The causative variants of amyloidosis in the autism.

PURPOSE: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) consist of a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that include autistic behavior, Asperger's syndrome and pervasive developmental disabilities. According to the increasing observations that patients with mitochondrial disorders have symptoms associated with ASD, we have aimed to analyze the role of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation in autistic patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We selected children with autistic behaviors (15-60 CARS Score). The mitochondrial DNA extraction process was done by GeNet Bio DNA extraction kit. The regions of interest were amplified using independent PCR runs. After purification of PCR products, both strands were sequenced by Big Dye Termination system in a directly determined automated sequencing on an ABI 3700 capillary sequencer machine using both primers. All sequencing results were analyzed using bioinformatics' tools sequencher software 5. RESULTS: In this study, 31 samples were examined, which 15 unique variants were detected in genes related to COXI-III. The most frequent variant (30.76%) were related to COX1 with amino acid change A â†’ A. The only significant pathogenic variant was C8264G, except for C8264G, all variants seemed to be homoplasmic substitution. CONCLUSION: In our study, among the variations we found, one variant what probably had an interesting association with possible amyloidosis, had been reported in patient with autism previously. It is hoped that with finding more definable genetic and biological markers, the autistic children diagnosis and treatment will be more effective.

Hairless Gene Nonsense Mutations in Alopecia Universalis: A Case Report.

Alopecia universalis (AU) congenital, known as generalized atrichia, is a severe form of autosomal recessive alopecia that results in complete hair loss of scalp and body. Mutations in the human hairless gene (HR) are associated with the phenotype of the disease. A consanguineous couple who had a child with the generalized atrichia sign referred to us for genetic counseling. According to the patient's symptoms and after thorough examination and history taking, the HR gene was the candidate gene to be assessed and analyzed. For this purpose targeted primers were designed for all exons of the HR gene followed by running PCR for exons amplification. Finally, the PCR products were sequenced. Whole-gene sequence analysis revealed a nonsense homozygous mutation in exon 6 that, according to the ACMG guide, is a pathogenic variant. Sequence analysis of the exon in parents reveals that they are heterozygout for the non-sense mutation, as well.

A Novel Variant in Iranian Patient with Cystinuria: A Case Report.

Cystinuria is an autosomal recessive disorder in which the renal reabsorption of cystine, arginine, lysine and ornithine are disturbed. The two genes, the pathogenic forms of which are responsible for the disorder, are SLC7A9 and SLC3A1. In this study, we describe a disease that has a new c.916A> T variant (p. K306 *) in exon 5 of the SLC3A1 gene. This variant results in the NMD phenomenon in which the protein product is not produced because of mRNA destruction. In 2020, blood sample of a 41-yr-old man from east Azerbaijan, Iran together with his parents were collected to be studied. PCR and direct sequencing were performed to detect the possible SLC3A1 variant. Whole-gene sequence analysis done by Mutation surveyor Software revealed a novel nonsense homozygous variant in exon 5 of the gene. Parental Sequence Analysis shows that they are heterozygous. According to ACMG guideline, this variant is considered as pathogen. Finding serious mutations can allow rapid screening for cystinuria by analyzing common mutations. It should also be considered as a pathogenic variant in patients' cystinuria.

A New Case of Chanarin-Dorfman Syndrome with a Novel Deletion in ABHD5 Gene

Chanarin-Dorfman syndrome (CDS) is a rare autosomal recessive metabolic disorder caused by mutations in gene encoding the domain-5 of α/ß-hydrolase enzyme (ABHD5). It is known as a natural lipid storage disorder arising from impaired lipid metabolism often characterized by hepatomegaly, myopathy, ataxia, non-bullous ichthyosiform erythroderma, hearing loss, and mental retardation. In the present study, we report two affected 28-month-old monozygotic twin boys as new cases of CDS. Genetic analysis was performed in patients, and the results showed a homozygote deletion in exon 4 of ABHD5. According to the the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, this variant is categorized as a pathogenic variant.

An Association Study between Longitudinal Changes of Leukocyte Telomere and the Risk of Azoospermia in a Population of Iranian Infertile Men

Background: Telomeres are evolutionary, specialized terminal structures at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes containing TTAGGG repeats in human. Several human diseases have been known to be associated with dramatic changes in telomere length. The aim of the present study was to assess the correlation between the relative leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and infertility in a group of Iranian azoospermic males. Methods: : In this case-control pilot study, relative telomere length (RTL) of peripheral blood leukocytes from a total of 30 idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermic males and 30 healthy fertile males was evaluated using real-time PCR. RTL was calculated as T (telomere)/S (single copy gene) ratio and compared between infertile and fertile groups. Results: Patients with azoospermia showed significantly shorter RTL than fertile males (0.54 vs. 0.84, p < 0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was estimated to be 99.8%, suggesting LTL as a potential marker for the diagnosis of azoospermia. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated a probable association between telomere shortening and azoospermia in a population of Iranian infertile men affected by idiopathic azoospermia.