The locus for Meckel syndrome with multiple congenital anomalies maps to chromosome 17q21-q24.

Autosomal recessive Meckel syndrome (OMIM 249000) (MES), first described in 1822 by Johann F. Meckel, is a major monogenic malformation syndrome with a neural tube defect leading to death of the fetus in utero or shortly after birth. The hallmarks of the syndrome are occipital meningoencephalocele, very large kidneys with multicystic dysplasia, cystic and fibrotic changes of the liver and polydactyly (Fig. 1). Other typical malformations for MES are cleft lip and palate, urinary tract anomalies, ambiguous genitals in the males and club feet. Although MES has been reported worldwide, reports on the true birth prevalence of MES in different populations are scarce. In Finland MES is effectively screened and relatively frequent with a birth prevalence of 1:9,000 and a disease gene frequency of 0.01 (ref.4) which is of the same order of magnitude as that of the most common recessive diseases belonging to the 'Finnish disease heritage', that is genetic disorders enriched or only encountered in Finland. However, in MES, comparable or even higher incidences are also reported from other populations. Here, we report the assignment of the MES locus to chromosome 17q21-q24 in the 13 cM region, and exclude some of the potential candidate genes located in this critical chromosomal region.

Overall survival after stereotactic radiotherapy or surgical metastasectomy in oligometastatic renal cell carcinoma patients treated at two Swedish centres 2005-2014.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Investigate effects of stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) or surgical metastasectomy (SM) on overall survival (OS) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) in the era of targeted agents (TA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: mRCC patients (n = 117) treated with SRT (n = 57), SM (n = 30) or both modalities sequentially (n = 30) at two oncological centres in Sweden in 2005-2014 were retrospectively included. Median follow-up (mFU) was 63 months. RESULTS: A majority had clear cell histology, 1-3 metastases, and ECOG performance status of 0 or 1. Two thirds had intermediate or poor risk and 44% synchronous metastases. 65% received TA. SRT patients were more likely to have adverse risk profiles. Median OS was 51 months without significant differences between SRT and SM. ECOG 1 vs 0 (HR 2.9; CI 1.6-5.2; p < 0.001), intracranial targets (HR 1.8; CI 1.1-3.2; p = 0.03) and watchful waiting >18 months prior to treatment (HR 0.3; CI 0.2-0.6; p = 0.001) were independently associated with OS. 15% of curatively treated patients (n = 60) were relapse-free with mFU of 87 months. CONCLUSIONS: OS after SRT was comparable to SM and longer than expected considering patients with adverse risk profiles were common. Fit patients with non-brain metastases treated after an initial period of watchful waiting had the best prognosis.

Genetic analysis in Finnish families with inflammatory bowel disease supports linkage to chromosome 3p21.

In inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), certain chromosomal candidate loci have been repeatedly identified by independent studies in different populations. To investigate the contribution of the loci on chromosomes 1, 3, 7, 12, 14, and 16 to the susceptibility of IBD in Finnish population, where the predominant feature is the excess of ulcerative colitis (UC) families compared to Crohn's disease (CD) families, we carried out linkage analyses using 93 Finnish, multiply-affected IBD families. We observed nominal evidence for linkage to chromosome 3p21, consistent with earlier reports. The lod scores peaked at D3S2432, with a maximum two-point lod score of 1.68 (P=0.0027). In addition, we studied whether risk of IBD is associated with functional variants of two positional candidate genes; the chemokine receptor CCR5 gene on chromosome 3p21 and the interleukin-4 receptor alpha-subunit gene (IL4RA) on chromosome 16. We did not find any significant correlation between a 32-bp deletion variant of CCR5 or a single nucleotide change A1902G (Gln576Arg) of IL4RA, and IBD phenotypes, with the exception that in the UC group homozygosity for the G1902 allele of IL4RA was less frequent (0.019 vs 0.049, P=0.038). In conclusion, our study, carried out in a genetically homogenous population, suggests that chromosome 3 may contain a susceptibility gene for IBD.

Exclusion of the p75 neurotrophin receptor gene as a candidate gene for Meckel syndrome.

Nerve growth factor receptor p75 (NGFR) gene was investigated as a potential candidate gene in Meckel syndrome (MKS) because of its important role in embryonic development, chromosomal localization adjacent to the MKS locus and Meckel syndrome-resembling findings in knock-out mice phenotype. The sequence analysis of the coding region of the gene revealed one polymorphism but no potential disease mutation. Physical mapping of the critical chromosomal region finally showed that the NGFR gene lies outside the MKS locus.

Meckel syndrome.

Meckel syndrome (MKS) is a lethal syndrome with a central nervous system malformation, usually occipital meningoencephalocele, bilaterally large multicystic kidneys with fibrotic changes of the liver, and polydactyly in most cases. Additional anomalies are frequent. A common characteristic of the parenchymal changes of many organs is a proliferation of the stromal connective tissue and increase and dilatation of the associated epithelial ducts. Autosomal recessive inheritance is well confirmed and the gene locus has been mapped to chromosome 17q21-24 by genome wide linkage study. The locus was later refined to within a less than 1 cM region (17q22), in which most of the Finnish MKS patients share a common chromosomal haplotype suggesting one major and relatively old mutation. However, in most of the non-Finnish MKS families studied, this linkage could not be confirmed. The linkage studies provide evidence that more than one locus is involved in bringing about the combination of CNS malformations, cystic kidneys, and polydactyly, maybe even in typical cases of MKS. Prenatal diagnosis of MKS by vaginal ultrasound scan is possible from 11-12 weeks of pregnancy, especially in families where there is a known risk. In those families where linkage to 17q22 is established, prenatal diagnosis by DNA analysis is possible.

Characteristics and circumstances of homicidal acts committed by offenders with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: While men with schizophrenia are at higher risk of displaying homicidal behaviours compared with the general population, very little is known about the circumstances related to the triggering of such violent acts among offenders with schizophrenia. The main goal of the present investigation was to describe the surrounding context, psychotic symptoms, target characteristics and other circumstantial factors associated with homicidal acts committed by men with schizophrenia, with or without an additional antisocial personality disorder (APD). METHOD: Comprehensive clinical and research interviews, as well as multiple sources of information including reports from social workers and police officers, criminal records, witness statements and questionnaires completed by friends, acquaintances and family members were used to determine specific characteristics surrounding the homicidal acts. RESULTS: Overall, a significant majority of homicides were considered as the consequence of psychotic symptoms; they mostly involved someone who knew the offender; and they usually occurred in a private residence. However, the subgroup of offenders with both schizophrenia and APD were less likely to be judged as responding to psychotic symptoms; they assaulted a non-relative more frequently, and they were more likely to have used alcohol and to be involved in an altercation with the victim prior to the incident than offenders without APD. CONCLUSION: Even for such extreme acts as homicides, the circumstances affecting the occurrence of violence among offenders with schizophrenia may differ when an additional APD diagnosis is present, which would have important implications for prevention and treatment programmes.

Characterization of a novel gene, PNUTL2, on human chromosome 17q22-q23 and its exclusion as the Meckel syndrome gene.

We assigned two human expressed sequence tags (ESTs), WI-15444 and SGC32067, homologous to mouse brain protein h5, to the critical region for Meckel syndrome (MKS) on 17q22-q23. For the sequence analyses in MKS patients, we isolated the corresponding human gene, PNUTL2, by analyzing an Image cDNA clone that contained these ESTs. Based on sequence homologies, the gene belongs to an expanding family of GTP-binding proteins, septins, that are involved in cytokinesis. In Northern analysis, PNUTL2 is ubiquitously expressed as a 1.7-kb transcript in adult and fetal tissues with particularly high expression in the heart, liver, and adrenal gland. Mutation analysis using sequencing of RT-PCR products and Northern blot analysis in MKS patients exclude PNUTL2 as the gene for MKS.

Assignment of the locus for hydrolethalus syndrome to a highly restricted region on 11q23-25.

Hydrolethalus syndrome is a recessively inherited lethal malformation syndrome characterized by hydrocephaly with absent midline structures of the brain, micrognathia, polydactyly, and several other abnormalities, mostly in the midline structures. Hydrolethalus syndrome was described in 1981 in Finland, where the incidence is 1:20,000. Only a few cases have been reported elsewhere, and the pathogenesis has remained unknown. Here we report the assignment of the hydrolethalus syndrome locus to chromosome 11q23-25 in Finnish families. The initial genome scan was performed using DNA samples from only 15 affected individuals. In the next step, the hydrolethalus syndrome locus was assigned to an 8.5-cM interval between markers D11S4144 and D11S1351 by linkage analysis in eight families. Finally, the critical locus could be restricted by linkage disequilibrium and haplotype analyses to a 0.5-1-cM region between markers D11S933 and D11S934. Genealogical studies performed in 40 families affected by hydrolethalus revealed no regional clustering, suggesting a relatively early introduction of the disease mutation into the Finnish population and the spreading of the mutation with the inhabitation of the late-settlement area.

Familial and sporadic inflammatory bowel disease: comparison of clinical features and serological markers in a genetically homogeneous population.

BACKGROUND: The familial occurrence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the clinical features of familial and sporadic IBD in the genetically homogeneous Finnish population are evaluated. METHODS: 257 patients with Crohn disease (CD) and 436 with ulcerative colitis (UC) participated in the study. They were asked whether IBD was present (familial IBD) or absent (sporadic IBD) in their first-degree relatives. Data on the clinical course of the disease were collected from the patient records. Antibodies to Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ASCA) and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) were determined from serum samples. RESULTS: Affected first-degree relatives were found in 15.6% of patients with CD and in 13.8% of patients with UC. In familial cases CD was more often located in the ileum (38% versus 21%) and less often in the ileocolon (35% versus 50%) (P< 0.05) than in sporadic cases. A greater percentage of CD patients than UC patients were smokers (47% versus 13%; P < 0.01). An elevated level of IgA and/or IgG antibodies for ASCA was found more often in CD patients than in UC patients (59% versus 14%; P < 0.01), while pANCA were found more often in UC than in CD patients (48% versus 12%; P < 0.01). The combination of pANCA-ASCA+ yielded a sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of 48%, 92% and 90%, respectively, for CD, and the combination of pANCA + ASCA- of 55%, 94% and 90%, respectively, for UC. CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of familial IBD cases in Finland is comparable to that reported elsewhere in Europe. No important clinical differences between patients with familial and sporadic forms of the disease were found. ASCA is associated with both familial and sporadic CD and pANCA with UC, but low sensitivity diminishes their value as a serological marker of IBD or as a differential diagnostic test between CD and UC.

Molecular cytogenetic mapping of 24 CEPH YACs and 24 gene-specific large insert probes to chromosome 17.

Defining boundaries of chromosomal rearrangements at the molecular level would benefit from landmarks that link the cytogenetic map to physical, genetic, and transcript maps, as well as from large-insert FISH probes for such loci to detect numerical and structural rearrangements in metaphase or interphase cells. Here, we determined the locations of 24 genetically mapped CEPH-Mega YACs along the FLpter scale (fractional length from p-telomere) by quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis. This generated a set of cytogenetically mapped probes for chromosome 17 with an average spacing of about 5 cM. We then developed large-insert YAC, BAC, PAC, or P1 clones to the following 24 known genes, and determined refined map locations along the same FLpter scale: pter-TP53-TOP3-cen-TNFAIP1-ERBB2-TOP2A- BRCA1-TCF11-NME1-HLF-ZNF147/CL N80-BCL5/MPO/SFRS1-TBX2-PECAM1-DDX5/ PRKCA-ICAM2-GH1/PRKAR1A-GRB2-CDK3 /FKHL13-qter. Taken together, these 48 cytogenetically mapped large-insert probes provide tools for the molecular analysis of chromosome 17 rearrangements, such as mapping amplification, deletion, and translocation breakpoints in this chromosome, in cancer and other diseases.

Characterization of the lysinuric protein intolerance (LPI) region within T-cell receptor alpha/delta gene cluster on chromosome site 14q11.

Lysinuric protein intolerance is a recessively inherited metabolic disease characterized by defective efflux of cationic amino acids at the basolateral membrane of the intestinal and renal tubular epithelium. Linkage analysis and further linkage disequilibrium in Finnish LPI families have earlier assigned LPI gene locus within or in close vicinity of T-cell receptor alpha/delta gene cluster on chromosome site 14q11. In the present work we have characterized the linkage defined LPI region using RH-mapping and fiber-FISH and searched the LPI gene from the reported sequence of the T-cell receptor gene.

Clinical and genetic heterogeneity in Meckel syndrome.

Meckel syndrome (MKS) is a lethal malformation syndrome characterised by posterior meningoencephalocele, polycystic kidneys, fibrotic changes of the liver, and polydactyly. We have previously shown a linkage to chromosome 17q in 17 Finnish Meckel families. In this study we have analysed one Italian, one Austrian (of Turkish origin) and three British MKS families (Caucasian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi families) for linkage to the MKS locus on chromosome 17q22-q24. We did not observe co-segregation of the disease and marker haplotypes in the Austrian family or in the three British families, of which two represented classical MKS and one a slightly atypical MKS phenotype with longer survival of the patient. In the Italian family the affected and non-affected children did not share the same maternal chromosome and thus this family could represent the same allelic disease as the Finnish MKS families. These results suggest locus heterogeneity in Meckel syndrome--a feature previously suspected based on the highly variable clinical phenotype.

Comprehensive copy number and gene expression profiling of the 17q23 amplicon in human breast cancer.

The biological significance of DNA amplification in cancer is thought to be due to the selection of increased expression of a single or few important genes. However, systematic surveys of the copy number and expression of all genes within an amplified region of the genome have not been performed. Here we have used a combination of molecular, genomic, and microarray technologies to identify target genes for 17q23, a common region of amplification in breast cancers with poor prognosis. Construction of a 4-Mb genomic contig made it possible to define two common regions of amplification in breast cancer cell lines. Analysis of 184 primary breast tumors by fluorescence in situ hybridization on tissue microarrays validated these results with the highest amplification frequency (12.5%) observed for the distal region. Based on GeneMap'99 information, 17 known genes and 26 expressed sequence tags were localized to the contig. Analysis of genomic sequence identified 77 additional transcripts. A comprehensive analysis of expression levels of these transcripts in six breast cancer cell lines was carried out by using complementary DNA microarrays. The expression patterns varied from one cell line to another, and several overexpressed genes were identified. Of these, RPS6KB1, MUL, APPBP2, and TRAP240 as well as one uncharacterized expressed sequence tag were located in the two common amplified regions. In summary, comprehensive analysis of the 17q23 amplicon revealed a limited number of highly expressed genes that may contribute to the more aggressive clinical course observed in breast cancer patients with 17q23-amplified tumors.

High-resolution physical and genetic mapping of the critical region for Meckel syndrome and Mulibrey Nanism on chromosome 17q22-q23.

Previously, we assigned the genes for two autosomal recessive disorders, Meckel syndrome (MKS; MIM 249000) and Mulibrey Nanism [MUL (muscle-liver-brain-eye Nanism); MIM 253250] that are enriched in the Finnish population, to overlapping genomic regions on chromosome 17q. Now, we report the construction of a bacterial clone contig over the critical region for both disorders. Several novel CA-repeat markers were isolated from these clones, which allowed refined mapping of the MKS and MUL loci using haplotype and linkage disequilibrium analysis. The localization of the MKS locus was narrowed to <1 cM between markers D17S1290 and 132-CA, within an approximately 800-kb region. The MUL locus was refined into an approximately 1400-kb interval between markers D17S1290 and 52-CA. The whole MKS region falls within the MUL region. In the common critical region, the conserved haplotypes were different in MKS and MUL patients. A trancript map was constructed by assigning expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and genes, derived from the human gene map, to the bacterial clone contig. Altogether, four genes and a total of 20 ESTs were precisely localized. These data provide the molecular tools for the final identification of the MKS and the MUL genes.