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1.
J Am Acad Dermatol ; 2024 Jul 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38972480

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Patch testing to multiple cross reactive allergens for allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) may not be necessary due to copositivity. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the formaldehyde group allergens to determine the optimal, most cost-effective allergens to test. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of Mayo Clinic (1997-2022) examined the well-established copositive formaldehyde group: Formaldehyde, Quaternium 15, Hexahydro-1,3,5-tris(2-hydroxyethyl)triazine, Diazolidinyl urea, Imidazolidinyl urea, Toluenesulphonamide formaldehyde resin, DMDM hydantoin, and Ethyleneurea melamine formaldehyde mix. Patch Optimization Platform (POP) identified which single formaldehyde-related allergen optimally captures patients with clinically relevant ACD. Next, POP determined the optimal additional 1, 2, 3, etc. allergens. Cost per patch test was $5.19 (Medicare 2022). RESULTS: 9832 patients were tested to all listed allergens, with 830 having positive patch tests. POP determined that Quaternium 15 alone captures 53% of patients with ACD to the formaldehyde group; adding the optimal second allergen (Formaldehyde 1%) captures 78%; the optimal five top allergens capture over 94% of patients. The incremental cost-per-additional-diagnosis increased up to 44-fold as the number of allergens tested increased. LIMITATIONS: Data is from a single institution, and the cost-per-test was fixed to Medicare Part B in 2022. CONCLUSIONS: For diagnosing ACD, we recommend considering an optimized allergen selection algorithm.

2.
Arch Dermatol Res ; 316(6): 268, 2024 May 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38795175

ABSTRACT

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is a neutrophilic dermatosis characterized by ulcerative painful lesions with violaceous undermined borders. Up to 75% of PG cases develop in association with an underlying systemic disease. Monoclonal gammopathy is reportedly a concomitant condition with PG, with studies indicating immunoglobulin (Ig) A gammopathy as the most common. Whether gammopathy is associated with PG or is an incidental finding has been debated. We sought to investigate the association and characteristics of gammopathy in patients with PG. We retrospectively identified PG patients at our institution from 2010 to 2022 who were screened for plasma cell dyscrasia. Of 106 patients identified, 29 (27%) had a gammopathy; subtypes included IgA (41%), IgG (28%), and biclonal (IgA and IgG) (14%). Mean age was similar between those with and without gammopathy (60.7 vs. 55.9 years; P = .26). In addition, hematologic or solid organ cancer developed in significantly more patients with vs. without gammopathy (8/29 [28%] vs. 5/77 [6%]; P = .003). Among the subtypes of gammopathy, IgG monoclonal gammopathy had the highest proportion of patients with subsequent cancer development (4 of 8 patients, 50%). Study limitations include a retrospective, single-institution design with a limited number of patients. Overall, our data show a high prevalence of gammopathy in patients with PG; those patients additionally had an increased incidence of cancer, especially hematologic cancer.


Subject(s)
Paraproteinemias , Pyoderma Gangrenosum , Humans , Pyoderma Gangrenosum/diagnosis , Pyoderma Gangrenosum/epidemiology , Retrospective Studies , Middle Aged , Female , Male , Paraproteinemias/complications , Paraproteinemias/diagnosis , Paraproteinemias/epidemiology , Paraproteinemias/immunology , Aged , Immunoglobulin A/blood , Immunoglobulin A/immunology , Adult , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Immunoglobulin G/immunology
3.
Ann Clin Transl Neurol ; 11(6): 1636-1642, 2024 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38700104

ABSTRACT

While biallelic POLR3A loss-of-function variants are traditionally linked to hypomyelinating leukodystrophy, patients with a specific splice variant c.1909+22G>A manifest as adolescent-onset spastic ataxia without overt leukodystrophy. In this study, we reported eight new cases, POLR3A-related disorder with c.1909+22 variant. One of these patients showed expanded phenotypic spectrum of generalised dystonia and her sister remained asymptomatic except for hypodontia. Two patients with dystonic arm tremor responded to deep brain stimulation. In our systemic literature review, we found that POLR3A-related disorder with c.1909+22 variant has attenuated disease severity but frequency of dystonia and upper limb tremor did not differ among genotypes.


Subject(s)
Deep Brain Stimulation , Dystonia , RNA Polymerase III , Humans , Female , RNA Polymerase III/genetics , Dystonia/genetics , Dystonia/therapy , Adolescent , Male , Muscle Spasticity/genetics , Muscle Spasticity/therapy , Adult , Spinocerebellar Ataxias/genetics , Spinocerebellar Ataxias/therapy , Spinocerebellar Ataxias/physiopathology , Young Adult , Child , Intellectual Disability , Optic Atrophy
4.
Nat Commun ; 15(1): 4080, 2024 May 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38744812

ABSTRACT

While preventing vertical HIV transmission has been very successful, HIV-exposed uninfected infants (iHEU) experience an elevated risk to infections compared to HIV-unexposed and uninfected infants (iHUU). Here we present a longitudinal multimodal analysis of infant immune ontogeny that highlights the impact of HIV/ARV exposure. Using mass cytometry, we show alterations in T cell memory differentiation between iHEU and iHUU being significant from week 15 of life. The altered memory T cell differentiation in iHEU was preceded by lower TCR Vß clonotypic diversity and linked to TCR clonal depletion within the naïve T cell compartment. Compared to iHUU, iHEU had elevated CD56loCD16loPerforin+CD38+CD45RA+FcεRIγ+ NK cells at 1 month postpartum and whose abundance pre-vaccination were predictive of vaccine-induced pertussis and rotavirus antibody responses post 3 months of life. Collectively, HIV/ARV exposure disrupted the trajectory of innate and adaptive immunity from birth which may underlie relative vulnerability to infections in iHEU.


Subject(s)
HIV Infections , Immunologic Memory , Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical , Humans , HIV Infections/immunology , HIV Infections/virology , Infant , Female , Infant, Newborn , Memory T Cells/immunology , Male , Killer Cells, Natural/immunology , Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/immunology , Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell/metabolism , Adaptive Immunity/immunology , Cell Differentiation/immunology , Longitudinal Studies
5.
Res Sq ; 2024 May 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38798564

ABSTRACT

Studying lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) early carcinogenesis is challenging, primarily due to the lack of LUAD precursors specimens. We amassed multi-omics data from 213 LUAD and LUAD precursors to identify molecular features underlying LUAD precancer evolution. We observed progressively increasing mutations, chromosomal aberrations, whole genome doubling and genomic instability from precancer to invasive LUAD, indicating aggravating chromosomal instability (CIN). Telomere shortening, a crucial genomic alteration linked to CIN, emerged at precancer stage. Moreover, later-stage lesions demonstrated increasing cancer stemness and decreasing alveolar identity, suggesting epithelial de-differentiation during early LUAD carcinogenesis. The innate immune cells progressively diminished from precancer to invasive LUAD, concomitant with a gradual recruitment of adaptive immune cells (except CD8+ and gamma-delta T cells that decreased in later stages) and upregulation of numerous immune checkpoints, suggesting LUAD precancer evolution is associated with a shift from innate to adaptive immune response and immune evasion mediated by various mechanisms.

6.
bioRxiv ; 2024 May 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38746454

ABSTRACT

More than 65 million individuals worldwide are estimated to have Long COVID (LC), a complex multisystemic condition, wherein patients of all ages report fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and other symptoms resembling myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). With no current treatments or reliable diagnostic markers, there is an urgent need to define the molecular underpinnings of these conditions. By studying bioenergetic characteristics of peripheral blood lymphocytes in over 16 healthy controls, 15 ME/CFS, and 15 LC, we find both ME/CFS and LC donors exhibit signs of elevated oxidative stress, relative to healthy controls, especially in the memory subset. Using a combination of flow cytometry, bulk RNA-seq analysis, mass spectrometry, and systems chemistry analysis, we also observed aberrations in ROS clearance pathways including elevated glutathione levels, decreases in mitochondrial superoxide dismutase levels, and glutathione peroxidase 4 mediated lipid oxidative damage. Critically, these changes in redox pathways show striking sex-specific trends. While females diagnosed with ME/CFS exhibit higher total ROS and mitochondrial calcium levels, males with an ME/CFS diagnosis have normal ROS levels, but larger changes in lipid oxidative damage. Further analyses show that higher ROS levels correlates with hyperproliferation of T cells in females, consistent with the known role of elevated ROS levels in the initiation of proliferation. This hyperproliferation of T cells can be attenuated by metformin, suggesting this FDA-approved drug as a possible treatment, as also suggested by a recent clinical study of LC patients. Thus, we report that both ME/CFS and LC are mechanistically related and could be diagnosed with quantitative blood cell measurements. We also suggest that effective, patient tailored drugs might be discovered using standard lymphocyte stimulation assays.

7.
Heart Lung Circ ; 33(6): 773-827, 2024 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38749800

ABSTRACT

Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is the most widely available and utilised imaging modality for the screening, diagnosis, and serial monitoring of all abnormalities related to cardiac structure or function. The primary objectives of this document are to provide (1) a guiding framework for treating clinicians of the acceptable indications for the initial and serial TTE assessments of the commonly encountered cardiovascular conditions in adults, and (2) the minimum required standard for TTE examinations and reporting for imaging service providers. The main areas covered within this Position Statement pertain to the TTE assessment of the left and right ventricles, valvular heart diseases, pericardial diseases, aortic diseases, infective endocarditis, cardiac masses, pulmonary hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases associated with cancer treatments or cardio-oncology. Facilitating the optimal use and performance of high quality TTEs will prevent the over or under-utilisation of this resource and unnecessary downstream testing due to suboptimal or incomplete studies.


Subject(s)
Echocardiography , Heart Valve Diseases , Humans , Echocardiography/methods , Echocardiography/standards , Heart Valve Diseases/diagnosis , Heart Valve Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Adult , Societies, Medical , Cardiology/methods , Cardiology/standards
8.
Sci Transl Med ; 16(741): eadg2841, 2024 Apr 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38569017

ABSTRACT

Troponin I (TnI) regulates thin filament activation and muscle contraction. Two isoforms, TnI-fast (TNNI2) and TnI-slow (TNNI1), are predominantly expressed in fast- and slow-twitch myofibers, respectively. TNNI2 variants are a rare cause of arthrogryposis, whereas TNNI1 variants have not been conclusively established to cause skeletal myopathy. We identified recessive loss-of-function TNNI1 variants as well as dominant gain-of-function TNNI1 variants as a cause of muscle disease, each with distinct physiological consequences and disease mechanisms. We identified three families with biallelic TNNI1 variants (F1: p.R14H/c.190-9G>A, F2 and F3: homozygous p.R14C), resulting in loss of function, manifesting with early-onset progressive muscle weakness and rod formation on histology. We also identified two families with a dominantly acting heterozygous TNNI1 variant (F4: p.R174Q and F5: p.K176del), resulting in gain of function, manifesting with muscle cramping, myalgias, and rod formation in F5. In zebrafish, TnI proteins with either of the missense variants (p.R14H; p.R174Q) incorporated into thin filaments. Molecular dynamics simulations suggested that the loss-of-function p.R14H variant decouples TnI from TnC, which was supported by functional studies showing a reduced force response of sarcomeres to submaximal [Ca2+] in patient myofibers. This contractile deficit could be reversed by a slow skeletal muscle troponin activator. In contrast, patient myofibers with the gain-of-function p.R174Q variant showed an increased force to submaximal [Ca2+], which was reversed by the small-molecule drug mavacamten. Our findings demonstrated that TNNI1 variants can cause muscle disease with variant-specific pathomechanisms, manifesting as either a hypo- or a hypercontractile phenotype, suggesting rational therapeutic strategies for each mechanism.


Subject(s)
Muscular Diseases , Sarcomeres , Animals , Humans , Calcium/metabolism , Muscle Contraction , Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism , Muscular Diseases/genetics , Sarcomeres/metabolism , Troponin I/genetics , Troponin I/metabolism , Zebrafish/metabolism
9.
Clin Genet ; 106(1): 13-26, 2024 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38685133

ABSTRACT

The gold standard for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) genetic diagnostic procedures was published in 2012. With the increasing complexity of the genetics of FSHD1 and 2, the increase of genetic testing centers, and the start of clinical trials for FSHD, it is crucial to provide an update on our knowledge of the genetic features of the FSHD loci and renew the international consensus on the molecular testing recommendations. To this end, members of the FSHD European Trial Network summarized the evidence presented during the 2022 ENMC meeting on Genetic diagnosis, clinical outcome measures, and biomarkers. The working group additionally invited genetic and clinical experts from the USA, India, Japan, Australia, South-Africa, and Brazil to provide a global perspective. Six virtual meetings were organized to reach consensus on the minimal requirements for genetic confirmation of FSHD1 and FSHD2. Here, we present the clinical and genetic features of FSHD, specific features of FSHD1 and FSHD2, pros and cons of established and new technologies (Southern blot in combination with either linear or pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, molecular combing, optical genome mapping, FSHD2 methylation analysis and FSHD2 genotyping), the possibilities and challenges of prenatal testing, including pre-implantation genetic testing, and the minimal requirements and recommendations for genetic confirmation of FSHD1 and FSHD2. This consensus is expected to contribute to current clinical management and trial-readiness for FSHD.


Subject(s)
Genetic Testing , Muscular Dystrophy, Facioscapulohumeral , Muscular Dystrophy, Facioscapulohumeral/genetics , Muscular Dystrophy, Facioscapulohumeral/diagnosis , Humans , Genetic Testing/standards , Genetic Testing/methods , Practice Guidelines as Topic
10.
Mol Ecol ; 33(11): e17363, 2024 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38682794

ABSTRACT

Hybridisation can be an important driver of evolutionary change, but hybridisation with invasive species can have adverse effects on native biodiversity. While hybridisation has been documented across taxa, there is limited understanding of ecological factors promoting patterns of hybridisation and the spatial distribution of hybrid individuals. We combined the results of ecological niche modelling (ENM) and restriction site-associated DNA sequencing to test theories of niche conservatism and biotic resistance on the success of invasion, admixture, and extent of introgression between native and non-native fishes. We related Maxent predictions of habitat suitability based on the native ranges of invasive Eastern Banded Killifish (Fundulus diaphanus diaphanus Lesueur 1817) and native Western Banded Killifish (Fundulus diaphanus menona Jordan and Copeland 1877) to admixture indices of individual Banded Killifish. We found that Eastern Banded Killifish predominated at sites predicted as suitable from their ENM, consistent with niche conservatism. Admixed individuals were more common as Eastern Banded Killifish habitat suitability declined. We also found that Eastern Banded Killifish were most common at sites closest to the presumed source of this invasion, whereas the proportion of admixed individuals increased with distance from the source of invasion. Lastly, we found little evidence that habitat suitability for Western Banded Killifish provides biotic resistance from either displacement by, or admixture with, invasive Eastern Banded Killifish. Our study demonstrates that ENMs can inform conservation-relevant outcomes between native and invasive taxa while emphasising the importance of protecting isolated Western Banded Killifish populations from invasive conspecifics.


Subject(s)
Ecosystem , Fundulidae , Introduced Species , Animals , Fundulidae/genetics , Hybridization, Genetic , Genetics, Population , Genetic Introgression , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Biodiversity
11.
Brain ; 147(7): 2579-2592, 2024 Jul 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38425314

ABSTRACT

Anti-IgLON5 disease is a rare and likely underdiagnosed subtype of autoimmune encephalitis. The disease displays a heterogeneous phenotype that includes sleep, movement and bulbar-associated dysfunction. The presence of IgLON5-antibodies in CSF/serum, together with a strong association with HLA-DRB1*10:01∼DQB1*05:01, supports an autoimmune basis. In this study, a multicentric human leukocyte antigen (HLA) study of 87 anti-IgLON5 patients revealed a stronger association with HLA-DQ than HLA-DR. Specifically, we identified a predisposing rank-wise association with HLA-DQA1*01:05∼DQB1*05:01, HLA-DQA1*01:01∼DQB1*05:01 and HLA-DQA1*01:04∼DQB1*05:03 in 85% of patients. HLA sequences and binding cores for these three DQ heterodimers were similar, unlike those of linked DRB1 alleles, supporting a causal link to HLA-DQ. This association was further reflected in an increasingly later age of onset across each genotype group, with a delay of up to 11 years, while HLA-DQ-dosage dependent effects were also suggested by reduced risk in the presence of non-predisposing DQ1 alleles. The functional relevance of the observed HLA-DQ molecules was studied with competition binding assays. These proof-of-concept experiments revealed preferential binding of IgLON5 in a post-translationally modified, but not native, state to all three risk-associated HLA-DQ receptors. Further, a deamidated peptide from the Ig2-domain of IgLON5 activated T cells in two patients, compared with one control carrying HLA-DQA1*01:05∼DQB1*05:01. Taken together, these data support a HLA-DQ-mediated T-cell response to IgLON5 as a potentially key step in the initiation of autoimmunity in this disease.


Subject(s)
HLA-DQ beta-Chains , HLA-DRB1 Chains , Humans , HLA-DRB1 Chains/genetics , Male , HLA-DQ beta-Chains/genetics , Female , Middle Aged , Adult , Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal/genetics , Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal/immunology , Aged , Autoantibodies/immunology , Genetic Predisposition to Disease , Young Adult , Adolescent , Genotype
12.
JCI Insight ; 9(5)2024 Mar 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38456511

ABSTRACT

Understanding the immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is critical to optimizing vaccination strategies for individuals with autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Here, we comprehensively analyzed innate and adaptive immune responses in 19 patients with SLE receiving a complete 2-dose Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine (BNT162b2) regimen compared with a control cohort of 56 healthy control (HC) volunteers. Patients with SLE exhibited impaired neutralizing antibody production and antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses relative to HC. Interestingly, antibody responses were only altered in patients with SLE treated with immunosuppressive therapies, whereas impairment of antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell numbers was independent of medication. Patients with SLE also displayed reduced levels of circulating CXC motif chemokine ligands, CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11, and IFN-γ after secondary vaccination as well as downregulation of gene expression pathways indicative of compromised innate immune responses. Single-cell RNA-Seq analysis reveals that patients with SLE showed reduced levels of a vaccine-inducible monocyte population characterized by overexpression of IFN-response transcription factors. Thus, although 2 doses of BNT162b2 induced relatively robust immune responses in patients with SLE, our data demonstrate impairment of both innate and adaptive immune responses relative to HC, highlighting a need for population-specific vaccination studies.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic , Humans , BNT162 Vaccine , COVID-19 Vaccines , SARS-CoV-2 , COVID-19/prevention & control , Vaccination
13.
Ann Clin Transl Neurol ; 11(5): 1250-1266, 2024 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38544359

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Most families with heritable neuromuscular disorders do not receive a molecular diagnosis. Here we evaluate diagnostic utility of exome, genome, RNA sequencing, and protein studies and provide evidence-based recommendations for their integration into practice. METHODS: In total, 247 families with suspected monogenic neuromuscular disorders who remained without a genetic diagnosis after standard diagnostic investigations underwent research-led massively parallel sequencing: neuromuscular disorder gene panel, exome, genome, and/or RNA sequencing to identify causal variants. Protein and RNA studies were also deployed when required. RESULTS: Integration of exome sequencing and auxiliary genome, RNA and/or protein studies identified causal or likely causal variants in 62% (152 out of 247) of families. Exome sequencing alone informed 55% (83 out of 152) of diagnoses, with remaining diagnoses (45%; 69 out of 152) requiring genome sequencing, RNA and/or protein studies to identify variants and/or support pathogenicity. Arrestingly, novel disease genes accounted for <4% (6 out of 152) of diagnoses while 36.2% of solved families (55 out of 152) harbored at least one splice-altering or structural variant in a known neuromuscular disorder gene. We posit that contemporary neuromuscular disorder gene-panel sequencing could likely provide 66% (100 out of 152) of our diagnoses today. INTERPRETATION: Our results emphasize thorough clinical phenotyping to enable deep scrutiny of all rare genetic variation in phenotypically consistent genes. Post-exome auxiliary investigations extended our diagnostic yield by 81% overall (34-62%). We present a diagnostic algorithm that details deployment of genomic and auxiliary investigations to obtain these diagnoses today most effectively. We hope this provides a practical guide for clinicians as they gain greater access to clinical genome and transcriptome sequencing.


Subject(s)
Exome Sequencing , Neuromuscular Diseases , Humans , Neuromuscular Diseases/genetics , Neuromuscular Diseases/diagnosis , Male , Female , Adult , Sequence Analysis, RNA/methods , Child , Adolescent , Exome/genetics , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Child, Preschool , High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing , Infant , Genetic Testing/methods
14.
Sci Total Environ ; 922: 171342, 2024 Apr 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38428594

ABSTRACT

Single-pollutant methods to evaluate associations between endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and thyroid cancer risk may not reflect realistic human exposures. Therefore, we evaluated associations between exposure to a mixture of 18 EDCs, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), brominated flame retardants, and organochlorine pesticides, and risk of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), the most common thyroid cancer histological subtype. We conducted a nested case-control study among U.S. military servicemembers of 652 histologically-confirmed PTC cases diagnosed between 2000 and 2013 and 652 controls, matched on birth year, sex, race/ethnicity, military component (active duty/reserve), and serum sample timing. We estimated mixture odds ratios (OR), 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), and standard errors (SE) for associations between pre-diagnostic serum EDC mixture concentrations, overall PTC risk, and risk of histological subtypes of PTC (classical, follicular), adjusted for body mass index and military branch, using quantile g-computation. Additionally, we identified relative contributions of individual mixture components to PTC risk, represented by positive and negative weights (w). A one-quartile increase in the serum mixture concentration was associated with a non-statistically significant increase in overall PTC risk (OR = 1.19; 95% CI = 0.91, 1.56; SE = 0.14). Stratified by histological subtype and race (White, Black), a one-quartile increase in the mixture was associated with increased classical PTC risk among those of White race (OR = 1.59; 95% CI = 1.06, 2.40; SE = 0.21), but not of Black race (OR = 0.95; 95% CI = 0.34, 2.68; SE = 0.53). PCBs 180, 199, and 118 had the greatest positive weights driving this association among those of White race (w = 0.312, 0.255, and 0.119, respectively). Findings suggest that exposure to an EDC mixture may be associated with increased classical PTC risk. These findings warrant further investigation in other study populations to better understand PTC risk by histological subtype and race.


Subject(s)
Endocrine Disruptors , Environmental Pollutants , Military Personnel , Polychlorinated Biphenyls , Thyroid Neoplasms , Humans , Thyroid Cancer, Papillary/chemically induced , Thyroid Cancer, Papillary/epidemiology , Endocrine Disruptors/toxicity , Case-Control Studies , Environmental Pollutants/analysis , Thyroid Neoplasms/chemically induced , Thyroid Neoplasms/epidemiology
15.
Nat Genet ; 56(3): 395-407, 2024 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38429495

ABSTRACT

In digenic inheritance, pathogenic variants in two genes must be inherited together to cause disease. Only very few examples of digenic inheritance have been described in the neuromuscular disease field. Here we show that predicted deleterious variants in SRPK3, encoding the X-linked serine/argenine protein kinase 3, lead to a progressive early onset skeletal muscle myopathy only when in combination with heterozygous variants in the TTN gene. The co-occurrence of predicted deleterious SRPK3/TTN variants was not seen among 76,702 healthy male individuals, and statistical modeling strongly supported digenic inheritance as the best-fitting model. Furthermore, double-mutant zebrafish (srpk3-/-; ttn.1+/-) replicated the myopathic phenotype and showed myofibrillar disorganization. Transcriptome data suggest that the interaction of srpk3 and ttn.1 in zebrafish occurs at a post-transcriptional level. We propose that digenic inheritance of deleterious changes impacting both the protein kinase SRPK3 and the giant muscle protein titin causes a skeletal myopathy and might serve as a model for other genetic diseases.


Subject(s)
Muscular Diseases , Zebrafish , Animals , Humans , Male , Connectin/genetics , Connectin/metabolism , Muscle, Skeletal , Muscular Diseases/genetics , Muscular Diseases/metabolism , Muscular Diseases/pathology , Mutation , Zebrafish/genetics
16.
iScience ; 27(3): 109233, 2024 Mar 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38439958

ABSTRACT

HLA-E molecules can present self- and pathogen-derived peptides to both natural killer (NK) cells and T cells. T cells that recognize HLA-E peptides via their T cell receptor (TCR) are termed donor-unrestricted T cells due to restricted allelic variation of HLA-E. The composition and repertoire of HLA-E TCRs is not known so far. We performed TCR sequencing on CD8+ T cells from 21 individuals recognizing HLA-E tetramers (TMs) folded with two Mtb-HLA-E-restricted peptides. We sorted HLA-E Mtb TM+ and TM- CD8+ T cells directly ex vivo and performed bulk RNA-sequencing and single-cell TCR sequencing. The identified TCR repertoire was diverse and showed no conservation between and within individuals. TCRs selected from our single-cell TCR sequencing data could be activated upon HLA-E/peptide stimulation, although not robust, reflecting potentially weak interactions between HLA-E peptide complexes and TCRs. Thus, HLA-E-Mtb-specific T cells have a highly diverse TCR repertoire.

17.
Environ Health ; 23(1): 28, 2024 Mar 19.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38504322

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The effects of organochlorine pesticide (OCP) exposure on the development of human papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) are not well understood. A nested case-control study was conducted with data from the U.S. Department of Defense Serum Repository (DoDSR) cohort between 2000 and 2013 to assess associations of individual OCPs serum concentrations with PTC risk. METHODS: This study included 742 histologically confirmed PTC cases (341 females, 401 males) and 742 individually-matched controls with pre-diagnostic serum samples selected from the DoDSR. Associations between categories of lipid-corrected serum concentrations of seven OCPs and PTC risk were evaluated for classical PTC and follicular PTC using conditional logistic regression, adjusted for body mass index category and military branch to compute odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Effect modification by sex, birth cohort, and race was examined. RESULTS: There was no evidence of associations between most of the OCPs and PTC, overall or stratified by histological subtype. Overall, there was no evidence of an association between hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and PTC, but stratified by histological subtype HCB was associated with significantly increased risk of classical PTC (third tertile above the limit of detection (LOD) vs.

Subject(s)
Hexachlorocyclohexane , Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated , Military Personnel , Pesticides , Thyroid Neoplasms , Male , Humans , Female , Thyroid Cancer, Papillary/epidemiology , Hexachlorobenzene , Case-Control Studies , Thyroid Neoplasms/chemically induced , Thyroid Neoplasms/epidemiology
18.
Dermatol Clin ; 42(2): 285-295, 2024 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38423687

ABSTRACT

Neutrophilic panniculitides are a heterogeneous group of inflammatory disorders encompassing many different entities. This review article focuses on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinicopathological features, diagnosis, and treatment of selected diseases. Patients often seek care due to systemic involvement, but the variable presentation of panniculitides can present a diagnostic challenge. Most therapeutic modalities for neutrophilic disorders are anecdotal at best with a notable lack of standardization of the responses to medications. There is an urgent need for a larger multi-institutional collaboration to address the unmet needs of these challenging, yet rare conditions.


Subject(s)
Panniculitis , Humans , Panniculitis/diagnosis , Panniculitis/drug therapy , Panniculitis/etiology
19.
Dermatitis ; 2024 Feb 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38320242

ABSTRACT

Background: Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a common condition within the pediatric population. Patch testing is an important way to identify relevant allergens. Objective: To provide an update of the common contact allergens seen in children based on patch testing data at our institution from 2016 to 2020. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patch test data from children aged 1-18 years from 2016 to 2020 at Mayo Clinic. Reaction rates were compared to the rates reported by the Pediatric Contact Dermatitis Registry (PCDR). Results: One hundred ninety-two children aged 1-18 were patch tested to various allergens. A total of 15,457 allergens were tested, with 291 positive tests. The top 5 allergens with highest positive reaction rates were hydroperoxides of linalool, hydroperoxides of limonene, methylisothiazolinone, nickel, and cobalt. Seven of the top 38 allergens with the highest reaction rates are not currently included in the Mayo Clinic Pediatric Patch Test Series, and 11 are not currently included in the Pediatric Baseline Series (as developed by the Pediatric Contact Dermatitis Workgroup). Conclusions: Patch testing is a useful tool to diagnose children with ACD. With new products and exposures, there is an opportunity to expand current pediatric patch testing series.

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