Cytogenetic and DNA repair studies in a patient affected by the neonatal progeroid syndrome.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G Del Porto.
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A woman with a history of recurrent abortions, idiopathic hypoprolactinemia, and an apparent 6p partial deletion mosaicism is described. The breakpoint in the short arm of chromosome 6 was in the p23 region. This deletion could have been caused by a fragile site in 6p23.
Lentigo maligna is an early cutaneous neoplastic lesion. This article presents the cytogenetic, ultrastructural, and phenotypic characterization of a primary cell culture obtained from a patient affected with lentigo maligna. Two cellular clones were identified, both characterized by chromosomal markers involving chromosome 10 with a breakpoint at 10q26.
A long-lasting case of Sézary syndrome, whose chromosomal pattern had been repeatedly investigated during a follow-up period of several years, was studied in the terminal transforming phase, which took place more than 5 years after the initial diagnosis. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this appears to be the first instance of cytogenetic studies carried out in a large cell transformation of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. The results clearly indicate that the atypical large cells seen in the transforming phase were clonally derived from the pre-existing cerebriform cells. Newly detected relevant cytogenetic findings were: a) drop of tumor cell ploidy from hypotetraploid to hypotriploid, with striking chromosomal imbalance; b) additional structural aberrations of chromosomes 2 and 7, which had been already preferentially involved in the earlier phases, and involvement of the previously unaffected chromosomes 1, 3, and X; and c) presence in 100% of the abnormal metaphases of a large HSR on the long arm of chromosome 17.
We report two related patients, presenting duplication 20p, with a characteristic phenotype including normal growth pattern, mental and psychomotor retardation, reduced motor coordination, poor language development, round face and prominent cheeks, vertebral and dental anomalies, and renal malformations. Familial chromosome analysis showed a balanced translocation t(20;21)(p11;q22) in three members of the family. These cases, together with those previously reported in the literature, allow us to make a better delineation of the duplication 20p syndrome, identifying more clearly the symptoms that must be considered as characteristic of this clinical picture.
Three unrelated families with paracentric inversion of chromosome 15(q15q24) are reported. An additional pericentric inversion of chromosome 9 with breakpoints in p11.2q13 was also observed in one of the three families. Reproductive problems, such as stillbirths, spontaneous abortions and two live-born children with multiple abnormalities, were present.
The authors report on a case of balanced complex chromosomal rearrangement (BCCR) with phenotypic effect, describe the dysmorphisms and malformations observed, and discuss the various pathogenetic mechanisms. On the basis of these considerations, they underline the need for careful reporting of examined cases, distinguishing the characteristic signs from dysmorphisms that are described in several other chromosomal aberrations as well. Finally, they stress the importance of a more precise description of BCCRs for the purpose, among others, of a correct formulation of reproductive risk.
The identification of risk factors is very important for primary and secondary prevention of coronary artery disease. Among the different risk factors, the individual predisposition plays an important role. We have studied 130 patients with old myocardial infarction (Group A), 38 subjects belonging to the same family (Group B) and 147 control subjects in order to investigate: familiarity of coronary artery disease; distribution of lipids, lipoproteins and fibrinogen; distribution of these parameters in subjects with and without familiarity for coronary artery disease. Familiar forms showed similar lipemic and coagulative profiles as occasional forms. However, groups A and B showed significant variations in HDL-cholesterol, apolipoprotein A1, Apo A1/B ratio and in fibrinogen when compared with control subjects. These results confirm the important role of these factors and their genetical distribution. The importance of familiar distribution is also evident.
A cytogenetic follow-up study was performed for a 3-year period on a 70-year-old patient with Sézary syndrome (SS). The results showed formation of hypotetraploid cell clones with 60 to 89 chromosomes and 19 markers, some of which appeared during the period of study and stabilized thereafter. The incidence of these clonal cells increased from 29% to 85% during the follow-up study. The results confirm the presence of hypotetraploid cell clones, especially in the more advanced stages of SS. Moreover, some marker chromosomes in our patient (M2 and M3), derived from chromosome 2, were similar to those observed in SS by other investigators. According to our data and to those in the literature, SS appears to involve preferentially chromosomal regions 2p12-13, 2p21-22, 2q37, 17p13, 13q1, 9q11, 10p13, 14q11, 14q32, 7p1 and, to a lesser extent, 5q and 6q.
Although many reports on chromosome changes in human malignant melanoma (HMM) have been published, it is still impossible to define the significance of the different markers reported. In fact, we think that the difficulties in interpreting the chromosomal abnormalities could be due to poorly defined clinical conditions and a lack of correlation with cytological and histological analyses. To verify this hypothesis, we studied 10 cell lines obtained from 8 patients affected by cutaneous malignant melanoma that were well defined for their clinical, histologic, and cytogenetic aspects. No significant correlation was found among these parameters, and, hence, the cytogenetics findings cannot be used to determine a more detailed diagnosis or a more definite prognosis.
The use of DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) to analyze variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) sequences dispersed in the human genome, has become a powerful tool for the study of population genetics due to the very substantial polymorphism involved. Because the markers usually employed for twin zygosity determination (such as sex combination, placentation, HLA typing, blood group antigens, etc) may not be uniformly informative, we propose the use of synthetic olygonucleotides, representing VNTR "core" sequences, for the determination of zygosity in twins.
The authors report a patient affected with mental retardation, dysarthria, bilateral testicular hypoplasia and extensive ulcers of the lower limbs. Clinical study and laboratory tests revealed 48,XXYY syndrome. The authors confirm the importance of differential diagnosis from Klinefelter syndrome, illustrating the parameters and the pathology of both syndromes. They discuss the hypotheses concerning the pathogenesis of the ulcerations, and stress the importance of clinical and genetic characterization, leading to a differentiated prognosis of social capacity and prospect of working.
A continuous human cell line RN-GA was established from a stage-III primary neuroblastoma prior to therapy. Light and electron microscopic analysis of the biopsy showed morphological features typical of neuroectodermal origin. Relative cellular DNA content and N-myc oncogene copy number were also analyzed in the biopsy tissue: the tumor cells presented a near-diploid genome with N-myc amplification. The derived tumor cell line expressed distinctive ultrastructural, cytogenetic and immunological markers of neuroblastoma. Moreover, cells from the culture could be serially transplanted into splenectomized-irradiated nude mice, where they formed a progressively growing solid tumor. Surprisingly, the cells in culture did not show any N-myc amplification, while they retained a near-diploid DNA content. We propose that several techniques (electron microscopy, oncogene analysis, flow cytometry, cytogenetics, tissue culture, cell antigen immunodetection) should be used to establish a firm diagnosis and a correct clinical grading of this tumor. The establishment of this continuous cell line should be valuable as an experimental in vitro system for further studies of neuroblastoma biology and morphology.
Pericentric inversion of chromosome 19 has been found in several members of three unrelated families from a restricted geographical region. In one of the families, an additional pericentric inversion of chromosome 9 was observed. Reproductive problems, multiple abortions in two families and a neonatal death in the third, were present. A review of previously described cases is included, and the genetic risk connected with this type of rearrangement is also discussed.
The authors describe a case of acute monocytic leukemia with a clonal deletion of the 8q12 band as a single chromosomal aberration. On the basis of this and other reports from the literature, they suggest that the 8q1 region, hitherto considered significantly involved in solid tumors, may be important also for hematologic malignancies.
A case of double bilateral renal vessels in both twins of a MZ pair is reported for the first time. Even in non-twins, the anomalies reported so far involved the inferior polar arteries in agreement with the embryological development. The two male twins, examined at the age of 14 years, had simultaneously developed a marked hypertension at the age of 7 years. Zygosity was determined by blood group and HLA analysis and various clinical tests were carried out to diagnose the condition. It is suggested that the anomaly is the result of a genetically induced early block in embryonic development.
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