[Clinical and genetic analysis of a patient with autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis due to compound heterozygous variants of ALOX12B gene].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical and genetic characteristics of a pediatric patient suspected for Autosomal Recessive Congenital Ichthyosis (ARCI). METHODS: Clinical data of the patient was analyzed. Peripheral blood samples were collected from the patient and his parents for the extraction of genomic DNA. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was then carried out. Candidate variants were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. A variety of bioinformatic tools including Mutation Taster, PROVEAN, and PolyPhen2 were used to predict the pathogenicity of the variants based on guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). RESULTS: The patient, a 1-month-and-7-day-old male, had presented with cutaneous erythema and fine scaling of the whole body. NGS revealed that he has harbored compound heterozygous variants c.1579G>A (p.Val527Met) (paternal) and c.923T>C (p.Leu308Pro) (maternal) of the ALOX12B gene. The former was known to be likely pathogenic, while the latter was unreported previously and categorized as "likely pathogenic" based on the ACMG guidelines. Based on the clinical and genetic findings, the patient was diagnosed with ARCI. CONCLUSION: The c.1579G>A and c.923T>C variants of the ALOX12B genes probably underlay the ARCI in this patient. Above finding has enriched the spectrum of ALOX12B mutations and enabled molecular diagnosis of the patient, based on which genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis may be provided.

Genetic Polymorphisms Influence Cognition in Patients Undergoing Carotid Interventions.

While carotid interventions help decrease the risk of stroke, nearly 40% of patients experience cognitive deterioration. Genetic polymorphism in apolipoprotein E (ApoE) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) have been implicated in cognitive impairment; however, it is unclear whether they may influence cognitive changes in patients undergoing carotid intervention. In this study, we seek to assess the role of genetic polymorphisms in carotid intervention-related cognitive change. Polymorphisms related to cognitive function were chosen for this preliminary analysis. Over 2 years, patients undergoing carotid interventions were prospectively recruited. Patients underwent neuropsychological testing 2 weeks prior to and at 1 month following their procedure. Saliva samples were collected for genetic analysis. Logistic regressions were used to identify associations between polymorphisms and cognitive measures. A total of 91 patients were included; all were male with an average age of 70 years. The majority of patients exhibited hypertension (95%) and a history of smoking (81%). Presence of ApoE 4 allele was associated with depression (p= 0.047). After correcting for age and genetic polymorphisms in BDNF and serotonin transporter (5-HTT), ApoE 4 allele was associated with depression (p= 0.044) and showed a trend with baseline cognitive impairment (p= 0.10). Age ≥ 70 years was associated with baseline cognitive impairment after adjusting for the three genetic polymorphisms (p= 0.03). Patients with ApoE 4 and BDNF A polymorphisms performed less well on the visual and verbal memory measures, respectively. Polymorphisms in ApoE and BDNF may provide insight on cognition in patients undergoing carotid interventions; however, the mechanism of this relationship remains unclear.