical features of a Turkish mother and son, who were clinically ...

Cowden's syndrome (CS) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by multiple hamartomas and an increased risk of breast, thyroid and endometrial carcinomas. Mutations of tumor suppressor gene PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog) on chromosome 10p23.2, which encodes a lipid phosphatase mediating cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, were first described ...

Three brothers, born to parents who were first cousins, were referred for progressive diffuse dystonia. Initial physical examinations revealed minor dysmorphic features, e.g., bifrontal narrowing, downslanting palpebral fissures, low-set ears, upturned nostrils, and microretrognathia, as well as neurodevelopmental delay. Absence of eye contact and head control, diffuse dystonia, hypokinesia, choreoathetosis, ...

Saethre-Chotzen syndrome (acrocephalosyndactyly type III) is a craniosynostosis syndrome inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Although similar to the other craniosynostosis syndromes in its clinical presentation, this syndrome is caused by a mutation in the TWIST1 gene. The TWIST1 gene product is a transcription factor containing a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) ...

Papillon-Lefevre syndrome and Haim Munk syndrome are palmoplantar keratodermas associated with premature periodontal destruction. The additional findings of Haim Munk Syndrome include onychogryphosis, arachnodactyly, acral osteolysis and pes planus. Both are associated with mutations in the lysosomal protease cathepsin C. We describe a patient with phenotype for Haim Munk Syndrome ...

Prolongation of the I-V interpeak latency intervals have been reported in Rett syndrome and other neurodevelopmental disorders. It has been suggested that the use of sedation may account for differences in the interpeak latency intervals when comparisons are made across diagnostic groups if sedated control groups are not used for ...

Perry syndrome is a rare form of autosomal dominant Parkinsonism with respiratory failure recently defined as being due to mutations in the DCTN1 gene. We describe a new family carrying a G71R mutation in the DCTN1 gene. The proband displayed a series of distinctive features not previously described in Perry ...

An isolated pericardial effusion was observed during a routine prenatal ultrasound in a fetus of 30 and 3/7 weeks gestation. Amniocentesis was performed and revealed a trisomy 21. After prenatal counseling, the parents opted for termination of the pregnancy at 32 weeks. Postmortem examination confirmed the presence of a pericardial ...

Frasier syndrome is characterized by progressive glomerulopathy that is unresponsive to corticosteroids, male pseudohermaphroditism, and an increased risk of genitourinary tumors. Of 21 girls with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome secondary to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) who were screened for mutations in the WT1 gene, two showed Frasier syndrome. Both patients had ...

Glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome (GLUT1DS) is increasingly recognized as a cause of various neurological disorders but a high index of suspicion is important to make the diagnosis. We report two Chinese patients with GLUT1DS, one of which had a novel mutation in the SLC2A1 gene.

TP63 plays an essential role in the development of epidermis and skin appendages. Mutations in TP63 can give rise to a series of syndromes characterized by various combinations of ectodermal dysplasia, limb malformations, and orofacial clefting in many populations. To test whether TP63 is the disease-causative gene for these phenotypes ...

Keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness (KID) syndrome is an autosomal dominant congenital ectodermal defect characterized by the association of skin lesions, hearing loss and keratitis. Most of the cases appear to be sporadic. KID syndrome is mostly related to mutations of GJB2 gene encoding connexin-26. Recently, a lethal form of the disease during the ...

Heritable germline epimutations in MSH2 have been reported in a few Lynch syndrome families that lacked germline mutations in the MSH2 gene. It is not known whether somatic MSH2 methylation occurs in MSH2 mutation-positive Lynch syndrome subjects or sporadic colorectal cancers (CRC). Therefore, we determined the methylation status of the ...

Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetases (PRSs) catalyze the first step of nucleotide synthesis. Nucleotides are central to cell function, being the building blocks of nucleic acids and serving as cofactors in cellular signaling and metabolism. With this in mind, it is remarkable that mutations in phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase 1 (PRPS1), which is the most ...

In humans, heterozygous mutations in the adenosine triphosphate-dependent chromatin remodeling gene CHD7 cause CHARGE syndrome, a common cause of deaf-blindness, balance disorders, congenital heart malformations, and olfactory dysfunction with an estimated incidence of approximately 1 in 10,000 newborns. The clinical features of CHARGE in humans and mice are highly variable ...

Congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadisms (CHH) are a well-known cause of pubertal development failure in women. In a majority of patients, the clinical spectrum results from an insufficient and concomitant secretion of both pituitary gonadotropins LH and FSH that impedes a normal endocrine and exocrine cyclical ovary functioning after the age of ...

The McCune-Albright syndrome is characterized by cafe-au-lait spots, precocious puberty, and fibrous dysplasia. It is due to mutations in the gene encoding the GS protein alpha subunit coupling 7-transmembrane-domain receptors to adenylate cyclase, leading to constitutive adenylate cyclase activation and cAMP overproduction. Endocrinologists and gynecologists are confronted with new issues ...

Waardenburg syndrome (WS) is characterized by the association of pigmentation abnormalities, including depigmented patches of the skin and hair, vivid blue eyes or heterochromia irides, and sensorineural hearing loss. However, other features such as dystopia canthorum, musculoskeletal abnormalities of the limbs, Hirschsprung disease, or neurological defects are found in subsets ...

Cerebro-costo-mandibular syndrome (CCMS) is an uncommon multiple congenital anomaly syndrome characterized by severe micrognathia, posterior rib-gap defects, and developmental delay. The cause of CCMS is unknown. Genes hypothesized to have a causal role in CCMS, include myogenic factor 5 (MYF5), goosecoid homeobox (GSC) and runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) [formerly ...

Tbx1 is a member of the Tbox family of binding domain transcription factors. TBX1 maps within the region of 22q11 deleted in humans with DiGeorge or velocardiofacial syndrome. Mice haploinsufficient for Tbx1 have phenotypes that recapitulate major features of the syndrome, notably abnormal growth and remodelling of the pharyngeal arch ...

Mutations in the X-linked MECP2 gene are the primary cause of the severe autism spectrum disorder RTT (Rett syndrome). Deletion of Mecp2 in mice recapitulates many of the overt neurological features seen in humans, and the delayed onset of symptoms is accompanied by deficits in neuronal morphology and synaptic physiology. ...

Clinically apparent jaundice is unusual in patients with beta-thalassemia major. Co-inheritance of Gilbert syndrome has been reported to cause hyperbilirubinemia in these subjects. Crigler-Najjar syndrome is another rare disorder of bilirubin metabolism caused by mutation in the gene coding the enzyme UGT1A1. We report a patient of beta-thalassemia major who ...

We sought to explore the genetic and molecular causes of Troyer syndrome, one of several complicated hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs). Troyer syndrome had been thought to be restricted to the Amish; however, we identified 2 Omani families with HSP, short stature, dysarthria and developmental delay-core features of Troyer syndrome-and a ...

The risk for parathyroid carcinoma is high in those with the HPT-JT syndrome. Parafibromin is a protein derived from HRPT2 gene and its inactivation has been coupled to familial form of parathyroid malignancy. We previously identified altered transcripts resulting from splice site mutation of the HRPT2 gene in a family ...

The autoimmune polyglandular syndromes-a group of syndromes comprising a combination of endocrine and nonendocrine autoimmune diseases-differ in their component diseases and in the immunologic features of their pathogenesis. One of the three main syndromes, type 1 autoimmune polyglandular syndrome (APS-1), has a unique pathogenic mechanism owing to mutations in the ...

KID syndrome (MIM 148210) is an ectodermal dysplasia characterized by the occurrence of localized erythematous scaly skin lesions, keratitis and severe bilateral sensorineural deafness. KID syndrome is inherited as an autosomic dominant disease, due to mutations in the gene encoding gap junction protein GJB2 (connexin 26, Cx26). Cx26 is a ...

Pendred syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by sensorineural deafness, goiter and a partial defect in iodide organification. Goiter development and hypothyroidism vary and appear to depend on nutritional iodide intake. Pendred syndrome is caused by biallelic mutations in the SLC26A4 gene, which encodes pendrin, a multifunctional anion exchanger. ...

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: A homozygous loss-of-function mutation in the gene RBM28 was recently reported to underlie alopecia, neurological defects, and endocrinopathy (ANE) syndrome. The aim of the present study was to characterize the endocrine phenotype of ANE syndrome and to delineate its pathogenesis. METHODS: Detailed neuroendocrine assessment was performed in ...

The autosomic dominant KID Syndrome (MIM 148210), due to mutations in GJB2 (connexin 26, Cx26), is an ectodermal dysplasia with erythematous scaly skin lesions, keratitis and severe bilateral sensorineural deafness. The Cx26 protein is a component of gap junction channels in epithelia, including the cochlea, which coordinates the exchange of ...

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II transactivator (MHC2TA) is known as a master regulator for expression of MHC class II molecules. In the present study, we investigated the influence on the risk for sarcoidosis of two variants of the MHC2TA gene, selected from previous association studies of inflammatory diseases. ...

Congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH) results from abnormal gonadotropin secretion, and it is characterized by impaired pubertal development. CHH is caused by defective GNRH release, or by a gonadotrope cell dysfunction in the pituitary. Identification of genetic abnormalities related to CHH has provided major insights into the pathways critical for the ...

Angelman Syndrome is a debilitating neurological disorder caused by mutation of the E3 ubiquitin ligase Ube3A, a gene whose mutation has also recently been associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The function of Ube3A during nervous system development and how Ube3A mutations give rise to cognitive impairment in individuals with ...

Angelman syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the maternally inherited UBE3A gene, which encodes a ubiquitin ligase. Greer et al. (2010) now identify a UBE3A substrate called Arc that promotes endocytosis of neuronal AMPA receptors, providing insight into synaptic defects that may underlie the cognitive deficits in ...

Proliferative vasculopathy and hydranencephaly-hydrocephaly syndrome (PVHH), also known as Fowler syndrome, is an autosomal-recessively inherited prenatal lethal disorder characterized by hydranencephaly; brain stem, basal ganglia, and spinal cord diffuse clastic ischemic lesions with calcifications; glomeruloid vasculopathy of the central nervous system and retinal vessels; and a fetal akinesia deformation sequence ...

Investigating the relationship between genes and the neural substrates of complex human behavior promises to provide essential insight into the pathophysiology of mental disorders. One approach to this inquiry is through neuroimaging of individuals with microdeletion syndromes that manifest in specific neuropsychiatric phenotypes. Both Velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS) and Williams syndrome ...

TAZ (G4.5) was initially identified as the gene associated with Barth syndrome and left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC). The purpose of this study was to investigate patients with LVNC for disease-causing mutations in TAZ. In 124 Japanese patients, including 50 families, mutation analysis of TAZ was performed using DNA sequencing. A ...

OBJECTIVE: To delineate the genetic and phenotypic features of Carney complex in a family with multiple cases of primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD). METHODS: Detailed clinical, laboratory, genetic, radiologic, and pathologic findings are presented, and the pertinent literature is reviewed. RESULTS: A 17-year-old girl presented with symptoms and physical ...

Cold-induced sweating syndrome (CISS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in CRLF1 (cytokine receptor-like factor 1), characterized by profuse sweating in cold environmental temperature and craniofacial and skeletal features. Mutations in CRLF1 also cause Crisponi syndrome (CS), characterized by neonatal-onset paroxysmal muscular contractions as well as craniofacial ...

Ribosomopathies compose a collection of disorders in which genetic abnormalities cause impaired ribosome biogenesis and function, resulting in specific clinical phenotypes. Congenital mutations in RPS19 and other genes encoding ribosomal proteins cause Diamond-Blackfan anemia, a disorder characterized by hypoplastic, macrocytic anemia. Mutations in other genes required for normal ribosome biogenesis ...

Mowat-Wilson syndrome (MWS) is a recently delineated mental retardation; a multiple congenital anomaly syndrome characterised by a typical facial gestalt, Hirschsprung disease or severe constipation, genitourinary anomaly, congenital heart defects, agenesis of corpus callosum and eye defects. Some cases also present with epilepsy, growth retardation with microcephaly and speech impairment. ...

Apert syndrome (AS) is one of at least nine disorders considered members of the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) -1, -2, and -3-related craniosynostosis syndromes. Nearly 100% of individuals diagnosed with AS carry one of two neighboring mutations on Fgfr2. The cranial phenotype associated with these two mutations includes coronal ...

The Wilms' tumor suppressor gene 1 (WT1) encodes a transcription factor involved in kidney and gonadal development. WT1 is also a key regulator of podocyte functions and mutations have been found in a small percentage of children with isolated or syndromal steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome. It is commonly assumed that the ...

We report on a 33-year-old female patient with a relatively mild clinical case of TNF-receptor associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS) and her 58-year-old father in whom end-stage renal disease due to TRAPS-related AA-amyloidosis has already developed. TRAPS was caused by a I170N mutation that has previously not been associated with amyloidosis. ...

Wolfram syndrome is an autosomal-recessive disorder characterized by insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, caused by nonautoimmune loss of beta cells, and neurological dysfunctions. We have previously shown that mutations in the Wolfram syndrome 1 (WFS1) gene cause Wolfram syndrome and that WFS1 has a protective function against ER stress. However, it remained ...

The 3q21q26 syndrome is recognized as a distinct clinicopathologic entity. Patients have a myeloid neoplasm associated with 3q21q26 cytogenetic abnormalities and present with anemia, leukopenia, and either thrombocytosis or a normal platelet count associated with dysplasia. To determine if JAK2 V617F mutation is implicated in the abnormal thrombopoiesis of the ...

We report herein a case of Brachmann-de Lange syndrome complicated with congenital diaphragmatic hernia in which a NIPBL gene mutation was identified. A female infant born at 37 weeks of gestation died 134 min after delivery, even though endotracheal intubation and resuscitation were performed immediately after the scheduled caesarean operation. ...

Cilia dysfunction contributes to renal cyst formation in multiple human syndromes including nephronophthisis (NPHP), Meckel-Gruber syndrome (MKS), Joubert syndrome (JBTS), and Bardet-Beidl syndrome (BBS). Although genetically heterogeneous, these diseases share several loci that affect cilia and/or basal body proteins, but the functions and interactions of these gene products are incompletely ...