The role of clinical response to treatment in determining pathogenicity of genomic variants.

PURPOSE: The 2015 American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics/Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG/AMP) guidelines for the interpretation of sequence variants provide a framework to standardize terminology in the classification of variants uncovered through genetic testing. We aimed to assess the validity of utilizing clinical response to therapies specifically targeted to a suspected disease in clarifying variant pathogenicity. METHODS: Five families with disparate clinical presentations and different genetic diseases evaluated and treated in multiple diagnostic settings are summarized. RESULTS: Extended evaluations indicated possible genetic diagnoses and assigned candidate causal variants, but the cumulative clinical, biochemical, and molecular information in each instance was not completely consistent with the identified disease. Initiation of treatment specific to the suspected diagnoses in the affected individuals led to clinical improvement in all five families. CONCLUSION: We propose that the effect of therapies that are specific and targeted to treatable genetic diseases embodies an in vivo physiological response and could be considered as additional criteria within the 2015 ACMG/AMP guidelines in determining genomic variant pathogenicity.

Copy number variant discrepancy resolution using the ClinGen dosage sensitivity map results in updated clinical interpretations in ClinVar.

Conflict resolution in genomic variant interpretation is a critical step toward improving patient care. Evaluating interpretation discrepancies in copy number variants (CNVs) typically involves assessing overlapping genomic content with focus on genes/regions that may be subject to dosage sensitivity (haploinsufficiency (HI) and/or triplosensitivity (TS)). CNVs containing dosage sensitive genes/regions are generally interpreted as "likely pathogenic" (LP) or "pathogenic" (P), and CNVs involving the same known dosage sensitive gene(s) should receive the same clinical interpretation. We compared the Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen) Dosage Map, a publicly available resource documenting known HI and TS genes/regions, against germline, clinical CNV interpretations within the ClinVar database. We identified 251 CNVs overlapping known dosage sensitive genes/regions but not classified as LP or P; these were sent back to their original submitting laboratories for re-evaluation. Of 246 CNVs re-evaluated, an updated clinical classification was warranted in 157 cases (63.8%); no change was made to the current classification in 79 cases (32.1%); and 10 cases (4.1%) resulted in other types of updates to ClinVar records. This effort will add curated interpretation data into the public domain and allow laboratories to focus attention on more complex discrepancies.

Scaling resolution of variant classification differences in ClinVar between 41 clinical laboratories through an outlier approach.

ClinVar provides open access to variant classifications shared from many clinical laboratories. Although most classifications are consistent across laboratories, classification differences exist. To facilitate resolution of classification differences on a large scale, clinical laboratories were encouraged to reassess outlier classifications of variants with medically significant differences (MSDs). Outliers were identified by first comparing ClinVar submissions from 41 clinical laboratories to detect variants with MSDs between the laboratories (650 variants). Next, MSDs were filtered for variants with ≥3 classifications (244 variants), of which 87.6% (213 variants) had a majority consensus in ClinVar, thus allowing for identification of outlier classifications in need of reassessment. Laboratories with outlier classifications were sent a custom report and encouraged to reassess variants. Results were returned for 204 (96%) variants, of which 62.3% (127) were resolved. Of those 127, 64.6% (82) were resolved due to reassessment prompted by this study and 35.4% (45) resolved by a previously completed reassessment. This study demonstrates a scalable approach to classification resolution and capitalizes on the value of data sharing within ClinVar. These activities will help the community move toward more consistent variant classifications, which will improve the care of patients with, or at risk for, genetic disorders.

Atypical presentation of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 8 in a sibling pair and review of the eye findings and neurological features.

PURPOSE: To report atypical presentation of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses type 8 (CLN8) to the eye clinic and review clinical features of CLN8. OBSERVATIONS: Detailed eye exam by slit lamp exam, indirect ophthalmoscopy, fundus photography, optical coherence tomography, visual fields and electroretinogram (ERG). Molecular genetic testing using Next Generation Sequencing panel (NGS) and array Comparative Genomic Hybridization (aCGH).The siblings in this study presented to the eye clinic with retinitis pigmentosa and cystoid macular edema, and a history of seizures but no severe neurocognitive deficits or regression. Genetic testing identified a c.200C > T (p.A67V) variant in the CLN8 gene and a deletion encompassing the entire gene. Electron microscopy of lymphocytes revealed fingerprint inclusions in both siblings. CONCLUSIONS: and Importance: Pathogenic variants in CLN8 account for the retinitis pigmentosa and seizures in our patients however, currently, they do not have regression or neurocognitive decline. The presentation of NCL can be very diverse and it is important for ophthalmologists to consider this in the differential diagnosis of retinal disorders with seizures or other neurological features. Molecular genetic testing of multiple genes causing isolated and syndromic eye disorders using NGS panels and aCGH along with additional complementary testing may often be required to arrive at a definitive diagnosis.

Molecular pathways altered by insulin b9-23 immunization.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) in the nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse can be delayed by administration of insulin or specific insulin peptides. To better understand how insulin treatment delays diabetes development, NOD mice treated with an insulin peptide (B9-23) were compared with age-matched NOD and NOD congenic mice for gene expression changes in spleen using cDNA microarray. Fifty genes were identified that were significantly altered by B9-23 treatment. Thirty-three of these genes are downregulated by the treatment while they are upregulated during the natural disease progression in NOD from immature (3-4 weeks) to mature (10 weeks) stages. Taken together, our data suggest that the B9-23 treatment, like the protective genes in NOD congenic strains, reduces pro-inflammatory activation of lymphocytes that normally occurs in NOD mice. Furthermore, our studies discovered two genes (Irf4 and Tra1) with increased expression in B9-23-treated mice that promote the Th2 response, providing a molecular basis for the B9-23-protective therapy.

Divergent dysregulation of gene expression in murine models of fragile X syndrome and tuberous sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Fragile X syndrome and tuberous sclerosis are genetic syndromes that both have a high rate of comorbidity with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Several lines of evidence suggest that these two monogenic disorders may converge at a molecular level through the dysfunction of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity. METHODS: To explore the characteristics of transcriptomic changes in these monogenic disorders, we profiled genome-wide gene expression levels in cerebellum and blood from murine models of fragile X syndrome and tuberous sclerosis. RESULTS: Differentially expressed genes and enriched pathways were distinct for the two murine models examined, with the exception of immune response-related pathways. In the cerebellum of the Fmr1 knockout (Fmr1-KO) model, the neuroactive ligand receptor interaction pathway and gene sets associated with synaptic plasticity such as long-term potentiation, gap junction, and axon guidance were the most significantly perturbed pathways. The phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway was significantly dysregulated in both cerebellum and blood of Fmr1-KO mice. In Tsc2 heterozygous (+/-) mice, immune system-related pathways, genes encoding ribosomal proteins, and glycolipid metabolism pathways were significantly changed in both tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that distinct molecular pathways may be involved in ASD with known but different genetic causes and that blood gene expression profiles of Fmr1-KO and Tsc2+/- mice mirror some, but not all, of the perturbed molecular pathways in the brain.

MCT8 deficiency: extrapyramidal symptoms and delayed myelination as prominent features.

Monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8) deficiency is an X-linked disorder resulting from an impairment of the transcellular transportation of thyroid hormones. Within the central nervous system thyroid hormone transport is normally mediated by MCT8. Patients are described as affected by a static or slowly progressive clinical picture which consists of variable degrees of mental retardation, hypotonia, spasticity, ataxia and involuntary movements, occasionally paroxysmal. The authors describe the clinical and neuroradiological picture of 3 males patients with marked delayed brain myelination and in which the clinical picture was dominated by early onset nonparoxysmal extrapyramidal symptoms. In one subject a novel mutation is described.

Characteristics and predictive value of blood transcriptome signature in males with autism spectrum disorders.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a spectrum of highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorders in which known mutations contribute to disease risk in 20% of cases. Here, we report the results of the largest blood transcriptome study to date that aims to identify differences in 170 ASD cases and 115 age/sex-matched controls and to evaluate the utility of gene expression profiling as a tool to aid in the diagnosis of ASD. The differentially expressed genes were enriched for the neurotrophin signaling, long-term potentiation/depression, and notch signaling pathways. We developed a 55-gene prediction model, using a cross-validation strategy, on a sample cohort of 66 male ASD cases and 33 age-matched male controls (P1). Subsequently, 104 ASD cases and 82 controls were recruited and used as a validation set (P2). This 55-gene expression signature achieved 68% classification accuracy with the validation cohort (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC): 0.70 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.62-0.77]). Not surprisingly, our prediction model that was built and trained with male samples performed well for males (AUC 0.73, 95% CI 0.65-0.82), but not for female samples (AUC 0.51, 95% CI 0.36-0.67). The 55-gene signature also performed robustly when the prediction model was trained with P2 male samples to classify P1 samples (AUC 0.69, 95% CI 0.58-0.80). Our result suggests that the use of blood expression profiling for ASD detection may be feasible. Further study is required to determine the age at which such a test should be deployed, and what genetic characteristics of ASD can be identified.

Gene expression associated with interferon alfa antiviral activity in an HCV replicon cell line.

Interferon alfa (IFN-alpha)-based treatment is the only therapeutic option for chronic hepatitis C viral infection. However, the molecular mechanisms of IFN-alpha antiviral activity are not completely understood. The recent development of an HCV replicon cell culture system provides a feasible experimental model to investigate the molecular details of IFN-induced direct antiviral activity in hepatocytes. In this report, we show that IFN-alpha can effectively inhibit HCV subgenomic RNA replication and suppress viral nonstructural protein synthesis. Using cDNA microarray analysis, we also show that the replicon cells have different gene expression profile compared with the parental hepatoma cells (Huh7). IFN-alpha can induce a number of responsive genes in the replicon cells. One of the genes, 6-16 (G1P3), can enhance IFN-alpha antiviral efficacy. In addition, we demonstrate that IFN-alpha can significantly activate STAT3 in hepatoma cells, suggesting that this pathway plays a role in IFN-alpha signaling. In conclusion, our results indicate that IFN-alpha antiviral activity is associated with activation of STAT3-signaling pathway and intracellular gene activation. Our results also suggest that IFN-alpha-induced target genes may play an important role in IFN-alpha anti-HCV activity.