Biological Identification of Skulls in Indonesian and Thai Populations: Ancestry Estimation, Sex Determination, Stature Estimation, and Age Estimation / Identificación Biológica de Cráneos en Poblaciones de Indonesia y Tailandia: Estimación de Ascendencia, Determinación del Sexo, Estimación de Estatura y Estimación de Edad

SUMMARY: This review article will present an overview of biological profiles in forensic utilities. The biological profile of the skull in the existing literature can help to identify humans, especially if the condition of the victim found is a result of mutilation or a bomb explosion. When it comes to the precision of identifying skeletal remains, the human skull is frequently cited as being first in the estimation of age and ancestry and second in terms of sex and stature. It can be an alternative to assessing the following biological parameters: sex, age, stature, and ancestry. The implementation of biological profiles in the identification process is very important considering that some cases require the assistance of forensic anthropology. This review article shows the importance of the value of skulls. The method that can be applied is craniometry which can be used to determine sex, age, stature, and estimated ancestry. Different results will occur depending on the completeness of the skull. Therefore, estimation formulas have different accurate results. Discriminant function analysis has been performed on various measurement sets and its discriminant power has been validated by many researchers. Geometric morphometric analysis has become the main tool for shape analysis and many attempts have been made to use it in analyzing skulls. Several methods supported by technology have also been developed. It is hoped that the review article will show significant differences in results between studies in Thailand and Indonesia, even though they are in the same racial group.

Este artículo presenta una descripción general de los perfiles biológicos en las utilidades forenses. El perfil biológico del cráneo en la literatura existente puede ayudar a identificar a los humanos, especialmente si la condición en la que se encuentra la víctima es el resultado de una mutilación o la explosión de una bomba. Cuando se trata de la precisión en la identificación de restos óseos, el cráneo humano se cita con frecuencia como el primero en la estimación de edad y ascendencia y el segundo en términos de sexo y estatura. Puede ser una alternativa para evaluar los siguientes parámetros biológicos: sexo, edad, estatura y ascendencia. La implementación de perfiles biológicos en el proceso de identificación es importante considerando que algunos casos requieren la asistencia de la antropología forense. Este artículo de revisión muestra la importancia del valor de las cnezas óseas. El método que se puede aplicar es la craneometría para determinar el sexo, la edad, la estatura y la ascendencia estimada. Se pueden obtener diferentes resultados dependiendo de la integridad del cráneo. Por lo tanto, las fórmulas de estimación tienen resultados precisos diferentes. Se ha realizado un análisis de función discriminante en varios conjuntos de medidas y muchos investigadores han validado su poder discriminante. El análisis a través de la morfometría geométrica se ha convertido en la principal herramienta para el análisis de formas y se ha utilizado frecuentemente en el análisis de cráneos. También se han desarrollado varios métodos apoyados en la tecnología. Se espera que este trabajo muestre diferencias significativas en los resultados entre los estudios realizados en Tailandia e Indonesia, aunque pertenezcan al mismo grupo racial.

Clinical characteristics and genetic counseling for a three-generation Chinese pedigree with recurrent fetal Kabuki syndrome due to variant of KDM6A gene / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the genetic basis for a pregnant woman with a history of adverse pregnancy outcomes.@*METHODS@#A woman with an adverse history of pregnancies including one fetal demise and two induced abortions due to fetal diaphragmatic hernia and complex cardiac anomalies was selected as the study subject. Muscle tissue from the induced abortus was subjected to whole exome sequencing, and candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing of the couple and other family members.@*RESULTS@#Genetic sequencing revealed that the fetus has harbored a frameshift variant of the KDM6A gene (NM_001291415.2), namely c.1228_1229del (p.Gln410GlufsTer2), which was inherited from the woman and her mother. The variant was unreported previously, and the woman was found to have short stature, sparse eyebrows in the outer third, peculiar facial features, but normal intelligence in addition with female congenital genital malformation, like incomplete vaginal septum, double cervix, double uterus, and unilateral ovary absence. mostly similar phenotypes observed in her mother.@*CONCLUSION@#The hemizygous c.1228_1229del variant of the KDM6A gene probably underlay the abnormalities in the fetus. All findings have enabled genetic counseling for this family featuring X-linked inheritance, and the woman had given birth to a healthy girl with appropriate prevention and intervention.

Very-long chain acyl-coA dehydrogenase deficiency: report of a Chinese pedigree and a literature review / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the correlation between clinical classification and genotype and prognosis among Chinese children with Very-long chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (VLCADD).@*METHODS@#A Chinese pedigree affected with VLCADD admitted at the First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province in February 2019 was selected as the study subject. The characteristics of disease onset, diagnosis and treatment and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed. Relevant literature was also systematically searched and reviewed.@*RESULTS@#The proband, a 1-year-old boy, had the clinical manifestations of frequently vomiting, hypoglycemia, abnormal liver function and myocardial enzymes. Tandem mass spectrometry screening showed significantly elevated C14, C14:1, C16:1, C16:2, C18 and C14/C8. Genetic testing revealed that he has harbored compound heterozygous variants of the ACADVL gene, namely c.664G>A (p.G222R) and c.1345G>A (p.E449K), which were respectively derived from his father and mother. The child was diagnosed with VLCADD cardiomyopathy type and deceased 2 weeks later. Literature review has identified 60 Chinese children with VLCADD. The clinical classifications were mainly cardiomyopathy type and liver disease type, which accounted for 73.3% (43/60). The combination of ACADVL gene variants were correlated with the clinical classifications of VLCAD. Children with one or two loss-of-function (LOF) mutations showed more severe clinical manifestation and a higher mortality. Cardiomyopathy type had the poorest prognosis, with a mortality rate of 76.9% (20/26). C14:1 may be used as an indicator for the diagnosis of VLCADD, but cannot be used for clinical subtyping and prognosis evaluation. The c.1349G>A (p.R450H) variant had the highest frequency among the Chinese patients, accounting for 10.8% (13/120).@*CONCLUSION@#The clinical classifications of VLCADD are strongly correlated with the prognosis, and LOF mutations are more common in those with severe clinical manifestations. c.1349G>A (p.R450H) may be the most common variant among the Chinese patients, and early screening and diagnosis can greatly improve the prognosis of patients.

Genetic analysis of a Chinese pedigree with an allele dropout at the HLA-B locus / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To delineate a deletional mutation of the HLA-B gene in a Chinese pedigree.@*METHODS@#A female patient with acute myeloid leukemia who had visited Liuzhou People's Hospital in April 2022 was selected as the study subject. Routine human leukocyte antigen (HLA) was determined by using PCR-sequence specific oligonucleotide polymorphism (PCR-SSOP) and PCR-sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT) methods. Next generation sequencing (NGS) was used to validate the candidate variant in the HLA-B gene.@*RESULTS@#The PCR-SBT and SSOP results for the HLA-B locus were inconsistent for the patient and her daughter. The SSOP results of the two individuals were HLA-B*35:01, 40:02 and HLA-B*35:01, 40:01, respectively. However, the PCR-SBT results has indicated a mismatch with the nearest HLA-B*35:01 at exon 4. NGS results showed that the HLA-B*35:01 had a 9 bp deletion in the intron 5. The patient's husband was HLA-B*40:01, 58:01, which was normal.@*CONCLUSION@#The variant in intron 5 of the HLA-B gene in this pedigree has mapped to a primer-binding region for the SBT reagent, which has affected the accuracy of PCR-SBT results.

Genetic and phenotypic analysis of MYO15A rare variants associated with autosomal recessive hearing loss / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:To analyze the phenotype and genotype characteristics of autosomal recessive hearing loss caused by MYO15A gene variants, and to provide genetic diagnosis and genetic counseling for patients and their families. Methods:Identification of MYO15A gene variants by next generation sequencing in two sporadic cases of hearing loss at Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. The sequence variants were verified by Sanger sequencing.The pathogenicity of these variants was determined according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics（ACMG） variant classification guidelines, in conjuction with clinical data. Results:The probands of the two families have bilateral,severe or complete hearing loss.Four variants of MYO15A were identified, including one pathogenic variant that has been reported, two likely pathogenic variants,and one splicing variant of uncertain significance. Patient I carries c. 3524dupA（p. Ser1176Valfs*14）, a reported pathogenic variant, and a splicing variant c. 10082+3G>A of uncertain significance according to the ACMG guidelines. Patient I was treated with bilateral hearing aids with satisfactory effect, demonstrated average hearing thresholds of 37.5 dB in the right ear and 33.75 dB in the left ear. Patient Ⅱ carries c. 7441_7442del（p. Leu2481Glufs*86） and c. 10250_10252del（p. Ser3417del）,a pair of as likely pathogenic variants according to the ACMG guidelines. Patient Ⅱ, who underwent right cochlear implantation eight years ago, achieved scores of 9 on the Categorical Auditory Performance-Ⅱ（CAP-Ⅱ） and 5 on the Speech Intelligibility Rating（SIR）. Conclusion:This study's discovery of the rare c. 7441_7442del variant and the splicing variant c. 10082+3G>A in the MYO15A gene is closely associated with autosomal recessive hearing loss, expanding the MYO15A variant spectrum. Additionally, the pathogenicity assessment of the splicing variant facilitates classification of splicing variations.

Splicing mutations of GSDME cause late-onset non-syndromic hearing loss / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:To dentify the genetic and audiological characteristics of families affected by late-onset hearing loss due to GSDMEgene mutations, aiming to explore clinical characteristics and pathogenic mechanisms for providing genetic counseling and intervention guidance. Methods:Six families with late-onset hearing loss from the Chinese Deafness Genome Project were included. Audiological tests, including pure-tone audiometry, acoustic immittance, speech recognition scores, auditory brainstem response, and distortion product otoacoustic emission, were applied to evaluate the hearing levels of patients. Combining with medical history and physical examination to analyze the phenotypic differences between the probands and their family members. Next-generation sequencing was used to identify pathogenic genes in probands, and validations were performed on their relatives by Sanger sequencing. Pathogenicity analysis was performed according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics Guidelines. Meanwhile, the pathogenic mechanisms of GSDME-related hearing loss were explored combining with domestic and international research progress. Results:Among the six families with late-onset hearing loss, a total of 30 individuals performed hearing loss. The onset of hearing loss in these families ranged from 10 to 50 years（mean age: 27.88±9.74 years）. In the study, four splicing mutations of the GSDME were identified, including two novel variants: c. 991－7C>G and c. 1183+1G>T. Significantly, the c. 991－7C>G was a de novo variant. The others were previously reported variants: c. 991-1G>C and c. 991-15_991-13del, the latter was identified in three families. Genotype-phenotype correlation analysis revealed that probands with the c. 991－7C>G and c. 1183+1G>T performed a predominantly high-frequency hearing loss. The three families carrying the same mutation exhibited varying degrees of hearing loss, with an annual rate of hearing deterioration exceeding 0.94 dB HL/year. Furthermore, follow-up of interventions showed that four of six probands received intervention（66.67%）, but the results of intervention varied. Conclusion:The study analyzed six families with late-onset non-syndromic hearing loss linked to GSDME mutations, identifying four splicing variants. Notably, c. 991－7C>G is the first reported de novo variant of GSDME globally. Audiological analysis revealed that the age of onset generally exceeded 10 years,with variable effectiveness of interventions.

Genetic analysis of two Chinese pedigrees affected with Hereditary hypofibrinemia due to missense variants / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To retrospectively analyze the clinical phenotypes and genetic variants in two Chinese pedigrees affected with Hereditary hypofibrinemia (IFD) and explore their molecular pathogenesis.@*METHODS@#Two probands and their pedigree members were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University on March 30, 2021 and May 27, 2021, respectively. Clinical phenotypes of the probands were collected, and blood clotting indexes of the probands and their pedigree members were determined. Variants of the FGA, FGB and FGG genes were analyzed by Sanger sequencing, and candidate variants were verified by sequence comparison. Bioinformatic software was used to analyze the conservation of the amino acids and pathogenicity of the proteins. Alteration in protein structure and intermolecular force before and after the variant was analyzed by simulating the protein model.@*RESULTS@#Proband 1, a 18-year-old male, had significantly low plasma fibrinogen activity (Fg:C) and plasma fibrinogen antigen (Fg:Ag), respectively at 0.80 g/L and 1.00 g/L. Proband 2, a 43-year-old male, had slightly low Fg:C and Fg:Ag at 1.35 g/L and 1.30 g/L, respectively. The Fg:C and Fg:Ag of proband 1's father, proband 2's father and son were also below the normal level. Genetic testing showed that proband 1 had harbored a heterozygous missense variant of c.688T>G (p.Phe230Val) in exon 7 of the FGG gene, which was inherited from his father. Proband 2, his father and son all had harbored a heterozygous variant of c.2516A>C (p.Asn839Thr) in exon 6 of the FGA gene. Homology analysis showed that the Phe230 and Asn839 residues were highly conserved among homologous species. Bioinformatic analysis predicted that both p.Phe230Val and p.Asn839Thr were pathogenic variants.@*CONCLUSION@#Analysis of protein simulation model showed that the p.Asn839Thr variant has changed the hydrogen bo`nd between the amino acids, thus affecting the stability of the protein structure. The heterozygous missense variants of p.Phe230Val and p.Asn839Thr probably underlay the IFD in the two pedigrees.

Methods and Research Hotspots of Forensic Kinship Testing / 法医学杂志

Kinship testing is widely needed in forensic science practice. This paper reviews the definitions of common concepts, and summarizes the basic principles, advantages and disadvantages, and application scope of kinship analysis methods, including identity by state (IBS) method, likelihood ratio (LR) method, method of moment (MoM), and identity by descent (IBD) segment method. This paper also discusses the research hotspots of challenging kinship testing, complex kinship testing, forensic genetic genealogy analysis, and non-human biological samples.

Genetic analysis of a child with D bifunctional protein deficiency born to a consanguineous pedigree / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the genetic etiology of a child with D bifunctional protein deficiency (DBPD) born to a consanguineous pedigree.@*METHODS@#A child with DBPD who was admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical College on January 6, 2022 due to hypotonia and global developmental delay was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of her pedigree members were collected. Peripheral blood samples of the child, her parents and elder sisters were collected and subjected to whole exome sequencing. Candidate variant was validated by Sanger sequencing and bioinformatic analysis.@*RESULTS@#The child, a 2-year-and-9-month-old female, had featured hypotonia, growth retardation, unstable head lift, and sensorineural deafness. Serum long-chain fatty acids were elevated, and auditory brainstem evoked potentials had failed to elicit V waves in both ears with 90 dBnHL stimulation. Brain MRI revealed thinning of corpus callosum and white matter hypoplasia. The child's parents were secondary cousins. Their elder daughter had a normal phenotype and no clinical symptoms related to DBPD. Elder son had frequent convulsions, hypotonia and feeding difficulties after birth, and had died one and a half month later. Genetic testing revealed that the child had harbored homozygous c.483G>T (p.Gln161His) variants of the HSD17B4 gene, for which both of her parents and elder sisters were carriers. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the c.483G>T (p.Gln161His) was rated as a pathogenic variant (PM1+PM2_Supporting+PP1+PP3+PP4).@*CONCLUSION@#The homozygous c.483G>T (p.Gln161His) variants of the HSD17B4 gene caused by the consanguineous marriage probably underlay the DBPD in this child.

Correlation of mitochondrial tRNA variants with coronary heart disease in a Chinese pedigree / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the correlation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants and coronary heart disease (CHD) in a Chinese pedigree and the possible molecular mechanisms.@*METHODS@#A Chinese pedigree featuring matrilineal inheritance of CHD who visited Hangzhou First People's Hospital in May 2022 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the proband and her affected relatives was collected. By sequencing the mtDNA of the proband and her pedigree members, candidate variants were identified through comparison with wild type mitochondrial genes. Conservative analysis among various species was conducted, and bioinformatics software was used to predict the impact of variants on the secondary structure of tRNA. Real-time PCR was carried out to determine the copy number of mtDNA, and a transmitochondrial cell line was established for analyzing the mitochondrial functions, including membrane potential and ATP level.@*RESULTS@#This pedigree had contained thirty-two members from four generations. Among ten maternal members, four had CHD, which yielded a penetrance rate of 40%. Sequence analysis of proband and her matrilineal relatives revealed the presence of a novel m.4420A>T variant and a m.10463T>C variant, both of which were highly conserved among various species. Structurally, the m.4420A>T variant had occurred at position 22 in the D-arm of tRNAMet, which disrupted the 13T-22A base-pairing, while the m.10463T>C variant was located at position 67 in the acceptor arm of tRNAArg, a position critical for steady-state level of the tRNA. Functional analysis revealed that patients with the m.4420A>T and m.10463T>C variants exhibited much fewer copy number of mtDNA and lower mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and ATP contents (P < 0.05), which were decreased by approximately 50.47%, 39.6% and 47.4%, respectively.@*CONCLUSION@#Mitochondrial tRNAMet 4420A>T and tRNAArg 10463T>C variants may underlay the maternally transmitted CHD in this pedigree, which had shown variation in mtDNA homogeneity, age of onset, clinical phenotype and other differences, suggesting that nuclear genes, environmental factors and mitochondrial genetic background have certain influence on the pathogenesis of CHD.

Genetic analysis of a Chinese family affected with α-dystroglycanopathy due to variant of B3GALNT2 gene / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the genetic basis for a Chinese pedigree affected with recurrent fetal hydrocephalus.@*METHODS@#A couple who had presented at the Affiliated Hospital of Putian College on March 3, 2021 was selected as the study subject. Following elective abortion, fetal tissue and peripheral blood samples were respectively obtained from the abortus and the couple, and were subjected to whole exome sequencing. Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing.@*RESULTS@#The fetus was found to harbor compound heterozygous variants of the B3GALNT2 gene, namely c.261-2A>G and c.536T>C (p.Leu179Pro), which were inherited from its father and mother, respectively.According to the guidelines of American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, both variants were classified as pathogenic (PVS1+PM2_Supporting; PM3+PM2_Supporting+PP3+PP4).@*CONCLUSION@#The compound heterozygous variants of the B3GALNT2 gene probably underlay the α-dystroglycanopathy in this fetus. Above results have provided a basis for genetic counseling of this pedigree.

Serological characteristics of ABO blood group and molecular genetic analysis of a Chinese pedigree with cisAB09 subtype / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the serological characteristics of ABO blood group and molecular genetic mechanism for a Chinese pedigree with cisAB09 subtype.@*METHODS@#A pedigree undergoing ABO blood group examination at the Department of Transfusion, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University on February 2, 2022 was selected as the study subjects. Serological assay was carried out to determine the ABO blood group of the proband and his family members. Activities of A and B glycosyltransferases in the plasma of the proband and his mother were measured with an enzymatic assay. Expression of A and B antigens on the red blood cells of the proband was analyzed by flow cytometry. Peripheral blood samples of the proband and his family members were collected. Following extraction of genomic DNA, exons 1 to 7 of the ABO gene and their flanking introns were sequenced, and Sanger sequencing of exon 7 was carried out for the proband, his elder daughter and mother.@*RESULTS@#The results of serological assay suggested that the proband and his elder daughter and mother had an A2B phenotype, whilst his wife and younger daughter had an O phenotype. Measurement of plasma A and B glycosyltransferase activity suggested that the titers of B-glycosyltransferase activity were 32 and 256 for the proband and his mother, which were respectively below and above that of A1B phenotype-positive controls (128). Flow cytometry analysis showed that the expression of A antigen on the red blood cell surface of the proband has decreased, whilst the expression of B antigen was normal. Genetic sequencing confirmed that, in addition to an ABO*B.01 allele, the proband, his elder daughter and mother have harbored a c.796A>G variant in exon 7, which has resulted in substitution of the methionine at 266th position of the B-glycosyltransferase by valine and conformed to the characteristics of ABO*cisAB.09 allele. The genotypes of the proband and his elder daughter were determined as ABO*cisAB.09/ABO*O.01.01, his mother was ABO*cisAB.09/ABO*B.01, and his wife and younger daughter were ABO*O.01.01/ABO*O.01.01.@*CONCLUSION@#The c.796A>G variant of the ABO*B.01 allele has resulted in an amino acid substitution p.Met266Val, which probably underlay the cisAB09 subtype. The ABO*cisA B.09 allele encodes a special glycosyltransferase which can synthesize normal level of B antigen and low level of A antigen on the red blood cells.

Genetic analysis of a Chinese pedigree with 6q26q27 microduplication and 15q26.3 microdeletion / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the genetic basis for a Chinese pedigree with 6q26q27 microduplication and 15q26.3 microdeletion.@*METHODS@#A fetus with a 6q26q27 microduplication and a 15q26.3 microdeletion diagnosed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University in January 2021 and members of its pedigree were selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the fetus was collected. The fetus and its parents were analyzed by G-banding karyotyping and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA), and its maternal grandparents were also subjected to G-banding karyotype analysis.@*RESULTS@#Prenatal ultrasound had indicated intrauterine growth retardation of the fetus, though no karyotypic abnormality was found with the amniotic fluid sample and blood samples from its pedigree members. CMA revealed that the fetus has carried a 6.6 Mb microduplication in 6q26q27 and a 1.9 Mb microdeletion in 15q26.3, and his mother also carried a 6.49 duplication and a 1.867 deletion in the same region. No anomaly was found with its father.@*CONCLUSION@#The 6q26q27 microduplication and 15q26.3 microdeletion probably underlay the intrauterine growth retardation in this fetus.

Optical genome mapping analysis of a Chinese pedigree with a rare chromosome 17 paracentric inversion insertion / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To carry out optical genome mapping (OGM) for a Chinese pedigree with a rare paracentric reverse insertion of chromosome 17.@*METHODS@#A high-risk pregnant woman identified at the Prenatal Diagnosis Center of Hangzhou Women's Hospital in October 2021 and her family members were selected as the study subjects. Chromosome G banding analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), single nucleotide polymorphism array (SNP array) and OGM were applied to verify the balanced structural abnormality of chromosome 17 in the pedigree.@*RESULTS@#Chromosomal karyotyping analysis and SNP array assay have identified a duplication of 17q23q25 in the fetus. Karyotyping analysis of the pregnant woman showed that the structure of chromosome 17 was abnormal, whilst SNP array has detected no abnormality. OGM revealed that the woman has carried a paracentric reverse insertion, which was confirmed by FISH. The karyotype of her husband was normal.@*CONCLUSION@#The duplication of 17q23q25 in the fetus has derived from a paracentric reverse insertion of chromosome 17 in its mother. OGM has the advantage for delineating balanced chromosome structural abnormalities.

Genetic analysis of a Chinese pedigree with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the genetic etiology for a Chinese pedigree affected with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome.@*METHODS@#Members of the pedigree who had visited the Genetic Counseling Clinic of Linyi People's Hospital on February 10, 2022 were selected as the study subjects. Clinical data and family history of the proband were collected, and trio-whole exome sequencing (trio-WES) was carried out for the proband and his parents. Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing.@*RESULTS@#Trio-WES revealed that both the proband and his cousin brother had harbored a hemizygous c.385-1G>C variant in intron 4 of the HPRT1 gene, which was unreported previously. A heterozygous c.385-1G>C variant of the HPRT1 gene was also found in the proband's mother, grandmother, two aunts, and a female cousin, whilst all phenotypically normal males in his pedigree were found to have a wild type for the locus, which has conformed to an X-linked recessive inheritance.@*CONCLUSION@#The heterozygous c.385-1G>C variant of the HPRT1 gene probably underlay the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome in this pedigree.

Genetic analysis of a Chinese pedigree affected with overgrowth syndrome due to a small supernumerary marker chromosome / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To carry out genetic analysis for a Chinese pedigree affected with intellectual disability and overgrowth due to a supernumerary marker chromosome (sSMC).@*METHODS@#A pedigree which had presented at Jiaxing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital on August 31, 2021 was selected as the study subject, for which chromosomal karyotyping, single nucleotide polymorphism-based microarray (SNP-array), and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were carried out in combination.@*RESULTS@#SNP-array analysis showed that the proband and his sister had both harbored a 16.1 Mb duplication which encompassed the critical region of 15q26 overgrowth syndrome. FISH confirmed that the proband was 47,XX,+neo(15)(qter→q25.3:)mat, her mother was 47,XX,del(15)(q25.3:),+neo(15)(qter→q25.3:), whilst her father was normal.@*CONCLUSION@#Application of multiple genetic techniques has facilitated delineation of the origin of sSMC and reliable genetic counseling for this pedigree.

Analysis of a Chinese pedigree affected with Spinal muscular atrophy due to compound heterozygous variants of SMN gene / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze variants of SMN gene in a Chinese pedigree affected with Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).@*METHODS@#A Chinese pedigree diagnosed at the Nanchang First Hospital in January 2020 was selected as the study subject. Peripheral blood samples were collected for the extraction of DNA. All exons of the SMN gene were detected by multiple ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). Potential variants of the SMN gene were also detected by Whole exome sequencing (WES), and the result was verified by Sanger sequencing. cDNA extracted from fresh blood sample was used as a template to verify the location of variant on the SMN genes.@*RESULTS@#The proband was found to harbor a heterozygous deletion of the SMN1 Exon7+Exon8, and a heterozygous c.81G>A variant. The SMN1 Exon7+Exon8 deletion was inherited from her father and grandmother, whilst the c.81G>A variant was inherited from her mother and maternal grandfather. Her aunt was also a carrier of the heterozygous deletion, while her paternal aunt, her husband, and their daughter were not. cDNA amplification and Sanger sequencing confirmed that the c.81G>A variant was located in the SMN1 gene.@*CONCLUSION@#MLPA combined with NGS and Sanger sequencing can identify compound heterozygous variants of the SMN gene in the SMA patients.

Genetic testing and prenatal diagnosis for a Chinese pedigree affected with Waardenburg syndrome type 4C due to heterozygous deletion of SOX10 gene / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the genetic basis for a Chinese pedigree featuring congenital profound syndromic deafness and chronic constipation, and provide prenatal diagnosis for a high-risk fetus.@*METHODS@#Whole-exome sequencing was carried out to analyze the sequences of genes associated with hereditary deafness, and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) was used to verify the candidate variant in the proband's parents and the fetus.@*RESULTS@#The proband was found to have harbored a heterozygous deletion of SOX10, a pathogenic gene associated with Waardenburg syndrome type 4C (WS4C). The same deletion was found in her mother (with profound syndromic deafness and chronic constipation) and the fetus, but not in her father with normal hearing. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) and Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), the SOX10 gene deletion was predicted to be a pathogenic variant (PVS1+PM2_Supporting+PP1+PP4).@*CONCLUSION@#The pedigree was diagnosed with WS4C, which has conformed to an autosomal dominant inheritance. Deletion of the entire SOX10 gene, as a loss-of-function variant, probably underlay its pathogenesis. Above finding has facilitated genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis for this family.

Genetic testing and prenatal diagnosis for two Chinese pedigrees affected with Alport syndrome due to variants of COL4A5 gene / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analysis variants of COL4A5 gene in two Chinese pedigrees affected with Alport syndrome (AS) and provide prenatal diagnosis for them.@*METHODS@#Two unrelated ethnic Han Chinese pedigrees who had visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University respectively in September 2018 and January 2020 were selected as the study subjects. Clinical data were collected, and genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral venous blood and amniotic fluid samples for genetic testing. Following next generation sequencing, candidate variants of the COL4A5 gene were verified by Sanger sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. The gender of the fetuses was determined by the presence of sex-determining region on Y (SRY).@*RESULTS@#Genetic testing revealed that the proband and a fetus from pedigree 1 had both harbored a c.2723G>A (p.Gly908Glu) variant in exon 32 of the COL4A5 gene, whilst the proband and a fetus from pedigree 2 had both harbored a c.3817G>A (p.Gly1273Asp) variant in exon 44 of the COL4A5 gene. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), both variants were classified as likely pathogenic (PP2+PM2_Supporting). Following exclusion of maternal contamination, PCR amplification of the SRY region indicated that both fetuses were males.@*CONCLUSION@#The c.2723G>A (p.Gly908Glu) and c.3817G>A (p.Gly1273Asp) variants of the COL4A5 gene probably underlay the AS in the two pedigrees. Detection of the SRY region can reliably identify the fetal sex, which is conducive to the prenatal diagnosis. Above results have also enriched the mutational spectrum of the COL4A5 gene and provided a reference for correlating the genotype and phenotype of the AS.

Clinical and ASS1 gene variant analysis of three Chinese pedigrees affected with Citrullinemia type I / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the clinical and genetic characteristics of three Chinese pedigrees affected with Citrullinemia type I (CTLN1).@*METHODS@#Three children diagnosed at the Children's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University from 2017 to 2020 were selected as the study subjects. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples of the probands and their parents. Next generation sequencing (NGS) was carried out to detect pathological variants of the probands. Sanger sequencing was used for validating the candidate variant among the pedigrees.@*RESULTS@#The probands have respectively carried compound heterozygous variants of c.207_209delGGA and c.1168G>A, c.349G>A and c.364-1G>A, c.470G>A and c.970G>A of the ASS1 gene, which were respectively inherited from their parents.@*CONCLUSION@#The newly discovered c.207_209delGGA and c.364-1G>A variants have enriched the mutational spectrum of the ASS1 gene. And the mutation spectrum of Chinese CTLN1 patients is heterogeneous.