Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Hamosh

Publications and source records attributed to A Hamosh.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Familial Tetralogy of Fallot caused by mutation in the jagged1 gene.

Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) is the most common form of complex congenital heart disease, occurring in approximately 1 in 3000 live births. Evaluation of candidate loci in a large kindred segregating autosomal dominant ToF with reduced penetrance culminated in identification of a missense mutation (G274D) in JAG1, the gene encoding jagged1, a Notch ligand expressed in the developing right heart. Nine of eleven mutation carriers manifested cardiac disease, including classic ToF, ventricular septal defect with aortic dextroposition and isolated peripheral pulmonic stenosis (PPS). All forms of ToF were represented, including variants with pulmonic stenosis, pulmonic atresia and absent pulmonary valve. No individual within this family met diagnostic criteria for any previously described clinical syndrome, including Alagille syndrome (AGS), caused by haploinsufficiency for jagged1. All mutation carriers had characteristic but variable facial features, including long, narrow and upslanting palpebral fissures, prominent nasal bridge, square dental arch and broad, prominent chin. This appearance was distinct from that of unaffected family members and typical AGS patients. The glycine corresponding to position 274 is highly conserved in other epidermal growth factor-like domains of jagged1 and in those of other proteins. Its substitution in other proteins has been associated with mild or atypical variants of disease. These data support either a relative loss-of-function or a gain-of-function pathogenetic mechanism in this family and suggest that JAG1 mutations may contribute significantly to common variants of right heart obstructive disease.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM).

Online Mendelian Inheritance In Man (OMIM) is a public database of bibliographic information about human genes and genetic disorders. Begun by Dr. Victor McKusick as the authoritative reference Mendelian Inheritance in Man, it is now distributed electronically by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Material in OMIM is derived from the biomedical literature and is written by Dr. McKusick and his colleagues at Johns Hopkins University and elsewhere. Each OMIM entry has a full text summary of a genetic phenotype and/or gene and has copious links to other genetic resources such as DNA and protein sequence, PubMed references, mutation databases, approved gene nomenclature, and more. In addition, NCBI's neighboring feature allows users to identify related articles from PubMed selected on the basis of key words in the OMIM entry. Through its many features, OMIM is increasingly becoming a major gateway for clinicians, students, and basic researchers to the ever-growing literature and resources of human genetics.

Alleles↗

Overlap of dyskeratosis congenita with the Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome.

X-linked dyskeratosis congenita (DKC) is characterized by mucosal leukoplakia and ulcerations, skin abnormalities, nail dystrophy, and pancytopenia. Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome (HHS) includes intrauterine growth retardation, microcephaly, mental retardation, cerebellar malformation, and pancytopenia. A patient with striking features of both HHS and DKC has a de novo mutation in the DKC1 gene, known to be responsible for DKC. HHS may be a severe form of DKC, in which affected individuals die before characteristic mucocutaneous features develop.

Cell Cycle Proteins↗

Reply

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Journal Article↗

Long-term use of high-dose benzoate and dextromethorphan for the treatment of nonketotic hyperglycinemia.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to test the hypotheses that reduction of glycine and blocking of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor channel complex would be beneficial for both seizure reduction and developmental progress in patients with nonketotic hyperglycinemia. METHODS: We administered benzoate (at doses of 500 to 750 mg/kg/day) and dextromethorphan (at doses of 3.5 to 22.5 mg/kg/day) to four infants with nonketotic hyperglycinemia with follow-up of 3 months to 6 years. RESULTS: Benzoate reduced to normal the glycine concentration in plasma and substantially reduced but did not normalize the glycine concentration in cerebrospinal fluid. Dextromethorphan was a potent anticonvulsant in some but not all patients. There was remarkable interpatient variability in dextromethorphan metabolism. Three patients are living (ages ranging from 4 to 6 years) and are moderately to severely developmentally delayed; two are free of seizures. The third patient, with the slowest development, had intractable seizures for nearly a month before diagnosis, and although seizure-free for 30 months, now has grand-mal seizures. One patient died of intractable seizures at 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: These outcomes suggest that benzoate and dextromethorphan are not uniformly effective in nonketotic hyperglycinemia, but for some patients they improve arousal, decrease or eliminate seizures, and allow for some developmental progress. Trials with additional patients and other receptor channel blockers are warranted.

Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors↗

Comparison of the clinical manifestations of cystic fibrosis in black and white patients.

No large-scale studies of the incidence or disease severity of cystic fibrosis (CF) in black patients have been reported to date. In this study, the CF Foundation National Patient Registry was used to establish new incidence figures and to compare the clinical status of U.S. black (n = 601) and white patients (n = 17,755) with CE Results indicate that the incidence of CF is approximately 1 in 3,200 white and 1 in 15,000 black live births in the United States. Black patients with CF are currently, and were at diagnosis, younger and have poorer nutritional status and pulmonary function than white patients with CF. Fewer have meconium ileus, but more have distal intestinal obstruction syndrome. To control for genotype, each black deltaF508 homozygote (n = 47) was compared with four age- and sex-matched white deltaF508 homozygotes. Only the difference in nutritional status remained. The deltaF508 mutation is associated with higher levels of meconium ileus than other genotypes, independent of race. In conclusion, the clinical manifestations of CF are similar in black and white patients except for poorer nutritional status in black patients, which appears to be independent of age and genotype.

Black People↗

Sensitivity of the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis technique in detection of known mutations and novel Asian mutations in the CFTR gene.

More than 500 mutations have been identified in the CFTR gene, making it an excellent system for testing mutation scanning techniques. To assess the sensitivity of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), we collected a representative group of 202 CFTR mutations. All mutations analyzed were detected by scanning methods other than the DGGE approach evaluated in this study. DGGE analysis was performed on 24 of the 27 exons and their flanking splice site sequences. After optimization, 201 of the 202 control samples produced an altered migration pattern in the region in which an alteration occurred. The remaining sample was sequenced and found not to have the reported mutation. The ability of DGGE to identify novel mutations was evaluated in three Asian CF patients with four unknown CF alleles. Three novel Asian mutations were detected-K166E, L568X, and 3121-2 A-->G (in homozygosity)-accounting for all CF alleles. These results indicate that an optimized DGGE scanning strategy is highly sensitive and specific and can detect 100% of mutations.

Alleles↗

Possible association of the allele status of the CS.7/HhaI polymorphism 5' of the CFTR gene with postnatal female survival.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients show a high degree of linkage disequilibrium between the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene and polymorphisms 5' of that gene. To determine whether the region 5' of CFTR contains biologically important sequences, the allele frequencies of six CFTR-linked polymorphisms (metH/MspI, XV-2c/TaqI, CS.7/HhaI, KM19/PstI, MP6d9/MspI, J44/XbaI) were determined in 417 randomly selected elderly individuals (over 75 years of age) from the Czech population. The elderly individuals were considered "escapees" of strong selective pressures that had operated during their lifetime, prior to the introduction of modern health care since 1950. The pooled allele frequencies of the analyzed marker polymorphisms in the elderly did not significantly differ from published data. However, when analyzed by ex, the allele frequencies of markers CS.7/HhaI and KM19/PstI differed significantly (P < 0.05) between elderly females and males. The allele frequencies of the six polymorphisms were then determined in 646 newborns and 345 young adults of reproductive age; these individuals were selected in a similar manner and drawn from the same population. In these control groups, the studied marker polymorphisms exhibited no statistically significant differences between sexes and/or between individuals of the same sex, only between different age groups. A gradual relative increase in the frequency of allele "2" of marker CS.7/HhaI was observed from newborn females to elderly women, the overall difference in allele frequencies of this marker polymorphism between newborn females and elderly women reaching statistical significance (P < 0.05). Interestingly, allele "2" is the major constituent of the extended "B-haplotype", which is in strong linkage disequilibrium with common CF alleles. Taken together, our data suggest that the region spanning markers CS.7 and KM19 is associated with a genetic factor that influences postnatal female survival, providing a possible mechanism for increasing the frequency of particular mutations in the adjacent CFTR gene.

Adult↗

False-positive results of genetic testing in cystic fibrosis.

We describe a patient in whom newborn immunoreactive trypsin screening and mutation analysis suggested a diagnosis of cystic fibrosis; however, the clinical course and sweat test results were not consistent with the diagnosis. Direct sequencing of the patient's genomic DNA showed compound heterozygosity for delta F508 and F508C, a polymorphism not associated with clinical disease.

Cystic Fibrosis↗

Identification of common cystic fibrosis mutations in African-Americans with cystic fibrosis increases the detection rate to 75%.

Cystic fibrosis (CF)--an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and characterized by abnormal chloride conduction across epithelial membranes, leading to chronic lung and exocrine pancreatic disease--is less common in African-Americans than in Caucasians. No large-scale studies of mutation identification and screening in African-American CF patients have been reported, to date. In this study, the entire coding and flanking intronic sequence of the CFTR gene was analyzed by denaturing gradient-gel electrophoresis and sequencing in an index group of 82 African-American CF chromosomes to identify mutations. One novel mutation, 3120+1G-->A, occurred with a frequency of 12.3% and was also detected in a native African patient. To establish frequencies, an additional group of 66 African-American CF chromosomes were screened for mutations identified in two or more African-American patients. Screening for 16 "common Caucasian" mutations identified 52% of CF alleles in African-Americans, while screening for 8 "common African" mutations accounted for an additional 23%. The combined detection rate of 75% was comparable to the sensitivity of mutation analysis in Caucasian CF patients. These results indicate that African-Americans have their own set of "common" CF mutations that originate from the native African population. Inclusion of these "common" mutations substantially improves CF mutation detection rates in African-Americans.

Adolescent↗

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene mutations in allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.

The etiology of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is not well understood. A clinical phenotype resembling the pulmonary disease seen in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients can occur in some individuals with ABPA. Reports of familial occurrence of ABPA and increased incidence in CF patients suggest a possible genetic basis for the disease. To test this possibility, the entire coding region of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) gene was analyzed in 11 individuals who met strict criteria for the diagnosis of ABPA and had normal sweat electrolytes (< or = 40 mmol/liter). One patient carried two CF mutations (deltaF508/R347H), and five were found to carry one CF mutation (four deltaF508; one R117H). The frequency of the deltaF508 mutation in patients with ABPA was significantly higher than in 53 Caucasian patients with chronic bronchitis (P < .0003) and the general population (P < .003). These results suggest that CFTR plays an etiologic role in a subset of ABPA patients.

Adult↗

Association of anophthalmia and esophageal atresia.

We report on a boy and a girl with bilateral anophthalmia and proximal esophageal atresia. In addition to vestigial optic nerves and chiasma, MRI studies showed other central nervous system abnormalities; one had ectopic tissue in the hypothalamic region, and the other hand generalized ventriculomegaly associated with atrophy. Two other cases, both males, have been reported with anophthalmia and esophageal atresia as their only malformations. These 4 cases are reviewed in light of recent advances in the understanding of ocular embryogenesis and of the midbrain as a development field. Concurrence of these defects appears to be non-random.

Anophthalmos↗

Regulation of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene transcription and alternative RNA splicing in a model of developing intestinal epithelium.

Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) gene expression was studied in HT29 cells. It is known that the abundance of CFTR mRNA increases during differentiation of pluripotent HT29-18 cells and is maintained at high levels in the stably differentiated HT29-18-C1 subclone. Nuclear run-on assays suggest that increased transcription of the CFTR gene explains the increased abundance of total CFTR mRNA in differentiated HT29 cells. The increased transcription cannot be ascribed to cell cycle-dependent expression of the CFTR gene or to changes in CFTR gene copy number between subcloned cells. Similar to native tissue cells, differentiated HT29 cells contain low copy numbers of CFTR transcripts (1-5/cell), and a portion of the CFTR transcripts are alternatively spliced to remove exon 9 (and make 9-mRNA). During differentiation of HT29-18 cells, the absolute amount of full-length CFTR mRNA increases 8-fold, whereas the amount of 9- mRNA increases 18-fold. The fraction of 9- mRNA in the CFTR mRNA pool is increased in differentiated HT29 cells. The results show that gene transcription regulates the abundance of CFTR transcripts and that regulatory control of alternative RNA splicing may also be a cellular mechanism to modulate CFTR function.

Base Sequence↗

CFTR protein expression in primary and cultured epithelia.

The gene responsible for the lethal disorder cystic fibrosis encodes a 1480-amino acid glycoprotein, CFTR. Using polyclonal antibodies directed against separate phosphorylation sites in the pre-nucleotide-binding fold (exon 9) and the R domain (exon 13), we have identified a 165-kDa protein in Xenopus laevis oocytes injected with recombinant CFTR cRNA transcribed from the full-length CFTR plasmid pBQ4.7. A protein of the same mobility was also detected with Western blotting techniques in whole cell extracts of cells that express CFTR mRNA (T84, FHTE, HT-29), including biopsied human nasal and bronchial tissue. Immunodetectable 165-kDa protein was concentrated in the apical membrane fraction of ileal villus tissue. We also report that the 165-kDa protein levels can be modulated pharmacologically, and these levels are appropriately correlated with second-messenger-regulated Cl- efflux. Thus, native or recombinant CFTR can be recognized by these anti-CFTR peptide polyclonal antibodies.

Animals↗