Analysis of Clinical, Immunological and Molecular Features of Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency Type I in Egyptian Children.

PURPOSE: Leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD) represents a rare group of inherited inborn errors of immunity (IEI) characterized by bacterial infections, delayed umbilical stump separation, and autoimmunity. This single-center study aimed at describing the clinical, immunological, and molecular characterizations of 34 LAD-I Egyptian pediatric patients. METHODS: Details of 34 patients' personal medical history, clinical and laboratory findings were recorded; Genetic material from 28 patients was studied. Mutational analysis was done by Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: Omphalitis, skin and soft tissue infections with poorly healing ulcers, delayed falling of the umbilical stump, and recurrent or un-resolving pneumonia were the most common presentations, followed by chronic otitis media, enteropathy, periodontitis; and recurrent oral thrush. Persistent leukocytosis and neutrophilia were reported in all patients, as well as CD18 and CD11b deficiency. CD18 expression was < 2% in around 90% of patients. Sixteen different pathological gene variants were detected in 28 patients who underwent ITGß2 gene sequencing, of those, ten were novel and six were previously reported. Three families received a prenatal diagnosis. Patients were on antimicrobials according to culture's results whenever available, and on prophylactic Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole 5 mg/kg once daily, with regular clinical follow up. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) was offered for 4 patients. However due to severity of the disease and delay in diagnosis, 58% of the patients passed away in the first 2 years of life. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance of early diagnosis and distribution of ITGß2 gene mutation in Egyptian children. Further molecular studies, however, remain a challenging necessity for better disease characterization in the region.

Investigating foliar application of bulk and nanoparticles titanium dioxide on fennel productivity to mitigate the negative effects of saline irrigation water.

BACKGROUND: Fennel essential oils are fragrance compounds used in food and pharmaceutical sectors. One of the major impediments to expansion of fennel farming in Egypt's reclamation areas is saline water. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) or TiO2 nano particles (TiO2NP) can be utilized to boost the yield of aromatic plants cultivated under saline irrigation water. Saline water, particularly which contains sodium chloride can harm fennel plant; consequently, it was predicted that fennel production would fail in Egypt's reclaimed area, where the primary source of irrigation is groundwater consisting sodium chloride. This study sought to help fennel respond to sodium chloride by applying Ti forms to their leaves in order to reduce the detrimental effects of sodium chloride on them for expanding their production in the newly reclamation areas as a natural source of essential oil. Ti forms were applied as foliar application at 0, 0.1, 0.2 TiO2, 0.1 TiO2NP, and 0.2 TiO2NP, mM under irrigation with fresh water (0.4 dS m-1), or saline water (51.3 mM or 4.7 dS m-1). RESULTS: Plants exposed to 0.1 mM TiO2NP under fresh water resulted in the maximum values of morphological characters, estragole, oxygenated monoterpenes and photosynthetic pigments; while those subjected to 0.1 mM TiO2NP under saline water gave the greatest values of essential oil, proline, antioxidant enzymes and phenols. The greatest amounts of soluble sugars were recorded with 0.2 mM TiO2NP irrigated with saline water. Plants subjected to 0 mM TiO2 under saline water produced the greatest values of flavonoids, hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde. CONCLUSION: To mitigate the negative effects of salty irrigation water on fennel plant production, TiO2NP application is suggested as a potential strategy.

The clinical and genetic spectrum of autosomal-recessive TOR1A-related disorders.

In the field of rare diseases, progress in molecular diagnostics led to the recognition that variants linked to autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative diseases of later onset can, in the context of biallelic inheritance, cause devastating neurodevelopmental disorders and infantile or childhood-onset neurodegeneration. TOR1A-associated arthrogryposis multiplex congenita 5 (AMC5) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder arising from biallelic variants in TOR1A, a gene that in the heterozygous state is associated with torsion dystonia-1 (DYT1 or DYT-TOR1A), an early-onset dystonia with reduced penetrance. While 15 individuals with AMC5-TOR1A have been reported (less than 10 in detail), a systematic investigation of the full disease-associated spectrum has not been conducted. Here, we assess the clinical, radiological and molecular characteristics of 57 individuals from 40 families with biallelic variants in TOR1A. Median age at last follow-up was 3 years (0-24 years). Most individuals presented with severe congenital flexion contractures (95%) and variable developmental delay (79%). Motor symptoms were reported in 79% and included lower limb spasticity and pyramidal signs, as well as gait disturbances. Facial dysmorphism was an integral part of the phenotype, with key features being a broad/full nasal tip, narrowing of the forehead and full cheeks. Analysis of disease-associated manifestations delineated a phenotypic spectrum ranging from normal cognition and mild gait disturbance to congenital arthrogryposis, global developmental delay, intellectual disability, absent speech and inability to walk. In a subset, the presentation was consistent with foetal akinesia deformation sequence with severe intrauterine abnormalities. Survival was 71%, with higher mortality in males. Death occurred at a median age of 1.2 months (1 week-9 years), due to respiratory failure, cardiac arrest or sepsis. Analysis of brain MRI studies identified non-specific neuroimaging features, including a hypoplastic corpus callosum (72%), foci of signal abnormality in the subcortical and periventricular white matter (55%), diffuse white matter volume loss (45%), mega cisterna magna (36%) and arachnoid cysts (27%). The molecular spectrum included 22 distinct variants, defining a mutational hotspot in the C-terminal domain of the Torsin-1A protein. Genotype-phenotype analysis revealed an association of missense variants in the 3-helix bundle domain to an attenuated phenotype, while missense variants near the Walker A/B motif as well as biallelic truncating variants were linked to early death. In summary, this systematic cross-sectional analysis of a large cohort of individuals with biallelic TOR1A variants across a wide age-range delineates the clinical and genetic spectrum of TOR1A-related autosomal-recessive disease and highlights potential predictors for disease severity and survival.

Biallelic MED27 variants lead to variable ponto-cerebello-lental degeneration with movement disorders.

MED27 is a subunit of the Mediator multiprotein complex, which is involved in transcriptional regulation. Biallelic MED27 variants have recently been suggested to be responsible for an autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental disorder with spasticity, cataracts and cerebellar hypoplasia. We further delineate the clinical phenotype of MED27-related disease by characterizing the clinical and radiological features of 57 affected individuals from 30 unrelated families with biallelic MED27 variants. Using exome sequencing and extensive international genetic data sharing, 39 unpublished affected individuals from 18 independent families with biallelic missense variants in MED27 have been identified (29 females, mean age at last follow-up 17 ± 12.4 years, range 0.1-45). Follow-up and hitherto unreported clinical features were obtained from the published 12 families. Brain MRI scans from 34 cases were reviewed. MED27-related disease manifests as a broad phenotypic continuum ranging from developmental and epileptic-dyskinetic encephalopathy to variable neurodevelopmental disorder with movement abnormalities. It is characterized by mild to profound global developmental delay/intellectual disability (100%), bilateral cataracts (89%), infantile hypotonia (74%), microcephaly (62%), gait ataxia (63%), dystonia (61%), variably combined with epilepsy (50%), limb spasticity (51%), facial dysmorphism (38%) and death before reaching adulthood (16%). Brain MRI revealed cerebellar atrophy (100%), white matter volume loss (76.4%), pontine hypoplasia (47.2%) and basal ganglia atrophy with signal alterations (44.4%). Previously unreported 39 affected individuals had seven homozygous pathogenic missense MED27 variants, five of which were recurrent. An emerging genotype-phenotype correlation was observed. This study provides a comprehensive clinical-radiological description of MED27-related disease, establishes genotype-phenotype and clinical-radiological correlations and suggests a differential diagnosis with syndromes of cerebello-lental neurodegeneration and other subtypes of 'neuro-MEDopathies'.

Cognitive impairment and exploitation: connecting fragments of a bigger picture through data.

BACKGROUND: Exploitation poses a significant public health concern. This paper highlights 'jigsaw pieces' of statistical evidence, indicating cognitive impairment as a pre- or co-existing factor in exploitation. METHODS: We reviewed English Safeguarding Adults Collection (SAC) data and Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs) from 2017 to 22. Data relevant to exploitation and cognitive impairment were analysed using summary statistics and 'analysis of variance'. RESULTS: Despite estimates suggesting cognitive impairments may be prevalent among people experiencing exploitation in England, national datasets miss opportunities to illuminate this issue. Although SAC data include statistics on support needs and various forms of abuse and exploitation, they lack intersectional data. Significant regional variations in recorded safeguarding investigations and potential conflation between abuse and exploitation also suggest data inconsistencies. Increased safeguarding investigations for people who were not previously in contact with services indicate that adults may be 'slipping through the net'. SARs, although representing serious cases, provide stronger evidence linking cognitive impairment with risks of exploitation. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies opportunities to collect detailed information on cognitive impairment and exploitation. The extremely limited quantitative evidence-base could be enhanced using existing data channels to build a more robust picture, as well as improve prevention, identification and response efforts for 'at-risk' adults.

Male reproductive hormone disorders among copper smelter workers.

Male workers in copper smelting are exposed to copper, lead, and arsenic. This study aimed to assess the effects of combined exposure to these metals on male reproductive hormone levels and assesses malondialdehyde (MDA) as an oxidative stress parameter. The study was conducted on 40 copper smelter workers compared with 40 non-exposed workers. Laboratory investigations included levels of serum copper, blood lead, serum arsenic, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, and MDA. Levels of copper, arsenic, lead, FSH, and LH were significantly increased compared to controls. However, a statistically significant decrease in the mean value of testosterone was found among exposed workers. Positive correlations between serum copper and both serum FSH and MDA levels were statistically significant as were correlations between serum arsenic and MDA levels. Testosterone levels showed significant negative correlations with both copper and arsenic among exposed workers. A linear regression model of copper, arsenic, and lead levels as independent variables with FSH, LH, and testosterone as dependent variables revealed a significant negative association between serum copper and testosterone levels. The current study concluded that combined exposure to copper, arsenic, and lead in secondary copper smelters had a negative impact on male reproductive hormone levels that may be mediated by oxidative stress.

Epidemiology of herpes simplex virus type 2 in the Middle East and North Africa: Systematic review, meta-analyses, and meta-regressions.

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection is a prevalent, sexually transmitted infection with poorly characterized prevalence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This study characterized HSV-2 epidemiology in MENA. HSV-2 reports were systematically reviewed as guided by the Cochrane Collaboration Handbook and findings were reported following PRISMA guidelines. Random-effects meta-analyses and meta-regressions were performed to estimate pooled mean outcome measures and to assess predictors of HSV-2 antibody prevalence (seroprevalence), trends in seroprevalence, and between-study heterogeneity. In total, sixty-one overall (133 stratified) HSV-2 seroprevalence measures and two overall (four stratified) proportion measures of HSV-2 detection in laboratory-confirmed genital herpes were extracted from 37 relevant publications. Pooled mean seroprevalence was 5.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.6%-6.8%) among general populations, 13.3% (95% CI: 8.6%-18.7%) among intermediate-risk populations, 20.6% (95% CI: 5.3%-42.3%) among female sex workers, and 18.3% (95% CI: 3.9%-39.4%) among male sex workers. Compared to Fertile Crescent countries, seroprevalence was 3.39-fold (95% CI: 1.86-6.20) and 3.90-fold (95% CI: 1.78-8.57) higher in Maghreb and Horn of Africa countries, respectively. Compared to studies published before 2010, seroprevalence was 1.73-fold (95% CI: 1.00-2.99) higher in studies published after 2015. Pooled mean proportion of HSV-2 detection in genital herpes was 73.8% (95% CI: 42.2%-95.9%). In conclusion, MENA has a lower HSV-2 seroprevalence than other world regions. Yet, 1 in 20 adults is chronically infected, despite conservative prevailing sexual norms. Seroprevalence may also be increasing, unlike other world regions. Findings support the need for expansion of surveillance and monitoring of HSV-2 infection in MENA.

Determinants of splenic preservation among patients with sickle cell disease in North-Eastern Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE: In patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), the spleen commonly enlarges during early childhood, but undergoes reduction in size and fibrosis from repeated episodes of vaso-occlusion and infarction. The rate of progression of this process varies markedly among these patients. The aim of current study was to explore clinical and laboratory factors associated with the preservation of the spleen among these patients. METHODS: Two hundred four patients with SCD (103 females; age 1-45 years) underwent abdominal ultrasonography at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Nigeria between October 2020 and November 2021 to assess for splenic visualisation and echotexture. Steady-state clinical parameters and blood samples for full blood count, serum chemistry, high-performance liquid chromatography and malaria parasitemia were obtained from all the patients. RESULTS: The spleen was visualised in 107 (52.4%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 46%-59%) patients with SCD on ultrasonography. While the spleen was visualised in all children less than 5 years of age, it was visualised in only 23.5% of those aged 15 years and older. Visualisation of the spleen was significantly associated with low mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and high haemoglobin F (HbF) in those younger than 10 years. The odds of visualisation of the spleen on ultrasonography increased by a factor of 1.17% for every 1% increase in HbF level. Only 32 (15%) patients were on regular hydroxyurea therapy. The HbF level was significantly higher among patients on hydroxyurea (median 12.7 vs. 7.4; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: In patients with SCD, failure to visualise the spleen was not found in children less than 5 years old. Patients with visualised spleens had a higher level of HbF than those with non-visualised spleens. HbF was significantly associated with visualisation of the spleen before 10 years of age. Since early administration of hydroxyurea will increase HbF level, we expect that it would help to preserve the spleen.

Nearest-neighbour transition-state analysis for nucleic acid kinetics.

We used stopped-flow to monitor hypochromicity for 43 oligonucleotide duplexes to study nucleic acid kinetics and extract transition-state parameters for association and dissociation. Reactions were performed in 1.0 M NaCl (for literature comparisons) and 2.2 mM MgCl2 (PCR conditions). Dissociation kinetics depended on sequence, increased exponentially with temperature, and transition-state parameters inversely correlated to thermodynamic parameters (r = -0.99). Association had no consistent enthalpic component, varied little with temperature or sequence, and poorly correlated to thermodynamic parameters (r = 0.28). Average association rates decreased 78% in MgCl2 compared to NaCl while dissociation was relatively insensitive to ionic conditions. A nearest-neighbour kinetic model for dissociation predicted rate constants within 3-fold of literature values (n = 11). However, a nearest-neighbour model for association appeared overparameterized and inadequate for predictions. Kinetic predictions were used to simulate published high-speed (<1 min) melting analysis and extreme (<2 min) PCR experiments. Melting simulations predicted apparent melting temperatures increase on average 2.4°C when temperature ramp rates increased from 0.1 to 32°C/s, compared to 2.8°C reported in the literature. PCR simulations revealed that denaturation kinetics are dependent on the thermocycling profile. Simulations overestimated annealing efficiencies at shorter annealing times and suggested that polymerase interactions contribute to primer-template complex stability at extension temperatures.

A novel role for kynurenine 3-monooxygenase in mitochondrial dynamics.

The enzyme kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) operates at a critical branch-point in the kynurenine pathway (KP), the major route of tryptophan metabolism. As the KP has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several human diseases, KMO and other enzymes that control metabolic flux through the pathway are potential therapeutic targets for these disorders. While KMO is localized to the outer mitochondrial membrane in eukaryotic organisms, no mitochondrial role for KMO has been described. In this study, KMO deficient Drosophila melanogaster were investigated for mitochondrial phenotypes in vitro and in vivo. We find that a loss of function allele or RNAi knockdown of the Drosophila KMO ortholog (cinnabar) causes a range of morphological and functional alterations to mitochondria, which are independent of changes to levels of KP metabolites. Notably, cinnabar genetically interacts with the Parkinson's disease associated genes Pink1 and parkin, as well as the mitochondrial fission gene Drp1, implicating KMO in mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy, mechanisms which govern the maintenance of a healthy mitochondrial network. Overexpression of human KMO in mammalian cells finds that KMO plays a role in the post-translational regulation of DRP1. These findings reveal a novel mitochondrial role for KMO, independent from its enzymatic role in the kynurenine pathway.

Performance Optimization of Wearable Printed Human Body Temperature Sensor Based on Silver Interdigitated Electrode and Carbon-Sensing Film.

The human body's temperature is one of the most important vital markers due to its ability to detect various diseases early. Accurate measurement of this parameter has received considerable interest in the healthcare sector. We present a novel study on the optimization of a temperature sensor based on silver interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) and carbon-sensing film. The sensor was developed on a flexible Kapton thin film first by inkjet printing the silver IDEs, followed by screen printing a sensing film made of carbon black. The IDE finger spacing and width of the carbon film were both optimized, which considerably improved the sensor's sensitivity throughout a wide temperature range that fully covers the temperature of human skin. The optimized sensor demonstrated an acceptable temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of 3.93 × 10-3 °C-1 for temperature sensing between 25 °C and 50 °C. The proposed sensor was tested on the human body to measure the temperature of various body parts, such as the forehead, neck, and palm. The sensor showed a consistent and reproducible temperature reading with a quick response and recovery time, exhibiting adequate capability to sense skin temperatures. This wearable sensor has the potential to be employed in a variety of applications, such as soft robotics, epidermal electronics, and soft human-machine interfaces.

Antimicrobial, Antidiabetic, Antioxidant, and Anticoagulant Activities of Cupressus sempervirens In Vitro and In Silico.

In the last decade, the urgent need to explore medicinal plants or drug development has increased enormously around the world to overcome numerous health problems. In the present investigation, HPLC indicated the existence of 18 phenolic and flavonoid compounds in the Cupressus sempervirens extract. Hesperetin represents the greatest concentration (25,579.57 µg/mL), while other compounds, such as pyro catechol, rutin, gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, naringenin, and quercetin, were recognized in concentrations of 2922.53 µg/mL, 1313.26 µg/mL, 1107.26 µg/mL, 389.09 µg/mL, 156.53 µg/mL, and 97.56 µg/mL, respectively. The well diffusion method documented the antibacterial/antifungal activity of C. sempervirens extract against E. faecalis, E. coli, C. albicans, S. typhi, S.aureus, and M. circinelloid with 35, 33, 32, 25, 23, and 21 mm inhibition zones, respectively, more than the standard antibiotic/antifungal agent. Low values ranging from 7.80 to 15.62 µg/mL of MIC and MBC were recorded for E. faecalis, E. coli, and C. albicans. From the 1- diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) assay, promising antioxidant activity was recorded for C. sempervirens extract with IC50 of an 8.97 µg/mL. Moreover, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and total antioxidant capacity assays (TAC) confirmed the antioxidant activity of the extract, which was expressed as the ascorbic acid equivalent (AAE) of 366.9 ± 0.2 µg/mg and 102 ± 0.2 µg/mg of extracts, respectively. α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition % were determined to express the antidiabetic activity of the extract in vitro, with promising IC50 value (27.01 µg/mL) for α-amylase compared to that of acarbose (50.93 µg/mL), while IC50 value of the extract for α-glucosidase was 19.21µg/mL compared to that of acarbose 4.13 µg/mL. Prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) revealed the role of C. sempervirens extract as an anticoagulant agent if compared with the activity of heparin. Binding interactions of hesperetin and gallic acid were examined via the Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) Dock software against E. faecalis (PDB ID: 3CLQ), C. albicans (PDB ID: 7RJC), α-amylase (PDB ID: 4W93), and α-glucosidase (PDB ID: 3TOP). The obtained results shed light on how molecular modeling methods might inhibit the tested compounds, which have the potential to be useful in the treatment of target proteins.

Resistomycin Suppresses Prostate Cancer Cell Growth by Instigating Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Apoptosis, and Cell Cycle Arrest.

Globally, prostate cancer is among the most threatening and leading causes of death in men. This study, therefore, aimed to search for an ideal antitumor strategy with high efficacy, low drug resistance, and no or few adverse effects. Resistomycin is a natural antibiotic derived from marine actinomycetes, and it possesses various biological activities. Prostate cancer cells (PC3) were treated with resistomycin (IC12.5: 0.65 or IC25: 1.3 µg/mL) or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU; IC25: 7 µg/mL) for 24 h. MTT assay and flow cytometry were utilized to assess cell viability and apoptosis. Oxidative stress, apoptotic-related markers, and cell cycle were also assessed. The results revealed that the IC50 of resistomycin and 5-FU on PC3 cells were 2.63 µg/mL and 14.44 µg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, treated cells with the high dose of resistomycin showed an increased number of apoptotic cells compared to those treated with the lower dose. Remarkable induction of reactive oxygen species generation and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage with high malondialdehyde (MDA), carbonyl protein (CP), and 8-hydroxyguanosine (8-OHdG) contents were observed in resistomycin-treated cells. In addition, marked declines in glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in PC3 cells subjected to resistomycin therapy were observed. Resistomycin triggered observable cell apoptosis by increasing Bax, caspase-3, and cytosolic cytochrome c levels and decreasing Bcl-2 levels. In addition, notable downregulation of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and cyclin D1 was observed in resistomycin-treated cancerous cells. According to this evaluation, the antitumor potential of resistomycin, in a concentration-dependent manner, in prostate cancer cells was achieved by triggering oxidative stress, mitochondrial apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest in cancer cells. In conclusion, our investigation suggests that resistomycin can be considered a starting point for developing new chemotherapeutic agents for human prostate cancer.

Anti-membrane Antibodies Persist at Least One Year and Discriminate Between Past Coronavirus Disease 2019 Infection and Vaccination.

BACKGROUND: The consequences of past coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection for personal and population health are emerging, but accurately identifying distant infection is a challenge. Anti-spike antibodies rise after both vaccination and infection and anti-nucleocapsid antibodies rapidly decline. METHODS: We evaluated anti-membrane antibodies in COVID-19 naive, vaccinated, and convalescent subjects to determine if they persist and accurately detect distant infection. RESULTS: We found that anti-membrane antibodies persist for at least 1 year and are a sensitive and specific marker of past COVID-19 infection. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, anti-membrane and anti-spike antibodies together can differentiate between COVID-19 convalescent, vaccinated, and naive states to advance public health and research.

Exploring quality attributes of smart classrooms from the perspectives of academics.

The purpose of this study is to explore attributes that influence the quality of smart classrooms from the perspective of higher education teachers. Relying on a purposive sample of 31 academicians from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the study identifies themes related to quality attributes of technology platforms and social interactions. These attributes are user security, educational intelligence, technology accessibility, system diversity, system interconnectivity, system simplicity, system sensitivity, system adaptability and platform affordability. The study identifies management procedures, educational policies, and administrative practices that enact, engineer, enable, and enhance these attributes in smart classrooms. The findings also highlight strategy-oriented planning and cause-driven transformation as the main smart classroom contexts influencing the quality of education among interviewees. With insights from the interviews, this article discusses some theoretical and practical implications of the study, research limitations, and potential future research directions.

Genetic diagnosis in Sudanese and Tunisian families with syndromic intellectual disability through exome sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Intellectual disability is a form of neurodevelopmental disorders that begin in childhood and is characterized by substantial intellectual difficulties as well as difficulties in conceptual, social, and practical areas of living. Several genetic and nongenetic factors contribute to its development; however, its most severe forms are generally attributed to single-gene defects. High-throughput technologies and data sharing contributed to the diagnosis of hundreds of single-gene intellectual disability subtypes. METHOD: We applied exome sequencing to identify potential variants causing syndromic intellectual disability in six Sudanese patients from four unrelated families. Data sharing through the Varsome portal corroborated the diagnosis of one of these patients and a Tunisian patient investigated through exome sequencing. Sanger sequencing validated the identified variants and their segregation with the phenotypes in the five studied families. RESULT: We identified three pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in CCDC82, ADAT3, and HUWE1 and variants of uncertain significance in HERC2 and ATP2B3. The patients with the CCDC82 variants had microcephaly and spasticity, two signs absent in the two previously reported families with CCDC82-related intellectual disability. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we report new patients with pathogenic mutations in the genes CCDC82, ADAT3, and HUWE1. We also highlight the possibility of extending the CCDC82-linked phenotype to include spastic paraplegia and microcephaly.

Genetic Testing in Egyptian Patients with Inborn Errors of Immunity: a Single-Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are a group of heterogeneous disorders with geographic and ethnic diversities. Although IEI are common in Egypt, genetic diagnosis is limited due to financial restrictions. This study aims to characterize the genetic spectrum of IEI patients in Egypt and highlights the adaptation of the molecular diagnostic methods to a resource-limited setting. METHODS: Genetic material from 504 patients was studied, and proper diagnosis was achieved in 282 patients from 246 families. Mutational analysis was done by Sanger sequencing, next-generation sequencing (NGS) targeting customized genes panels, and whole-exome sequencing (WES) according to the patients' phenotypes and availability of genetic testing. RESULTS: A total of 194 variants involving 72 different genes were detected with RAG1/2 genes being the most encountered followed by DOCK8, CYBA, LRBA, NCF1, and JAK3. Autosomal recessive (AR) inheritance was detected in 233/282 patients (82.6%), X-linked (XL) recessive inheritance in 32/282 patients (11.3%), and autosomal dominant (AD) inheritance in 18/282 patients (6.4%), reflecting the impact of consanguineous marriages on the prevalence of different modes of inheritance and the distribution of the various IEI disorders. CONCLUSION: The study showed that a combination of Sanger sequencing in selected patients associated with targeted NGS or WES in other patients is an effective diagnostic strategy for IEI diagnosis in countries with limited diagnostic resources. Molecular testing can be used to validate other nonexpensive laboratory techniques that help to reach definitive diagnosis and help in genetic counseling and taking proper therapeutic decisions including stem cell transplantation or gene therapy.

Constitutive overexpression of GsIMaT2 gene from wild soybean enhances rhizobia interaction and increase nodulation in soybean (Glycine max).

BACKGROUND: Since the root nodules formation is regulated by specific and complex interactions of legume and rhizobial genes, there are still too many questions to be answered about the role of the genes involved in the regulation of the nodulation signaling pathway. RESULTS: The genetic and biological roles of the isoflavone-7-O-beta-glucoside 6″-O-malonyltransferase gene GsIMaT2 from wild soybean (Glycine soja) in the regulation of nodule and root growth in soybean (Glycine max) were examined in this work. The effect of overexpressing GsIMaT2 from G. soja on the soybean nodulation signaling system and strigolactone production was investigated. We discovered that the GsIMaT2 increased nodule numbers, fresh nodule weight, root weight, and root length by boosting strigolactone formation. Furthermore, we examined the isoflavone concentration of transgenic G. max hairy roots 10 and 20 days after rhizobial inoculation. Malonyldaidzin, malonylgenistin, daidzein, and glycitein levels were considerably higher in GsMaT2-OE hairy roots after 10- and 20-days of Bradyrhizobium japonicum infection compared to the control. These findings suggest that isoflavones and their biosynthetic genes play unique functions in the nodulation signaling system in G. max. CONCLUSIONS: Finally, our results indicate the potential effects of the GsIMaT2 gene on soybean root growth and nodulation. This study provides novel insights for understanding the epistatic relationship between isoflavones, root development, and nodulation in soybean. HIGHLIGHTS: * Cloning and Characterization of 7-O-beta-glucoside 6″-O-malonyltransferase (GsIMaT2) gene from wild soybean (G. soja). * The role of GsIMaT2 gene in the regulation of root nodule development. *Overexpression of GsMaT2 gene increases the accumulation of isoflavonoid in transgenic soybean hairy roots. * This gene could be used for metabolic engineering of useful isoflavonoid production.

MixTwice: large-scale hypothesis testing for peptide arrays by variance mixing.

SUMMARY: Peptide microarrays have emerged as a powerful technology in immunoproteomics as they provide a tool to measure the abundance of different antibodies in patient serum samples. The high dimensionality and small sample size of many experiments challenge conventional statistical approaches, including those aiming to control the false discovery rate (FDR). Motivated by limitations in reproducibility and power of current methods, we advance an empirical Bayesian tool that computes local FDR statistics and local false sign rate statistics when provided with data on estimated effects and estimated standard errors from all the measured peptides. As the name suggests, the MixTwice tool involves the estimation of two mixing distributions, one on underlying effects and one on underlying variance parameters. Constrained optimization techniques provide for model fitting of mixing distributions under weak shape constraints (unimodality of the effect distribution). Numerical experiments show that MixTwice can accurately estimate generative parameters and powerfully identify non-null peptides. In a peptide array study of rheumatoid arthritis, MixTwice recovers meaningful peptide markers in one case where the signal is weak, and has strong reproducibility properties in one case where the signal is strong. AVAILABILITYAND IMPLEMENTATION: MixTwice is available as an R software package https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/MixTwice/. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Bi-allelic null variant in matrix metalloproteinase-15, causes congenital cardiac defect, cholestasis jaundice, and failure to thrive.

Here, we delineate the phenotype of two siblings with a bi-allelic frameshift variant in MMP15 gene with congenital cardiac defects, cholestasis, and dysmorphism. Genome sequencing analysis revealed a recently reported homozygous frameshift variant (c.1058delC, p.Pro353Glnfs*102) in MMP15 gene that co-segregates with the phenotype in the family in a recessive mode of inheritance. Relative quantification of MMP15 mRNA showed evidence of degradation of the mutated transcript, presumably by nonsense mediated decay. Likewise, MMP15: p.Gly231Arg, a concurrently reported homozygous missense variant in another patient exhibiting a similar phenotype, was predicted to disrupt zinc ion binding to the MMP-15 enzyme catalytic domain, which is essential for substrate proteolysis, by structural modeling. Previous animal models and cellular findings suggested that MMP15 plays a crucial role in the formation of endocardial cushions. These findings confirm that MMP15 is an important gene in human development, particularly cardiac, and that its loss of function is likely to cause a severe disorder phenotype.