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Biomedical subjects

F Skovby

Publications and source records attributed to F Skovby.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Osteogenesis imperfecta: mosaicism and refinement of the genotype-phenotype map in OI type III. Mutations in brief no. 242. Online.

Non-lethal OI III (OMIM 259420) is caused by structural aberrations of collagen I. We report four novel glycine substitutions, one in the a1 (I) chain of collagen I (G688S) and three in the a2 (I) chain (G241D, G247C, G883V). In each of two families (G241D and G883V), we found parental mosaicism for the substitution explaining recurrence and intrafamilial variability of OI. The G247C and the G883V are the most N-terminally and C-terminally, respectively, placed cysteine and valine substitutions reported. The new substitutions add important information to the genotype-phenotype map and in particular the importance of a-chain stoichiometry is underlined. Data regarding the G688S substitution may suggest a different effect of the two a-chains in the development of dentinogenesis imperfecta (DI).

Chromosome Mapping↗

Carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome type 1A: expression and characterisation of wild type and mutant PMM2 in E. coli.

We have identified the PMM2 genotypes of 22 unrelated Danish patients with carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome type 1A: R141H/F119L (18), R141H/C192G (1), F119L/F119L (1), F119L/G117R (1) and D223E/T237R (1). The lack of patients homozygous for R141H is statistically highly significant, but unexplained. In order to investigate the effect of PMM2 mutations on phosphomannomutase (PMM2) activity, PMM2-cDNA was cloned into a pET3a vector. Following introduction of mutations into PMM2-cDNA by site-specific mutagenesis, wild type and mutant PMM2-cDNA were expressed in E. coli Bl21(DE3) cells, and the activity of PMM2 was determined by an enzymatic assay using mannose 1-phosphate as substrate. Recombinant R141H, G117R, and T237R PMM2 had no detectable catalytic activity, and the F119L PMM2 had 25% of the activity of the wild type. The activity of the C192G and D223E PMM2 was in the normal range, but the affinity for their substrate was lower, and the proteins were more sensitive to increased temperatures. Each patient has at least one mutation which retains residual PMM2 activity. Our results support the hypotheses that a genotype conveying residual PMM2 catalytic activity is required for survival, and that homozygosity for R141H impairs PMM2 to a degree incompatible with life.

Acyl Carrier Protein↗

Bone mineral content and collagen defects in osteogenesis imperfecta.

Whole-body and spine dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was done in 63 patients with osteogenesis imperfecta aged 5 to 63 y, and the results were compared with OI types and collagen defects. Bone mineral content (BMC)-for-age, bone area (BA)-for-age, bone mineral density (BMD)-for-age, and BMC-for-BA were reduced, especially in patients with OI III/IV and/or in those with a qualitative collagen defect. BA-for-height was normal. Some patients with OI I and/or a quantitative collagen defect had BMD at or above -2 z-scores. We conclude (i) that both BMC and BMD differ significantly between OI types and collagen defects, (ii) that reduced BMC-for-age in OI patients is due mainly to reduced height ("short bones") and reduced BMC-for-BA ("light bones"), whereas BA-for-height ("bone width") is normal, (iii) that most OI patients have lower than average BMC, but in some mildly affected patients brittleness may exist with only small reductions in BMC.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

Anthropometry of patients with osteogenesis imperfecta.

Standing height, sitting height, armspan, subischial leg length, head circumference, and growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) axis were determined in 86 patients with osteogenesis imperfecta. The aim of this study was to determine standing height and body proportions and their variability among osteogenesis imperfecta types and collagen defects. Mean standing height was reduced in all groups of patients, to the greatest extent and variability in osteogenesis imperfecta type III/IV and in those with qualitative collagen defects. The mean standing height of patients with osteogenesis imperfecta was lower than that of their unaffected first degree family members. Truncal height of patients with osteogenesis imperfecta was reduced; head size was increased, and this was more pronounced in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta type III/IV and qualitative collagen defects than in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta type I and quantitative collagen defects. Mean concentrations of IGF-I and IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) were low, but most values were within age specific reference values. The reduction of standing height appears to correlate with osteogenesis imperfecta type and the type of collagen defect. A relatively short trunk is typical and head circumference and body length are disproportionate.

Adolescent↗

Oral manifestations of Schimmelpenning syndrome: case report and review of literature.

Schimmelpenning syndrome (SS) is characterised by specific skin manifestations, skeletal defects, and central nervous system abnormalities. Here, the SS is briefly reviewed, and the oral and dental manifestations are described in a patient whose medical findings were previously published and included severe hypophosphatemic rickets. Significant oral and dental features included papillomatous lesions of the gingiva, hemihyperplasia (hemihypertrophy) of the tongue, bone cysts, aplasia of teeth, enlarged pulp chambers, hypoplastic or absent enamel, and an odontodysplasia-like permanent tooth.

Adolescent↗

Design of a pilot study to evaluate tandem mass spectrometry for neonatal screening.

In recent years, tandem mass spectrometry has generated great interest as a method for neonatal screening. The basic principle is electronically controlled separation of analytes by their mass-to-charge ratio. The advantage of this detection system is speed, the capability to analyze for many different compounds in a single analysis, and a minimal need for auxilliary assay reagents. The prevailing screening technique uses stable isotope dilution, butylesterification, and MS/MS analysis to quantify amino acids and acylcamitines in neonatal dried blood spot samples. This allows detection of more than 30 inborn errors of metabolism of amino acids, fatty acids, and other organic acids. In Denmark, a large-scale pilot study is being implemented to evaluate the screening potential of tandem mass spectrometry. National patient registers and medical records from clinical genetics units are used to identify cohorts of healthy infants and infants with selected inborn errors of metabolism. The neonatal screening samples of these infants are retrieved from a biobank and are assayed for amino acids and acylcarnitines using tandem mass spectrometry. This study yields decision values for neonatal screening, which will be evaluated in a subsequent 2-year prospective pilot study, offering the test to 140,000 neonates as a voluntary adjunct to the existing screening program. The organization consists of integrated units for neonatal screening and clinical genetics. The effect of the program will be assessed in terms of screening efficiency, cost and short term clinical outcome.

Amino Acids↗

Failure of short-term mannose therapy of patients with carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome type 1A.

Carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome type 1A (CDGS1A) is an inherited disorder with multisystemic abnormalities resulting from failure to generate sufficient lipid-linked oligosaccharide precursor or to transfer the sugar chain to many glycoproteins. Cultured fibroblasts from these patients have reduced incorporation of mannose into glycoproteins which can be corrected by adding D-mannose to the culture medium. Providing dietary mannose to elevate mannose concentrations in vivo therefore might remedy some of the underglycosylation in the patients. Five children with CDGS1A aged 15 months to 14 y completed a protocol of enteral supplementation with D-mannose 100 mg/kg every 3 h for 9 d. The mean S-mannose level increased from 32 microM (range 22-42 microM) to a trough value of 72 microM (range 39-103 microM). No serious side effects were observed. Surprisingly, the mean serum concentration of four glycoproteins (transferrin, alpha1-antitrypsin, antithrombin, and thyroxine-binding globulin) tended to decrease, and the mean serum concentration of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) increased. Furthermore, the initially present abnormal isoforms of these glycoproteins and of protein C became more prominent and/or additional abnormal isoforms appeared. This short-term trial does not support a benefit of mannose to the deficient glycosylation of CDGS1A patients.

Adolescent↗

Collagen-derived markers of bone metabolism in osteogenesis imperfecta.

Markers of bone formation [C-terminal and N-terminal propeptides of procollagen I (PICP, PINP), osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase] and bone resorption [C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of collagen I (ICTP) and hydroxypyridinium cross-links, pyridinoline (Pyr) and deoxypyridinoline (Dpyr)] were measured in 78 osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) patients to investigate bone metabolism in vivo and relate marker concentrations to phenotype and in vitro collagen I defects, as shown by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). PICP and PINP were generally low, and the serum levels were lower in all children and adults with mild OI and a quantitative collagen defect than in patients with severe OI and a qualitative collagen I defect. ICTP, Pyr and Dpyr were generally normal or reduced, but elevated in severely affected adults with a qualitative collagen I defect. The in vivo findings correlated with in vitro results of collagen I SDS-PAGE. Bone turnover is reduced in OI children and mildly affected OI adults, whereas bone resorption is elevated in severely affected adults. These findings may prove helpful for diagnosis and decision-making regarding therapy in OI.

Adolescent↗

Recurrent fetal polycystic kidneys associated with glutaric aciduria type II.

A woman had two pregnancies terminated in the 20th and 21st weeks of gestation after ultrasonographic detection of enlarged hyperechoic kidneys in both fetuses. The combination of polycystic kidneys and steatotic liver found at autopsy suggested glutaric aciduria type II (GA II), which was confirmed by biochemical investigation. GA II or multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency is an autosomal recessively inherited defect of mitochondrial energy metabolism, which usually results in neonatal death. When pregnancy is terminated because of enlarged hyperechoic kidneys in the fetus, autopsy is crucial for establishing the correct diagnosis. The combination of polycystic kidneys and steatotic liver should bring GA II to mind, and prompt appropriate biochemical investigations so that genetic counselling and first trimester diagnosis can be offered in future pregnancies.

Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenases↗

Folate and neural tube defects. Recommendations from a Danish working group.

A working group was established to evaluate the need for an increased folate intake in Danish women to decrease the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs). NTD are birth defects which include anencephaly, encephalocele and spina bifida. In Denmark the incidence is about 1.4 per 1,000 pregnancies. Folate is a B-vitamin found in most food groups. In case-control studies and randomised studies, a protective effect of folic acid supplements on NTDs has been found. The studies show that a periconceptional folic acid supplement of 360 micrograms to 4 mg daily decreases the recurrence rate of NTDs. Likewise, in the few studies which calculate folate intake from the diet, a lower risk of NTD with higher intake of folate from the diet has been found. The folate intake can be increased by the diet, by folic acid supplements or by fortification of food with folic acid. It is concluded that the incidence of NTDs in Denmark will decrease if the folate intake in fertile women increases. All women planning pregnancy should receive dietary counselling. Women who do not eat according to the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations, and women with an increased risk due to diseases are recommended a supplement of 400 micrograms folic acid daily from a multivitamin/folic acid tablet. Women who have had a child with NTD and women who themselves have NTDs are recommended a supplement of 5 mg folic acid daily. Dietary changes and supplements should be initiated when pregnancy is planned.

Adolescent↗

Anophthalmia-microphthalmia-oblique clefting syndrome: confirmation of the Fryns anophthalmia syndrome.

We describe a patient with bilateral extreme microphthalmia with bilateral congenital glaucoma, bilateral medial oblique facial cleft ending in lid colobomas, bilateral stenosis of the choanae, bifid uvula, frontal encephalocele, and premature craniosynostosis. The cause is unknown, but the phenotype resembles the Fryns anophthalmia-plus syndrome, which may be a recessive trait, although intrauterine environmental factors cannot be excluded.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

Fine mapping of the gene for carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome, type I (CDG1): linkage disequilibrium and founder effect in Scandinavian families.

Carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome type I (CDG I) is characterized clinically by severe nervous system involvement and biochemically by defects in the carbohydrate residues in a number of serum glycoproteins. The CDG1 gene was recently localized by us to a 13-cM interval in chromosome region 16p13. In this study 44 CDG I families from nine countries were analyzed with available markers in a region ranging from marker D16S495 to D16S497, and haplotype and linkage disequilibrium analyses were performed. One specific haplotype was found to be markedly overrepresented in CDG I patients from a geographically distinct region in Scandinavia, strongly indicating that CDG I families in this region share the same ancestral CDG1 mutation. furthermore, analysis of the extent of the common haplotype in these families indicates that the CDG1 gene is located in the region defined by markers D16S513-AFMa284wd5-D16S768-D16S406-D16S502 . The critical CDG1 region, in strong linkage disequilibrium with markers AFMa284wd5, D16S768, and D16S406, thus constitutes less than 1 Mb of DNA and less than 1 cM in the very distal part of the CDG1 region defined by us previously.

Chromosome Mapping↗

(G586V) substitutions in the alpha 1 and alpha 2 chains of collagen I: effect of alpha-chain stoichiometry on the phenotype of osteogenesis imperfecta?

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a congenital disease of connective tissue, most often caused by single amino acid substitutions of glycine residues within the triple helical region of collagen I. Collagen I consists of two alpha 1 chains and one alpha 2 chain. Thus, a substitution in the alpha 1(I) chain is thought to affect the function of the collagen molecule more than would a similar substitution in the alpha 2(I) chain, thereby causing more severe OI. Theoretically this hypothesis may be tested by comparing patients with identical substitutions in different alpha-chains. We present a Gly586Val substitution in the alpha 1(I) chain, and compare our findings to those resulting from Gly586Val substitutions in the alpha 2(I) chain (Forlino et al., 1994; Bateman et al., 1991). Our proband had lethal OI type II. Most alpha-chains of collagen I produced by his cultured fibroblasts were overmodified. The denaturation temperature of the abnormal collagen was 1.5 degrees C below normal. Cyanogen bromide cleavage and subsequent sequencing revealed a G-to-T base substitution at nucleotide 2420 of COL1A1, resulting in a Gly586Val substitution. The collagen findings were almost identical to those reported by Bateman et al. (1991) and Forlino et al. (1994), but the clinical phenotypes were different: the patients with the alpha 2(I) substitutions had OI type IV and III and not the lethal OI type II of our proband. It is known that identical biochemical aberrations in the same chain may have different phenotypic effects, both within families and between non-related patients. This must be taken into account in our cautious proposal that substitutions in the alpha 1(I) chain may have more serious consequences than similar substitutions in the alpha 2(I) chain.

Cells, Cultured↗

Oral ingestion of mannose elevates blood mannose levels: a first step toward a potential therapy for carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome type I.

Carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome type I (CDGS) is an inherited metabolic disorder with multisystemic abnormalities resulting from a failure to add entire N-linked oligosaccharide chains to many glycoproteins. Fibroblasts from these patients also abnormally glycosylate proteins, but this lesion is corrected by providing 250 microM mannose to the culture medium. This correction of protein glycosylation suggests that providing dietary mannose to elevate blood mannose concentrations might also remedy some of the underglycosylation observed in these patients. We find that ingested mannose is efficiently absorbed and increases blood mannose levels in both normal subjects and CDGS patients. Blood mannose levels increased in a dose-dependent fashion with increasing oral doses of mannose (0.07-0.21 g mannose/kg body weight). Peak blood mannose concentrations occurred at 1-2 h following ingestion and the clearance half-time was approximately 4 h. Doses of 0.1 g mannose/ kg body weight given at 3-h intervals maintained blood mannose concentrations at levels 3- to 5-fold higher than the basal level in both normal controls (approximately 55 microM) and CDGS patients. No side effects were observed for this dosage regimen. These results establish the feasibility of using mannose as a potential therapeutic dietary supplement (nutraceutical) to treat CDGS patients.

Administration, Oral↗

Abnormal metabolism of mannose in families with carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome type 1.

Patients with carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndrome (CDGS) Type 1 underglycosylate many glycoproteins by failing to add entire N-linked carbohydrate chains to them. The primary defect in these patients has been reported as a > 90% deficiency in phosphomannomutase activity (PMM), the enzyme that converts mannose-6-phosphate to mannose-1-phosphate. This lesion reduces both the amount and the size of the lipid-linked oligosaccharide precursor. We have now analyzed the activity of PMM and the level of glycosylation in cultured fibroblasts as well as the level of blood mannose in seven CDGS Type 1 patients and their parents. All of these patients were approximately 95% deficient in PMM activity and their parents had an average of 51% of control PMM activity. Furthermore, parental fibroblasts showed reduced glycosylation and a higher proportion of truncated N-linked chains compared to those made by control fibroblasts. Addition of 0.25 mM mannose to the culture medium corrected both the underglycosylation and size of the oligosaccharide chains in CDGS Type 1 patients and their parents. Finally, serum from CDGS patients had considerably reduced mannose levels (5-40 microM) compared to normal controls (40-80 microM) and some parents were below normal (16-103 microM). These results suggest that the reduced blood mannose level is a consequence of the PMM deficiency. This is the first inherited disorder in human metabolism that shows a decrease in available mannose. Increasing blood mannose levels might correct some protein underglycosylation in these patients.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗