Knife wound or nosebleed-where does the blood at the crime scene come from?

Secretion analysis is a useful tool in forensic genetics, since it establishes the (cellular) origin of the DNA prior in addition to the identification of the DNA donor. This information can be crucial for the construction of the crime sequence or verification of statements of people involved in the crime. For some secretions, rapid/pretests already exist (blood, semen, urine, and saliva) or can be determined via published methylation analyses or expression analyses (blood, saliva vaginal secretions, menstrual blood, and semen). To discriminate nasal secretion/blood from other secretions (like oral mucosa/saliva, blood, vaginal secretion, menstrual blood, and seminal fluid), assays based on specific methylation patterns at several CpGs were set up in this study. Out of an initial 54 different CpG markers tested, two markers showed a specific methylation value for nasal samples: N21 and N27 with a methylation mean value of 64.4% ± 17.6% and 33.2% ± 8.7%, respectively. Although identification or discrimination was not possible for all nasal samples (due to partial overlap in methylation values to other secretions), 63% and 26% of the nasal samples could be unambiguously identified and distinguished from the other secretions using the CpG marker N21 and N27, respectively. In combination with a blood pretest/rapid test, a third marker (N10) was able to detect nasal cells in 53% of samples. Moreover, the employment of this pretest increases the proportion of identifiable or discriminable nasal secretion samples using marker N27 to 68%. In summary, our CpG assays proved to be promising tools in forensic analysis for the detection of nasal cells in samples from a crime scene.

Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia in Danish patients with pathogenic variants in SMAD4: a nationwide study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an autosomal dominant condition characterised by recurrent epistaxis, telangiectatic lesions in the skin and mucosal membranes, and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in various organs. In 3%-5% of patients, HHT is caused by pathogenic germline variants (PVs) in SMAD4, and these patients often have additional symptoms of juvenile polyposis syndrome and thoracic aneurysms. The phenotypic spectrum of SMAD4-associated HHT is less known, including the penetrance and severity of HHT. We aimed to investigate the phenotypic spectrum of HHT manifestations in Danish patients with PVs in SMAD4 and compare the findings with current literature. METHODS: The study is a retrospective nationwide study with all known Danish patients with PVs in SMAD4. In total, 35 patients were included. The patients were identified by collecting data from genetic laboratories, various databases and clinical genetic departments across the country. Clinical information was mainly collected from the Danish HHT-Centre at Odense University Hospital. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients with PVs in SMAD4 (83%) were seen at the HHT-Centre. Seventy-six per cent of these fulfilled the Curaçao criteria, 86% experienced recurrent epistaxis and 83% presented with telangiectatic lesions at different anatomical localisations. Almost 60% had AVMs, mainly pulmonary and hepatic, while none was found to have cerebral AVMs. Fifteen per cent had thoracic aortic abnormalities. CONCLUSION: We present a nationwide study of one of the largest populations of patients with PVs in SMAD4 that has systematically been examined for HHT manifestations. The patients presented the full spectrum of HHT-related manifestations and the majority fulfilled the Curaçao criteria.

Integration of clinical parameters, genotype and epistaxis severity score to guide treatment for hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia associated bleeding.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) is a rare inherited disorder characterized by development of mucocutaneous telangiectases and visceral organ arteriovenous malformations, which can lead to recurrent, spontaneous bleeding and development of iron deficiency anemia. The primary objective of this study was to ascertain the relationship between epistaxis severity scores (ESS), laboratory values, genotype, and phenotype in HHT. Our secondary objective was to assess efficacy of systemic antifibrinolytic therapy in reducing ESS in HHT. METHODOLOGY: We conducted a retrospective review of patients seen at the UNC HHT Center from January 1, 2009 to February 28, 2015. ESS, demographics, and results of genetic testing were abstracted from the medical record. Response to antifibrinolytic therapy was evaluated by comparing pre-post ESS. RESULTS: One hundred and forty nine patients were eligible with 116 having genetic testing and 33 without. Age, hemoglobin and ferritin levels were predictive of ESS. Of the 116 patients that underwent genetic testing: 63 had an ACVRL1 mutation, 40 had an ENG mutation, 2 had a SMAD4 mutation, and 11 patients had no pathologic HHT genetic variation detected. Compared to patients without a detectable HHT-associated genetic variation, patients with a HHT-associated genetic variation had higher ESS scores (p < 0.05). Neither ESS nor genotype was predictive of pulmonary or brain AVMs. Twenty-four HHT patients with ESS > 4 were started on antifibrinolytic therapy (tranexamic acid or aminocaproic acid) and had a post-treatment ESS recorded. All patients had a decrease in ESS of > 0.71 (minimal meaningful difference), but patients taking antifibrinolytics displayed larger decreases. No patients on antifibrinolytics experienced a VTE with median follow up of 13 months. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that the ESS correlates with age, hemoglobin and ferritin. Additionally, we demonstrate that HHT patients with genetic mutations have higher ESS scores. Our data demonstrate that antifibrinolytics are effective in decreasing epistaxis severity and safe with long-term use in HHT patients.

Syndromes that predispose to epistaxis.

PURPOSE: Our aim was to evaluate if epistaxis is directly associated with the etiology or pathophysiological mechanism which results in the syndrome itself or arises as a secondary effect. METHODS: We performed an extensive literature review of the web-based PubMed database from the National Library of Medicine to ascertain syndromes related to this condition. Etiology, pathophysiological mechanisms, occurrence, clinical features and management were noted for each of these syndromes. RESULTS: Epistaxis is commonly seen in syndromes that are usually directly related to vascular abnormalities or coagulation defects. However, in some cases, it is not. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Since a number of these syndromes are rare and elaborate tests are not carried out in the absence of a positive family history or until other specific clinical features appear, a risk of underdiagnosis and the dilemma of whether epistaxis is specifically related to the syndrome or a secondary effect still remains.

Mutations in the ENG, ACVRL1, and SMAD4 genes and clinical manifestations of hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia: experience from the Center for Osler's Disease, Uppsala University Hospital.

AIM: The aim of this retrospective single-centre study was to evaluate whether mutations in the ENG, ACVRL1, and SMAD4 genes were associated with different phenotypes in hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). METHODS: The case records of 21 HHT patients with verified mutations in ENG, ACVRL1, or SMAD4 genes were reviewed. The numbers of HHT diagnostic criteria fulfilled for the three genotypes were compared, as was the prevalence of complications such as iron deficiency anaemia, gastrointestinal haemorrhage, stroke, and cerebral abscess. RESULTS: Our results indicate that mutations in the ENG (HHT1), ACVRL1 (HHT2), and SMAD4 genes result in different HHT phenotypes. Epistaxis debuts earlier and may be more severe in HHT1 than in HHT2. The prevalence of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (AVM) is higher in HHT type 1, whereas hepatic AVMs are more common in HHT2. One patient with mutations in both ENG and ACVRL1 genes was identified, as were two SMAD4-mutated patients suffering from the overlapping juvenile polyposis-HHT syndrome. Nearly one in five patients in our HHT population has been diagnosed with stroke or cerebral abscess, indicating a high prevalence of cerebral complications. CONCLUSION: Our results showing that ENG and ACVRL1 gene mutations result in different HHT phenotypes confirm the results from other HHT centres worldwide. Cerebral complications of HHT are common, underscoring the importance of regular screening for pulmonary AVMs and early intervention against such AVMs. We have identified an HHT patient with simultaneous mutations in the ENG and ACVRL1 genes. Surprisingly, this patient has had a mild course of the disease.

Executive summary of the 12th HHT international scientific conference.

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia is an autosomal dominant trait affecting approximately 1 in 5000 people. A pathogenic DNA sequence variant in the ENG, ACVRL1 or SMAD4 genes, can be found in the majority of patients. The 12th International Scientific HHT Conference was held on June 8-11, 2017 in Dubrovnik, Croatia to present and discuss the latest scientific achievements, and was attended by over 200 scientific and clinical researchers. In total 174 abstracts were accepted of which 58 were selected for oral presentations. This article covers the basic science and clinical talks, and discussions from three theme-based workshops. We focus on significant emergent themes and unanswered questions. Understanding these topics and answering these questions will help to define the future of HHT research and therapeutics, and ultimately bring us closer to a cure.

Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia Management.

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an inherited disorder that can lead to frequent and severe sequelae. Although the condition has no cure, many of its physical symptoms can be managed to improve the quality of life and lower the risk of life-threatening complications. This article discusses HHT presentation, genetic screening, diagnosis, and management. The management of HHT can involve interventional radiology techniques, particularly for patients with pulmonary arteriovenous malformations.

First cases of severe congenital factor XIII deficiency in Southwestern Afghanistan in the vicinity of southeast of Iran.

Factor XIII deficiency (FXIIID) is an extremely rare bleeding disorder with the highest global incidence in southeast of Iran. Southwestern Afghanistan (Nimruz Province) is located near the border with Iran in the vicinity of Sistan and Baluchestan Province in southeast Iran, and there seems to be a high prevalence of FXIIID in Nimruz. Thus, this cross-sectional study was designed to assess the prevalence of FXIIID, molecular basis as well as clinical manifestations of FXIIID in Southwestern Afghanistan. During the course of the study, all patients suspected of FXIIID were clinically examined and assessed by routine coagulation tests, including bleeding time, activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, as well as platelet count and clot solubility test. Patients with normal routine coagulation tests, but abnormal clot solubility test, underwent further investigations by FXIII activity, as well as molecular analysis for FXIII-A gene mutation (Trp187Arg) by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism that confirmed by sequencing. Patients with confirmed FXIIID deficiency were registered to receive prophylaxis treatment. All data including demographic information, clinical manifestations, as well as therapeutic response and type and duration of treatment, were recorded, and the data were analyzed by SPSS software. In this cross-sectional study, we found five patients with abnormal clot solubility test, among whom two patients abandoned the study, whereas three patients remained for a more precise study. All the patients were residents of Zaranj city, the capital of Nimruz Province. All these patients had undetectable activity of FXIII, which indicates a severe deficiency. Molecular analysis of patients showed mutation of Trp187Arg in all of them. Hematoma was the most common clinical presentation leading to diagnosis of FXIIID in these patients (100%). Epistaxis (67%), gum bleeding (33%), and hematuria (33%) were other recurrent clinical presentations of the patients. Three cases of death due to FXIIID were detected in the family of these patients. There was a high prevalence of FXIIID in Zaranj city with a population of 50 000, which was appropriately equal to the prevalence of the disorder in southeast of Iran, which seemed to have the highest global prevalence of FXIIID, and underlines that the same mutation (Trp187Arg) in both regions is same.

Bevacizumab: an option for refractory epistaxis in hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent epistaxis in hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) patients significantly decreases their quality of life. Treatment in therapy refractory patients is limited although various options have been tested so far. CASE REPORT: Herein, one patient is described that was treated for HHT for over 20 years with only intermediate benefits. As epistaxis duration and frequency increased continuously, bevacizumab 5 mg/kg was administered every 2 weeks. During the time of treatment (six doses) and up to 3 month afterwards clinical symptoms, blood pressure, cardiac output, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), bleeding duration and frequency were assessed as criteria for treatment benefit. RESULTS: Duration and frequency of epistaxis decreased immediately after the first application resulting in reduced need of blood transfusions. After completion of six cycles, a further decrease in frequency and duration of bleeding was noted. Cardiac output and PAH decreased or remained stable, respectively, during time and after treatment. No increase in blood pressure could be found but a significant increase in heart rate was experienced after completion of all six applications. Unfortunately, the patient died due to a cerebral abscess. CONCLUSION: Bevacizumab led to an improvement of HHT related epistaxis, refractory to other treatments.

[Juvenile polyposis syndrome and hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia syndrome in a patient a with SMAD4 mutation].

Germ line mutations in SMAD4 can cause both juvenile polyposis syndrome and hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia syndrome. In this case we present a 37-year-old man with a frameshift mutation in SMAD4. The patient had multiple polyps in the gastrointestinal tract and was diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 21 and gastro-oesophageal junction cancer at the age of 37. Furthermore the patient had telangiectasias and recurrent epistaxis.

TGF-ß & BMP receptors endoglin and ALK1: overview of their functional role and status as antiangiogenic targets.

The formation of new blood vessels from existing vasculature, angiogenesis, is facilitated through a host of different signaling processes. Members of the TGF-ß superfamily, TGF-ß1, TGF-ß3, and BMP9, are key propagators of both inhibition and initiation of angiogenesis. HHT, characterized by AVM and capillary bed defects, is caused by germline mutations in the ENG and ACVRL1/ALK1 genes, respectively. Clinical symptoms include epistaxis and GI hemorrhage. The membranous receptors endoglin and ALK1 activate proliferation and migration of endothelial cells during the angiogenic process via the downstream intracellular SMAD signaling pathway. Endothelial cell senescence or activation is dependent on the type of cytokine, ligand concentration, cell-cell interaction, and a multitude of other signaling molecules. Endoglin and ALK1 receptor levels in tumor vasculature correlate inversely with prognosis in humans, whereas in mice, endoglin deficiency decelerates tumor progression. Therefore, endoglin and ALK1 have been identified as potential therapeutic targets for antibody treatment in various cancers. Early phase clinical trials in humans are currently underway to evaluate the efficacy and safety of biological therapy targeting endoglin/ALK1-mediated cells signaling.

[A young man with intestinal polyposis and epistaxis]. / Een jongeman met intestinale polyposis en epistaxis.

BACKGROUND: Germline mutations in the SMAD4 gene lead to both juvenile polyposis syndrome and hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). CASE DESCRIPTION: A 23-year-old man underwent colectomy with ileo-anal pouch anastomosis at the age of 12 due to colorectal juvenile polyposis. At follow-up, recurrent juvenile polyps in the pouch were removed. No gastric polyps were found. The family history was negative for intestinal polyposis. In addition, the patient had recurrent epistaxis. DNA testing revealed a pathogenic SMAD4 mutation: c.1558G>T; p.(Glu520*). Further examination confirmed suspected HHT. CONCLUSION: DNA testing in patients with juvenile polyposis is important for subclassification of this syndrome with implications for the management of patients and family members.

Heritability of epistaxis in the Australian Thoroughbred racehorse population.

Post exercise epistaxis, the manifestation of a severe form of exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH), has been observed in many equine racing populations. Although multiple analyses have suggested that non-genetic factors may lead to the development of this condition, relatively little consensus has been reached regarding its genetic aetiology. The objective of this study was to provide insight into both genetic and non-genetic factors that may contribute to the expression of epistaxis in the Australian Thoroughbred racing population. Racing records and reported epistaxis occurrences were acquired for 117,088 horses entered in races and official barrier trials from 1 August 2000 until 22 February 2011. Heritability was estimated using two different logistic generalised linear mixed models (lifetime epistaxis risk h(2) = 0.27 and individual race epistaxis risk h(2) = 0.50). Sex, age, and year of birth were shown to be significant; however, trainer, jockey, race distance, condition of the track (i.e. 'going'), racecourse, track surface, number of race starters, year and month of race were not significant. Evidence suggests genetic and non-genetic links to EIPH expressed as epistaxis.

[Early genetic diagnosis in patients with HHT induced severe nosebleed].

OBJECTIVE: To study the early gene diagnosis of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) induced severe nosebleed. METHOD: Clinical features of 23 family members in two HHT pedigrees were examined. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples. PCR amplification was conducted to screen ENG and ACVRL-1 genes with their specific primers. Direct sequencing was performed to detect the mutation. Mutation analysis was carried out to evaluate its significance. RESULT: A heterozygous c. 263A > G mutation was identified in exon 3 of ACVRL-1 in 6 out of 11 members in NMG-1 pedigree. In GD-2 pedigree, 5 of 11 members carried c. 199C > G mutation. Mutation detection rate was 100% in subjects with nosebleed history and 25% in family members without epistaxis. CONCLUSION: Gene diagnosis characterized by high sensitivity and specificity is of great practi-cal significance and early genetic screening should be a clinical routine test for HHT induced severe nosebleed.

[Case report and review of a girl with factor VIII deficiency making epistaxis].

The factor VIII gene is located on the X chromosome,making haemophilia A, a sex-linked disorder. Thus on pedigree grounds all daughters of such patients are obligate carriers. One female case of haemophilia A was reported and related literatures were reviewed.

A novel F11 mutation in a Korean pediatric patient with recurrent epistaxis.

Congenital FXI deficiency (hemophilia C) is a rare bleeding disorder that has been documented mostly in Ashkenazi Jews. Unlike other hemophilias, bleeding tendency varies considerably among individuals, and FXI deficiency rarely manifests as spontaneous bleeding. FXI deficiency is caused primarily by mutations in the F11 gene. Herein, we report a case of a 10-year-old boy with recurrent nose bleeding due to FXI deficiency who was confirmed to have a novel mutation in F11. A molecular analysis of DNA extracted from peripheral blood collected from the patient [FXI clotting activity (FXI:C): 11%] revealed compound heterozygous mutations, Q226X and L424F, in F11, consistent with the severe disease phenotype of the patient. Pedigree analysis showed that the patient received L424F from his father (FXI:C = 49%) and Q226X from the mother (FXI:C = 48%). The sister (FXI:C = 47%) of the patient only had L424F, presumably inherited from her father. Multiple sequence alignment demonstrated that L424 is highly conserved across mammals, indicating that it is important for the function of FXI. In-silico analysis indicated that replacement of L424 by phenylalanine had a detrimental influence on FXI, consistent with the severe phenotype of the patient. Compilation of FXI deficiency cases in east Asian populations would be of great value because different populations appear to have different F11 mutation spectra.

Identification of genetic defects underlying FVII deficiency in 10 patients belonging to eight unrelated families of the North provinces from Tunisia.

Inherited factor VII (FVII) deficiency is a rare disorder characterized by a bleeding phenotype varying from mild to severe. To date, more than 200 mutations have been described along the F7 gene encoding for FVII. The aim of this study was the identification of genetic defects underlying FVII deficiency in 10 patients belonging to eight unrelated families of the North provinces from Tunisia. Mutation detection was performed by sequencing the whole F7 gene coding region, exon-intron boundaries and about 400 bp of the promoter region. We identified 5 mutations in five unrelated families; the novel p.F328Y mutation and the reported mutations: p.R304Q, p.M298I, IVS1aG > A and p.G-39G. For the remaining 5 patients we didn't identified any mutations using PCR/Sequencing protocol. In conclusion, this study represents the first comprehensive molecular series of FVII deficiency affected patients in Tunisia from the North. We will try in the future to continue the molecular study for Tunisian patients from Center and South provinces in order to have a complete idea about the FVII deficiency mutational profile in our country. VIRTUAL SLIDES: The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1288044089753085.

Deep vein thrombosis induced by thalidomide to control epistaxis secondary to hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia.

Thalidomide was recently reported to reduce the severity and frequency of epistaxes in patients with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). We here describe the case of a patient with HHT and severe epistaxes refractory to medical and local surgical treatments who developed an extensive deep vein thrombosis shortly after initiation of treatment with thalidomide. This is the first report of venous thromboembolic complication induced by thalidomide prescribed in this setting. Although thalidomide was recently found to provide an alternative therapeutic strategy in patients with HHT and refractory epistaxes, this agent should be used with great caution in this indication, given its thrombogenicity and difficulties to manage systemic anticoagulation in patients with HHT.