Genetic testing for inherited eye conditions in over 6,000 individuals through the eyeGENE network

Genetic testing in a multisite clinical trial network for inherited eye conditions is described in this retrospective review of data collected through eyeGENE®, the National Ophthalmic Disease Genotyping and Phenotyping Network. Participants in eyeGENE were enrolled through a network of clinical providers throughout the United States and Canada. Blood samples and clinical data were collected to establish a phenotype:genotype database, biorepository, and patient registry. Data and samples are available for research use, and participants are provided results of clinical genetic testing. eyeGENE utilized a unique, distributed clinical trial design to enroll 6,403 participants from 5,385 families diagnosed with over 30 different inherited eye conditions. The most common diagnoses given for participants were retinitis pigmentosa (RP), Stargardt disease, and choroideremia. Pathogenic variants were most frequently reported in ABCA4 (37%), USH2A (7%), RPGR (6%), CHM (5%), and PRPH2 (3%). Among the 5,552 participants with genetic testing, at least one pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant was observed in 3,448 participants (62.1%), and variants of uncertain significance in 1,712 participants (30.8%). Ten genes represent 68% of all pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants in eyeGENE. Cross‐referencing current gene therapy clinical trials, over a thousand participants may be eligible, based on pathogenic variants in genes targeted by those therapies. This article is the first summary of genetic testing from thousands of participants tested through eyeGENE, including reports from 5,552 individuals. eyeGENE provides a launching point for inherited eye research, connects researchers with potential future study participants, and provides a valuable resource to the vision community.     

Cardioprotective activity of Ginkgo biloba Phytosomes in isoproterenol-induced myocardial necrosis in rats: A biochemical and histoarchitectural evaluation

The protective effects of Ginkgo biloba Phytosomes (GBP) in isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiotoxicity and the antioxidant activity involved in this protection were investigated in rats. Myocardial infarction was produced in rats with 65, 85, 120 and 200mg/kg of ISO administered subcutaneously (sc) twice at an interval of 24h. An ISO dose of 85mg/kg was selected for the present study as this dose offered significant alteration in biochemical parameters and moderate necrosis in heart. Effect of GBP oral treatment for 21 days at two doses (100mg and 200mg/kg body weight) was evaluated against ISO (85mg/kg, sc)-induced cardiac necrosis. Levels of marker enzymes (AST, LDH and CPK) were assessed in serum and heart, antioxidant parameters viz., reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) and malondialdehde (MDA) were assayed in heart homogenate. Significant myocardial necrosis, depletion of endogenous antioxidants and increase in serum levels of marker enzymes were observed in ISO-treated animals when compared with the normal animals. GBP elicited a significant cardioprotective activity by lowering the levels of serum marker enzymes and lipid peroxidation and elevated the levels of GSH, SOD, CAT, GPx and GR. The present findings have demonstrated that the cardioprotective effects of GBP in ISO-induced oxidative damage may be due to an augmentation of the endogenous antioxidants and inhibition of lipid peroxidation of membrane.     

Comparison between testosterone oenanthate-induced azoospermia and oligozoospermia in a male contraceptive study. IV. Suppression of endogenous testicular and adrenal androgens

Administration of supraphysiological doses of testosterone to normal men causes inhibition of spermatogenesis, but while most become azoospermic, 30-55% maintain a low rate of spermatogenesis. We have investigated whether there are differences in endogenous androgen production, of testicular and adrenal origin, which may be related to the degree of suppression of spermatogenesis. Thirty-three healthy Caucasian men were given weekly i.m. injections of 200 mg testosterone oenanthate (TE), 18 became azoospermic, while 15 remained oligozoospermic. Urinary excretion of epitestosterone, a specific testicular product, was reduced to <10% of pretreatment values, with no differences between the groups. Similar results were obtained for other markers of testicular steroidogenesis. Urinary and plasma adrenal androgens were also reduced during TE treatment: a statistically significant decrease in both (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05 respectively) was seen in the azoospermic but not oligozoospermic responders. These results suggest that testicular steroidogenesis is decreased to <10% by the administration of supraphysiological doses of exogenous testosterone. Differences in the degree of ongoing steroidogenesis in the testis do not appear to account for incomplete suppression of spermatogenesis, thus differences in androgen metabolism may underlie this heterogeneous response. A small but significant reduction in secretion of adrenal androgens was also detectable, the relevance of which is unclear.      

Angiodysplasia of cardia of stomach--a case report

Angiodysplasia of gastrointestinal tract is still thought to be an entity of unknown aetiology. This lesion is most commonly observed in elderly patients presenting with severe and persistent iron deficiency anaemia, following occult blood loss or acute episodes of haematemesis. In the stomach antral vascular ectasia is the most common presentation. We report an autopsy case of vascular ectasia in the cardia of stomach in a young patient with clinical symptoms of anaemia as the presentation and an associated secondary hemosiderosis of liver.     

The complexity of HLA class II (DRB1, DQB1, DM) associations with disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex infection among HIV-1-seropositive whites

Earlier associations of polymorphism in classic HLA class II (DRB1 and DQB1) genes have been extended to include the accessory genes DMA and DMB as determinants of disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex (DMAC) infection among HIV-1-seropositive whites. From the Multicenter AIDS Cohort study, 176 DMAC cases were matched with 176 controls in a nested case-control study. PCR-based HLA genotyping techniques were used to resolve variants of DRB1 and DQB1 to their four-digit or five-digit alleles, and single-strand conformation polymorphism was used to resolve sequences in exon 3 at each DM locus. The DMA*0102 allele occurred less frequently among DMAC cases than among controls (OR = 0.46, p =.02). Combinations of DRB1 alleles with or without specific DMA and DMB variants showed significant differences in distributions between the cases and controls, but both of the previously associated class II alleles (DRB1*1501 and DRB1*0701) showed stronger positive associations with DMAC in the absence than in the presence of DMA*0102. Apparent joint effects of DRB1 and DM allelic combinations on occurrence and timing of DMAC suggest that class II disease relationships may be better predicted by biologically plausible interactive combinations than by polymorphisms in individual genes.     

Molecular characterization of a human rotavirus reveals porcine characteristics in most of the genes including VP6 and NSP4

Summary. Long electropherotype with Subgroup I specificity is a common feature of animal rotaviruses. In an epidemic of infantile gastroenteritis in Manipur, India, long but SG I strains predominated in the outbreak in the year 1987–88. One such strain isolated from that region, following the outbreak had G9P [19] specificity. As this is a rare combination, the gene sequences encoding VP4, VP6, VP7, NSP1, NSP2, NSP3, NSP4 and NSP5 of this strain were analyzed. All these genes except VP7 were closely related to porcine rotaviruses (95–99% identity at amino acid level) and clustered with the porcine strains in phylogenetic analysis. In addition, it had subgroup I nature and belonged to NSP4 genotype B which is characteristic of animal rotaviruses. This is the first report of a rotavirus with VP6 and NSP4, two crucial proteins thought to be involved in host range restriction and pathogenicity, were of porcine origin and caused diarrhoea in a human host. Among the genes of this strain sequenced so far, only VP7 had highest identity to human strains at amino acid level. This study suggests reassortment may be occurring between human and other animal strains and some of the reassortant viruses may be virulent to humans.     

Sublingual Neurilemmoma

Neurilemmoma of the tongue is very rare and very few cases had been recorded in the past. Here we are presenting a case of Sublingual Neurilemmoma, the interesting points in the case were in its large size, sublingual position and its histopathological picture.     

Comparative value of Dapsone "spot test" and Dapsone "tile test" in leprosy control programme

The sensitivity of Dapsone "spot test" with modified Ehrlich's reagent (Balakrishnan, 1968) and Dapsone "tile test" using Barton-Marshall reagents (Irudayraj, 1981)--both being qualitative tests for screening of dapsone in urine are compared with Dapsone/creatinine ratio--a quantitative test (Ellard, 1974). 316 urine samples were processed by paramedical worker in the fields for Dapsone "Tile test" and Dapsone "Spot test". The same samples were brought to the laboratory and subjected to these two tests besides Dapsone/creatinine estimation. These three tests correlated well at the level of 91%. The results obtained by paramedical workers and experienced worker at the laboratory are also showed 97% concordance. An earlier investigations revealed that monitoring through frequent and surprise check-up of urines for drug content (4-5 samples/year/patient) and subsequent motivation and persuation of leprosy patient, the irregularity rate of drug consumption by patient could be brought down from 36% to 17% in one year. The kit for performing DDS "spot test" and DDS "tile test" being light and easy to carry in the field and the tests being simple to perform with reliable results. This procedure is recommended to be applied in the field on a mass scale. The routine frequent and surprise checking of urine for drug content will give early idea about irregularity status of drug consumption by patients as compared to the judgement relying on clinical assessment and reduction of bacteriological index of infectious patients.