[Rapid diagnosis of the most common fetal aneuploidies with the QF-PCR method--a study of 100 cases]. / Szybka diagnostyka najczestszych aneuploidii u plodu meaoda QF-PCR--analiza 100 przypadków.

UNLABELLED: The aim of the study was to assess whether commercial kit QF-PCR can be used as the only method for rapic prenatal dia gnosis of chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X and Y aneuploidies, omitting cell culture and complete cyt6genetik analysis of fetal chromosomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: DNA from amniocytes (94 cases) and trophoblast cells (6 cases) was analyzed witt QF-PCR according to the manufacturer's protocol. The obtained products were separated using ABI 310 Genetic Analyzer and the resulting data were analyzed using GeneMarker software. RESULTS: The results of QF-PCR were obtained in 95 out of 100 cases (95%). Abnormalities were found in 28 casea (29.5%). All these results were confirmed in subsequent cytogenetic analysis. Normal results were obtained in 62 patients (70.5%). However in that group, we found three chromosomal aberrations other than those analyzed b3 QF-PCR. Additionally two abnormal and three normal karyotypes were found in patients with inconclusive QF-POF results. CONCLUSIONS: QF-PCR is a fast and reliable tool for chromosomal aneuploidy analysis and can be used as the only method without a full analysis of the karyotype, but only in cases of suspected fetal 13, 18, 21 trisomy or numerica aberrations of X chromosome. In other cases, fetal karyotype analysis from cells obtained after cell culture should be offered to the patient.

Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms in relation to the risk of colorectal cancer in the Polish population.

The protective effect of vitamin D against several cancers including colorectal cancer is modulated by the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and its ligand, the active form of vitamin D. VDR response has been found to play a role in various genes encoding proteins involved in crucial cellular pathways. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the VDR gene that modulate its activity are located in the promoter region, exons 2-9, and their vicinity and also in the 3'UTR region. Some of them have been previously studied in relation to cancer susceptibility and prognosis. The aim of our study was to investigate four polymorphisms, BsmI, ApaI, TaqI, and FokI, of the VDR gene in Polish patients with sporadic colorectal cancer and to evaluate their association with susceptibility to cancer. We found a significant association between the BsmI genotype and cancer (individuals with the bb genotype are more susceptible to cancer compared to those with other genotypes, p = 0.025, Fisher's exact test for 2 × 2 table). Also, the TT genotype at TaqI and the AA genotype at ApaI are correlated with a higher risk of cancer (p = 0.00071 and p = 1.0 × 10(-5), respectively). We found relatively strong linkage disequilibrium between the TaqI and ApaI loci (T with A and t with a, respectively). Both of these loci are associated with cancer. We do not observe any such association for the FokI polymorphism. In conclusion, a small modification in VDR expression may play a role in such a multipathway process as tumorigenesis.

[The analysis of CFTR mutations in men with azoospermia, oligozoospermia and asthenozoospermia]. / Analiza mutacji genu CFTR u pacjentów z azoospermiq, oligozoospermiq i astenozoospermia.

UNLABELLED: Mutations in cystic fibrosis transductance regulator gene (CFTR) are known to result in some forms of male infertility. An association between CFTR gene mutations and obstructive azoospermia in cystic fibrosis (CF) and in congenital unilateral and bilateral absence of vas deferens (CUAVD, CBAVD) has been proven. However, the role of CFTR gene mutations in the etiology of non-obstructive azoospermia, as well as in the regulation of spermatogenesis remains unsolved. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the frequency of CFTR mutations in patients diagnosed with different forms of spermatogenesis impairment MATERIAL: The molecular analyses were performed in the group of 93 infertile men, diagnosed with either azoospermia, oligospermia or asthenoteratozoospermia. RESULTS: The results of the study revealed the presence of F508del and IVS8-T in 5.4% of analyzed cases. No difference in CFTR gene mutations frequencies among patients with azoospermia, oligospermia and asthenoteratozoospermia has been observed. CONCLUSION: The CFTR gene mutations frequency in men with nonobstructive azoospermia, oligozoospermia and asthenozoospermia is similar to those observed in general population.

[Rapid-FISH--fast and reliable method of detecting common numerical chromosomal aberrations in prenatal diagnosis]. / Rapid-FISH jako szybka metoda wykrywania najczestszych liczbowych aberracji chromosomowych w diagnostyce prenatalnej u kobiet z grupy wysokiego ryzyka.

OBJECTIVE: In recent years, new possibilities of prenatal diagnosis have opened up, due to the development of techniques which guarantee shorter time of obtaining results. One of those methods, called Rapid-FISH (rapid fluorescence in situ hybridization), for detecting numerical aberrations of chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X and Y without culturing, enables to have the results in 2-5 days. The time necessary to obtain fetal karyotype result with the usage of the classical cytogenetic methods is about 2-3 weeks and depends mainly on the culture growth rate. DESIGN: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Rapid-FISH technique in detecting numerical chromosome aberrations of 13, 21, 18, X and Y in amniocytes' nuclei from amniotic fluid. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rapid-FISH and cytogenetic analysis has been performed for 161 pregnancies in the Department of Genetics at Wroclaw Medical University during years 2005 and 2006. The FISH was performed using AneuVysion kit (Vysis), according to a standard protocol. RESULTS: All normal and abnormal results were confirmed by classical cytogenetic method (GTG banding and karyotyping). Additional chromosomal aberrations, not possible to be detected in FISH, were observed in case of two patients with normal results from FISH analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Rapid-FISH is a reliable and fast method for detecting numerical chromosomal aberrations in prenatal diagnosis and should be implemented as a routine diagnostic procedure in pregnancies with high risk of fetal aneuploidy (of chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X i Y).

Cri du chat syndrome determined by the 5p15.3-->pter deletion--diagnostic problems.

A cytogenetic analysis was performed on an 8-day-old girl, who was suspected of Cri du chat syndrome (CdCS) on the basis of a cat-like cry, despite her dysmorphic features not being characteristic of this syndrome. The cytogenetic analysis revealed a partial deletion of the short arm of chromosome 5, but did not allow precise specification of the break points. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis, using the specific probe for CdCS, revealed two signals in all the cells analyzed. However, one of two signals was less intense than the other. Thus, telomere probes were applied for all chromosomes. Two signals from 5q and one signal from 5p were observed. The results allowed us to establish the location of the deleted fragment as 5p15.3-->5pter [46,XX,del(5)(p15.3)]. The analysis of a genotype-phenotype correlation confirmed that the cat-like cry, but not the characteristic dysmorphic features of CdCS are correlated with the deletion of 5p15.3.

Opposite responses in two DNA repair capacity tests in lymphocytes of head and neck cancer patients.

Genomic instability has long been recognized as the main feature of neoplasia and a factor modulating individual cancer susceptibility. There are attempts to find effective assays of both individual DNA repair capacity and genetic instability, and their relation to the cancer risk. Genetic predisposition plays an important role in the etiology and development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The aim of our study was to search for a correlation between chromosomal instability and DNA repair capacity in HNSCC patients and healthy controls. The chromosomal instability was measured by the number of bleomycin (BLM)-induced chromosomal aberrations and diepoxybutane (DEB)-induced sister chromatid exchanges. The DNA repair capacity was assessed using the DEB-induced adaptive response (AR). The HNSCC patients in our study showed a significant increase in chromosomal instability after a preterminal exposure of their lymphocytes to either BLM for the last 5 h or DEB for the last 24 h of incubation. However, the AR was higher in HNSCC patients than in the control group, suggesting an increase in the DNA repair capacity in the cancer patients as compared to the control. There is no correlation between the DNA repair capacity estimated on the basis of preterminal exposures to BLM and DEB and the DNA repair capacity estimated on the basis of the adaptive response to DEB. The preterminal exposure and the adaptive response test may activate different DNA repair mechanisms.

Irrelevance of CHEK2 variants to diagnosis of breast/ovarian cancer predisposition in Polish cohort.

CHEK2 gen encodes cell cycle checkpoint kinase 2 that participates in the DNA repair pathway, cell cycle regulation and apoptosis. Mutations in CHEK2 gene may result in kinase inactivation or reduce both catalytic activity and capability of binding other proteins. Some studies indicate that alterations in CHEK2 gene confers increase the risk of breast cancer and some other malignancies, while the results of other studies are inconclusive. Thus the significance of CHEK2 mutations in aetiology of breast cancer is still debatable. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between the breast/ovarian cancer and CHEK2 variants by: i) the analysis of the frequency of selected CHEK2 variants in breast and ovarian cancer patients compared to the controls; ii) evaluation of relationships between the certain CHEK2 variants and clinico-histopathological and pedigree data. The study was performed on 284 breast cancer patients, 113 ovarian cancer patients and 287 healthy women. We revealed the presence of 430T > C, del5395 and IVS2 + 1G > A variants but not 1100delC in individuals from both study and control groups. We did not observe significant differences between cancer patients and controls neither in regard to the frequency nor to the type of CHEK2 variants. We discussed the potential application of CHEK2 variants in the evaluation of breast and ovarian cancer predisposition.

Recombinant chromosome 4 resulting from a maternal pericentric inversion in two sisters presenting consistent dysmorphic features.

The chromosome 4 inversion with breakpoints p13-p15q35 results in a recombinant 4 [rec(4)] chromosome with a partial 4p duplication/4q deletion in approximately 80% of the carriers' offspring. However, whether the recombinant 4p syndrome can be recognized as a clinical entity is still open to controversy. We report on two sisters diagnosed with rec(4) resulting in a partial 4p trisomy/4q deletion that was inherited from their mother, who is a carrier of inv(4)(p14q35). Both probands presented phenotypes consistent with those observed in other children with rec(4)parental, supporting the proposal that the rec(4)parental syndrome is a distinct entity among dup(4p) cases and may be suspected on the basis of the pattern of clinical symptoms. To the best of our knowledge this is only the second report of family with two probands affected with a recombinant chromosome 4 arising from a parental pericentric inversion.