Misleading linkage results in an NF2 presymptomatic test owing to mosaicism.

A two generation family with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is presented in which a family member requested presymptomatic molecular diagnosis. Since the consultand's mother had clinically well defined NF2, he was quoted to be at 50% risk of carrying an NF2 mutation. Mutation screening in the mother did not show the causative mutation and, consequently, presymptomatic testing was based on linkage analysis. This showed that the consultand carried the high risk chromosome 22. Subsequent mutation screening of his clinically affected sister showed a nonsense mutation, R262X in exon 8 of the NF2 gene. The mother turned out to be a mosaic for R262X; the son had not inherited the mutation. Mosaicism may be a common mechanism in NF2 and other autosomal dominant diseases with a high new mutation rate. This may be one explanation for a difference in expression in generations. Caution has to be exercised when giving results based on linkage tests which imply a very high risk to people in the second generation.     

Congenital cataracts in mother, sister, and son of a patient with Hallermann-Streiff syndrome: coincidence or clue?

The son of a patient with Hallermann-Streiff Syndrome (HSS) was found to have congenital cataracts, but no other findings of the syndrome. Similar findings were reported in the patient's mother and sister. The significance of this observation is uncertain.     

Familial spastic paraplegia with epilepsy

We report a family whose members have familial spastic paraplegia (FSP) associated with epilepsy. A man and his sister initially had primary generalized epilepsy with tonic-clonic seizures, but they have had no seizures for years. However, they developed spastic paresis of the lower extremities and presently show features of FSP. Their mother seemed to have suffered from FSP. One son of the female patient has epilepsy. The clinical picture of this family suggests a close relationship between FSP and epilepsy.     

FBN1新生突变引起的马凡综合征及其基因型-表型的关联研究

 目的: 本研究对2个不同马凡综合征(Marfan syndrome)的小家系进行致病基因FBN1的编码区和剪切位点突变检测,以寻找致病的突变,并初步探索马凡综合征基因型-表型的关联。方法: 通过临床检查、实验室检查及心脏超声检查确诊2个无血缘关系的家庭中原疑似为马凡综合征的3例患者。运用新一代测序对家系1的疑似患者行FBN1基因的全外显子组测序,并对检出的致病性遗传变异进行Sanger验证及在所有家系成员中验证;对于家系2的存活成员,本研究直接进行PCR扩增FBN1基因的所有编码区及剪切位点,对产物进行直接Sanger测序。另外在50个正常对照中对新发现的突变位点进行基于PCR产物的测序分析,以排除多态性;并对实验结果行生物信息学分析。结果: 所有存活的疑似患者均确诊为马凡综合征。在家系1中,我们检测到了一个FBN1基因数据库中尚未报道的新突变c.4685G>A(p.Cys1562Tyr),并且患者父母和同胞姐姐均未检测到此变异,故此突变为一个新生突变。该错义突变使第1562位上极性中性的含硫的半胱氨酸被极性中性的含羟苯基的酪氨酸所替代,影响了fibrillin-1蛋白一个TGF-β结合结构域,导致蛋白质的二级结构发生改变。家系2含父母及一对同卵双胎患者,其中一患者已去世。我们在存活患者检测到1个FBN1基因的已报道致病突变c.3706T>C(p.Cys1236Arg),该突变在患者父母中不存在,故也为新生突变。结论: 本文报道了一例FBN1基因的新突变及另一例由FBN1基因已知突变引起的马凡综合征,二者皆为新生突变,并在家系中进行了基因型-表型的比较,表明家系1的新突变可能与经典马凡综合征的表型相关,而家系2的已知突变确和新生儿重症马凡综合征表型相关。     

Evidence of a four-hit mechanism involving SMARCB1 and NF2 in schwannomatosis-associated schwannomas

Schwannomatosis is characterized by the onset of multiple intracranial, spinal, or peripheral schwannomas, without involvement of the vestibular nerve, which is instead pathognomonic of neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). Recently, a schwannomatosis family with a germline mutation of the SMARCB1 gene on chromosome 22 has been described. We report on the molecular analysis of the SMARCB1 and NF2 genes in a series of 21 patients with schwannomatosis and in eight schwannomatosis-associated tumors from four different patients. A novel germline SMARCB1 mutation was found in one patient; inactivating somatic mutations of NF2, associated with loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of 22q, were found in two schwannomas of this patient. This is the second report of a germline SMARCB1 mutation in patients affected by schwannomatosis and the first report of SMARCB1 mutations associated with somatic NF2 mutations in schwannomatosis-associated tumors. The latter observation suggests that a four-hit mechanism involving the SMARCB1 and NF2 genes may be implicated in schwannomatosis-related tumorigenesis.     

Evidence for Subarachnoid Spread in the Development of Multiple Meningiomas

Meningiomas are among the most common human brain tumors. Occasionally patients develop multiple meningiomas. While it has been surmised that these are multiple primary meningiomas, it is possible that they represent spread of a single primary tumor. Recently, the neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) tumor suppressor gene has been shown to carry mutations in meningiomas. In the present study we have analyzed multiple meningiomas from two patients for point mutations in the NF2 gene by SSCP analysis and direct sequencing. We detected point mutations in the meningiomas from both patients. The first patient from which six tumors were available had a three base pair deletion in the splice donor region of exon 7. All tumors showed the identical mutation. The second patient with two independent meningiomas had a nonsense mutation in exon 8 which was the same in both tumors. Analysis of constitutional DNA revealed a wildtype DNA sequence in both cases. There was no family history of neurofibromatosis type 2 in either patient. These data provide strong evidence for a monoclonal origin of multiple meningiomas. Early subarachnoid spread is the most likely mechanism for the formation of these tumors.     

Gonadotrophin therapy in Kallmann syndrome caused by heterozygous mutations of the gene for fibroblast growth factor receptor 1: report of three families: case report

Gonadotrophin therapy (GT) is frequently used to induce fertility in Kallmann syndrome (KS). We studied the effects and the consequences of GT in autosomal dominant KS caused by heterozygous FGFR1 mutations. Three Japanese families were examined. In family A, an adult male received GT and had two sons. In family B, an adult female received GT and gave birth to dizygotic male and female twins. In family C, an adult female received GT and produced a son and a daughter. Direct sequencing was performed for FGFR1, and clinical assessment was carried out for KS features. The father and the elder son of family A had P745S mutation, the mother and the female twin of family B had G687R mutation, and the mother and the two children of family C had S107X mutation. KS phenotype was detected for the mutation-positive subjects, except for the elder son of family A who had apparently normal phenotype. GT in FGFR1 mutations is effective in acquiring fertility but has a risk of transmitting the mutation and the disease phenotype to the next generation.     

An atypical case of Fanconi anemia in elderly sibs

We describe a 56-year-old woman suspected of Fanconi anemia on the basis of the following clinical findings: microcephaly, short stature, congenital deafness, and the clinical findings in her deceased brother. Hematologic or other signs of malignancy were absent. The diagnosis was confirmed by demonstrating hypersensitivity of her lymphocytes to mitomycin C (MMC). Cell fusion experiments indicated that the patient belongs to complementation group A. The patient's brother died at the age of 50 of heart and renal failure, and anemia. He had clinical findings similar to those of his sister, and a horseshoe kidney. From 31 years on he had thrombocytopenia and leucopenia. Both patients had insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. A chromosomal breakage test carried out elsewhere before his death failed to demonstrate MMC hypersensitivity of his lymphocytes, which led to the investigation of his sister. To our knowledge these two cases are the oldest Fanconi anemia patients reported thus far. Am. J. Med. Genet. 68:362–366, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

New variant of acro-renal field defect

We describe two patients with a new variant of acro-renal field defect. The first was a full-term, small-for-gestational-age female infant who showed preaxial polydactyly of the right hand and horseshoe kidney on abdominal ultrasonographic examination. In addition, there was a single umbilical artery and some mild facial errors of morphogenesis. The second patient, a full-term male infant, had horseshoe kidney and left hand ectrodactyly. Various renal abnormalities have been described in the literature, but there are no reports on horseshoe kidney as part of acro-renal field defect. We suggest that acro-renal field defect should not be regarded as a definitive diagnosis, but only as a starting point for the search for various conditions.     

Two independent de novo mutations as a cause for neurofibromatosis type 1 and Noonan syndrome in a single family

Here we report on a family with two siblings born to unrelated healthy parents, one with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and the other with Noonan syndrome (NS). Molecular investigations performed on the NF1 and PTPN11 genes showed two independent de novo mutations as a cause for NF1 in the NF1 proband and NS in her affected brother. Both de novo mutations were potentially of paternal origin, given the advanced paternal age at the time of conception. ? 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Café-au-lait macules and intertriginous freckling in piebaldism: clinical overlap with neurofibromatosis type 1 and Legius syndrome

Piebaldism is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by congenital hypopigmented patches of skin and hair and has been found to be associated with mutations in the KIT or SLUG genes. Café-au-lait macules (CALM) may occasionally be seen in piebaldism. There are four reports describing six patients who were said to have both piebaldism and neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) due to the presence of multiple CALM and intertriginous freckling, but none of these patients had undergone comprehensive NF1 mutation analysis. We describe a large family with piebaldism in which two members meet diagnostic criteria for NF1 based on the presence of >5 CALM and intertriginous freckling. Interestingly, only these two family members are of mixed race, which could be of importance. A novel complex mutation in the KIT gene was identified in several family members affected with piebaldism; the proband meeting diagnostic criteria for NF1 also underwent comprehensive NF1 and SPRED1 testing with no mutations detected. These findings suggest that piebaldism may occasionally include CALM and intertriginous freckling, which may create diagnostic confusion especially in the absence of a family history of piebaldism. However, careful clinical evaluation and molecular testing if necessary should distinguish these two disorders.     

Non-progressive cerebellar ataxia, aplasia of pupillary zone of iris, and mental subnormality (Gillespie''s syndrome) affecting 3 members of a non-consanguineous family in 2 generations.

A family is reported in which a brother and sister both showed non-progressive cerebellar ataxia, aplasia of the pupillary zone of the iris, and mild mental subnormality. These clinical findings were similar to those in two previous case reports. Despite the birth of an affected son to the affected sister, this family is considered to confirm autosomal recessive inheritance of this syndrome. The paternity of the mother's husband is supported by blood groups and biochemical markers and it is presumed that the husband is a heterozygote, even though no consanguinity could be detected.     

Pitfalls in molecular analysis for mismatch repair deficiency in a family with biallelic pms2 germline mutations

Heterozygous germline mutations in the mismatch repair (MMR) genes MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2 cause Lynch syndrome. Biallelic mutations in the MMR genes are associated with a childhood cancer syndrome [constitutional mismatch repair deficiency (CMMR-D)]. This is predominantly characterized by hematological malignancies and tumors of the bowel and brain, often associated with signs of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Diagnostic strategies for selection of patients for MMR gene analysis include analysis of microsatellite instability (MSI) and immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of MMR proteins in tumor tissue. We report the clinical characterization and molecular analyses of tumor specimens from a family with biallelic PMS2 germline mutations. This illustrates the pitfalls of present molecular screening strategies. Tumor tissues of five family members were analyzed for MSI and IHC. MSI was observed in only one of the analyzed tissues. However, IHC analysis of brain tumor tissue of the index patient and his sister showed absence of PMS2 expression, and germline mutation analyses showed biallelic mutations in PMS2: p.Ser46IIe and p.Pro246fs. The same heterozygous mutations were confirmed in the father and mother, respectively. These data support the conclusion that in case of a clinical phenotype of CMMR-D, it is advisable to routinely combine MSI analysis with IHC analysis for the expression of MMR proteins. With inconclusive or conflicting results, germline mutation analysis of the MMR genes should be considered after thorough counselling of the patients and/or their relatives.     

Congenital disseminated neurofibromatosis type 1: a clinical and molecular case report

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant condition with a birth incidence of 1/3,500. Around 50% of cases are due to new mutations. The NF1 gene maps to 17q11.2 and encodes neurofibromin. NF1 is a "classical" tumor suppressor gene. Congenital disseminated NF1 is rare with just two cases previously reported. We present a deceased baby with congenital disseminated NF1 in whom we performed molecular studies. A germline mutation (R461X) in exon 10a of the NF1 gene was found. A 2 bp deletion (3508delCA) in codon 1170 of exon 21 was identified in DNA derived from some tumor tissue. Loss of heterozygosity in NF1 and TP53 was observed in other tumor samples. No microsatellite instability was observed in the tumor samples. This is the first report of molecular analysis of the NF1 locus in a patient with disseminated congenital neurofibromatosis. This case had a de novo germline mutation in NF1 and three documented somatic mutations in the NF1 and TP53 genes in tumor specimens.     

Complement component C7 deficiency in a Spanish family

Different genetic mutations have been described in complement component C7 deficiency, a molecular defect which is clinically associated with an increased susceptibility to neisserial recurrent infections, although some cases remain asymptomatic. In this work we report the genetic bases of C7 deficiency in one Spanish family. Exon-specific PCR and sequencing revealed a novel point mutation at nucleotide 615 (exon 6) leading to a stop codon (UGG to UGA) in the patient, his mother, and sister. This transversion causes the premature truncation of the C7 protein (W183X). Additionally, we detected a missense mutation at position 1135 (exon 9) located in the first nucleotide of the codon GGG (CGG), resulting in an amino acid change (G357R) in the patient, his father, as well as in his sister. This latter mutation had been previously described in individuals from Moroccan Sephardic Jewish ancestry. Since both heterozygous mutations were found in the patient as well as in his asymptomatic sister, we analyse other meningococcal defence mechanisms such as polymorphisms of the opsonin receptors on polymorphonuclear cells. Results showed that the patient and his sister bore identical combinations of FcgammaRIIA-H/R131 and FcgammaRIIIB-NA1/2 allotypes. Our results provide further evidence that the molecular pathogenesis of C7 deficiency as well as susceptibility to meningococcal disease are heterogeneous, since different families carry different molecular defects, although many of the C7 defects appear to be homogeneous in individuals from certain geographical areas. The missense mutation G357R would make an interesting topic of analysis with regard to meningococcal disease susceptibility in the Spanish population.     

Familial neurofibromatosis type 1 associated with an overgrowth syndrome resembling Weaver syndrome.

The simultaneous occurrence of familial neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and an overgrowth syndrome resembling Weaver syndrome was observed in two related cases (a mother and her son). NF1 was confirmed by molecular genetic analysis showing a large deletion at 17q11.2, encompassing the entire NF1 gene. The other symptoms in the two cases were similar to the features reported in Weaver syndrome. Although the combination of NF1 and an overgrowth syndrome resembling Weaver syndrome in this family may be fortuitous, we favour the hypothesis that the deletion of the entire gene has caused this combined phenotype. Possible pathogenetic mechanisms are discussed. The observation suggests a relation between NF1 with an extraordinarily large gene deletion and a Weaver(-like) syndrome. This warrants investigation for deletions in the 17q11.2 region in Weaver(-like) syndrome patients.     

Distribution of 13 truncating mutations in the neurofibromatosis 1 gene

Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) is a common genetic disorder characterizedby abnormalities of tissues derived from the neural crest. Todefine germ-line mutations in the NF1 gene, we studied 20 patientswith familial or sporadic cases of NF1 diagnosed clinicallyand one patient with only café-au-lait spots and no otherdiagnostic criteria. A protein truncation assay identified abnormalpolypeptides synthesized in vitro from five RT—PCR productsthat represented the entire NF1 coding region. Truncated polypeptideswere observed in 14 individuals. The mutations responsible forthe generation of abnormal polypeptides were characterized byDNA sequencing. Thirteen previously unpublished mutations werecharacterized in the 14 individuals. The mutation 2027insC wasobserved in two unrelated individuals; the other 12 mutationswere unique. The sequence changes included seven nonsense andfour frameshift mutations that created premature translationtermination signals, and two large in-frame deletions that ledto the synthesis of truncated polypeptides. One of the mutationswas found in the child with a single clinical diagnostic criterion,providing her with a presumptive diagnosis of NF1. Our resultsconfirm that truncating mutations are frequent in both familialand sporadic NF1 cases. The identification of mutations in 14of 21 individuals studied (67%) suggests that the use of proteintruncation assays will rapidly accelerate the rate of identificationof NF1 mutations. Because we scanned the entire NF1 coding regionin each individual, the distribution of NF1 truncating mutationswas discerned for the first time. The mutations were relativelyevenly distributed throughout the coding region with no evidencefor clustering.     

A patient severely affected by spinal neurofibromas carries a recurrent splice site mutation in the NF1 gene

Spinal neurofibromas are found in up to 38% of NF1 patients. However, they cause clinical implications only in about 5% of the patients. In contrast, multiple symptomatic spinal neurofibromas are the main clinical finding in patients with familial spinal neurofibromatosis. Familial spinal neurofibromatosis has been considered to be a distinct clinical form of neurofibromatosis. Linkage analysis in two families and identification of a NF1 gene mutation in a third family strongly associate spinal neurofibromatosis with the NF1 gene. We describe a NF1 patient who satisfies the NIH diagnostic criteria and has severe spinal involvement with bilateral spinal root neurofibromas at every level. A recurrent splice site mutation (IVS19b-3C>G) was identified in the NF1 gene in the patient. We discuss the possibility that the clinical picture of this patient represents an additional example of spinal neurofibromatosis. By comparison of the clinical expression of NF1 in this patient and that in another patient with the identical mutation the hypothesis that spinal neurofibromatosis is associated with a particular mutation is highly unlikely. The involvement of other genes linked to the NF1 gene or modifying genes is currently the most likely explanation for the clinical phenotype of spinal neurofibromatosis.     

COVID-19 in people with neurofibromatosis 1, neurofibromatosis 2, or schwannomatosis

PurposePeople with pre-existing conditions may be more susceptible to severe COVID-19 when infected by SARS-CoV-2. The relative risk and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection in people with rare diseases such as neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), or schwannomatosis (SWN) is unknown.MethodsWe investigated the proportions of people with NF1, NF2, or SWN in the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) electronic health record data set who had a positive test result for SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19.ResultsThe cohort sizes in N3C were 2501 (NF1), 665 (NF2), and 762 (SWN). We compared these with N3C cohorts of patients with other rare diseases (98-9844 individuals) and the general non-NF population of 5.6 million. The site- and age-adjusted proportion of people with NF1, NF2, or SWN who had a positive test result for SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 (collectively termed positive cases) was not significantly higher than in individuals without NF or other selected rare diseases. There were no severe outcomes reported in the NF2 or SWN cohorts. The proportion of patients experiencing severe outcomes was no greater for people with NF1 than in cohorts with other rare diseases or the general population.ConclusionHaving NF1, NF2, or SWN does not appear to increase the risk of being SARS-CoV-2 positive or of being a patient with COVID-19 or of developing severe complications from SARS-CoV-2.     

HNPCC mutation MLH1 P648S makes the functional protein unstable, and homozygosity predisposes to mild neurofibromatosis type 1

Heterozygous germ-line mutations in DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes predispose individuals to hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), whereas with homozygous MMR gene mutations children are diagnosed at an early age with de novo neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and/or hematological malignancies. Here, we describe a mutation, MLH1 P648S, which was found in a typical HNPCC family, with one homozygous child displaying mild features of NF1 and no hematological cancers. To evaluate the pathogenicity of the mutation, we studied both the expression and the function of the mutated protein. It generally has been assumed that the predisposing mutations prevent the production of a functional protein. The mutated MLH1 P648S protein was found to be unstable but still functional in mismatch repair, suggesting that the cancer susceptibility in the family and possibly also the mild disease phenotype in the homozygous individual are linked to shortage of the functional protein.