Identification of novel compound heterozygous RECQL4 mutations and prenatal diagnosis of Baller-Gerold syndrome: a case report.

Birth defects are structural and/or functional malformations present at birth that cause physical or mental disability and are important public health problems. Our study was aimed at genetic analysis and prenatal diagnosis of congenital anomalies to understand the cause of certain birth defects. Karyotypes and array-comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) were performed on a pregnant woman, surrounding amniotic fluid, and her husband. A short-stature panel genetic test was conducted in accordance with the phenotype of the fetus. Following examination, it was determined that the karyotype and aCGH results were normal. The RECQL4 gene in the fetus showed compound heterozygous mutations, and each parent was found to be a carrier of one of the mutations. The two heterozygous mutations (c.2059-1G>C and c.2141_2142delAG) were detected in the RECQL4 (NM_004260) gene in the fetus; therefore, the fetus was predicted to have Baller-Gerold syndrome. These two mutations have not previously been reported. In addition, these results identified a 25% risk of the parents having a sec-ond conceptus with this congenital disease. Therefore, prenatal genetic diagnosis was highly recommended for future pregnancies.

[Determination of serum proteins by high performance capillary zone electrophoresis].

The separation method of serum proteins was established with an untreared 50 microns i.d. x 47 cm (40 cm to detector) capillary and detection of absorbance at 200 nm. Analysis was performed by pressure injectction 17.23 kPa.s and by applying 23 kV in the constant voltage mode. Serum samples were diluted 40-folds with assay buffer (12.5 mmol/L sodium borate, 1 mmol/L calcium lactate, 0.7 mmol/L magnesium sulfate, 1 mmol/L EDTA were mixed). A normal control serum protein was separated into 6 fractions. In pregnant serum, the alpha 0 was an additionally unknown fraction. Comparison of capillary electrophoresis with conventional cellulose acetate electrophoresis for analysis of serum proteins from normal control, pregnant women multiple myeloma and tonic rachitis patients indicates that capillary clectrophoresis is a new technique for the analysis of serum proteins because of its high efficiency, on-line data processing and automation. Capillary electrophoresis is the reliable technique for clinical diagnosis of serum protein abnormalities.