Correction to: Rarely occurring mutation of ACVR1 gene in Moroccan patient with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva

Clinical Rheumatology - One of the author’s name on this article was incorrectly spelled as “Renata Borcciadi”. The correct spelling is “Renata Bocciardi” and is now...     

Germinal mosaicism in Noonan syndrome: A family with two affected siblings of normal parents

Noonan syndrome (NS; OMIM 163950) is an autosomal dominant disorder with variable clinical expression and genetic heterogeneity. Clinical manifestations include characteristic facial features, short stature, and cardiac anomalies. Mutations in protein-tyrosine phosphatase, non-receptor-type 11 (PTPN11), encoding SHP-2, account for about half of NS patients. We report on a Moroccan family with two children with NS and apparently unaffected parents. The molecular studies showed the heterozygous mutation c.922A>G of PTPN11 gene in the two affected sibs. Neither the parents, nor the oldest brother carries this mutation in hematologic cells. The mutation was also absent in buccal epithelial cells and fingernails of both parents. We believe this is the first report of germ cell mosaicism in NS and suggest an empirical risk for recurrence of that is less than 1%.     

The mutation 35delG of the gene of the connexin 26 is a frequent cause of autosomal-recessive non-syndromic hearing loss in Morocco]

Mutations of the connexin 26 gene, GJB2, are the most common cause of non syndromic autosomal-recessive hearing loss. One of the GJB2 mutations, the 35delG, is recurrent in European and Mediterranean populations with allelic frequency of at least 70% in patients with hearing loss caused by GJB2 impairment. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of the 35delG mutation in non-syndromic autosomal-recessive deafness in Morocco. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We looked for the 35delG mutation among 25 non-related Moroccan children suffering from an autosomal recessive hearing loss. A screening for GJB2 mutations, and then a search for GJB6 deletions were carried out among patients who do not bear the 35delG. RESULTS: Twelve patients were homozygous for the 35delG mutation. This mutation was responsible for almost half of the hearing loss among our patients (48%). There was no other GJB2 or GJB6 mutation among 13 patients. CONCLUSION: This study underlines the advantages of a systematic search for this mutation among deaf children when environmental causes are considered irrelevant. The identification of this genetic anomaly signs the etiologic diagnosis of deafness, which allows a relevant genetic advice, and a better treatment of patients.     

L’amyotrophie spinale infantile : cause fréquente des hypotonies congénitales au Maroc

Introduction

Congenital hypotonia is a non specific symptom frequently seen in newborns and infants, and whose etiological diagnosis is often difficult due to the lack of specialized and affordable explorations. Childhood-onset proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by degeneration of the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord, leading to progressive paralysis with muscular atrophy. In more than 95% of the cases, it results from deletion of exon 7 of the SMN gene localized on 5q13, easily identified by molecular biology.

Objective

To determine the prevalence of the deletion of exon 7 of the SMN gene in congenital hypotonia with an unknown cause in Morocco.

Patients and methods

We investigated the deletion of exon 7 of the SMN gene in 87 newborns and infants with congenital hypotonia. The cause of congenital hypotonia could not be determined in 60 of them, while 27 had electrophysiological evidence for an involvement of the anterior horn cells.

Results

The homozygous deletion of the SMN gene was detected in 23 of the newborns with unknown cause for hypotonia (38%) and in 21 of the infants whose electromyogram suggested infantile spinal amyotrophy (78%).

Conclusion

This study underlines the advantages of a systematic search for the deletion of exon 7 of the SMN gene in every infant suffering from congenital hypotonia due to an unknown cause, particularly when the child's vital prognosis is at stake. This genetic test, easily implemented, should be systematically proposed after an attentive clinical evaluation in countries where the etiological diagnosis of congenital hypotonia is not systematic.     

Rarely occurring mutation of ACVR1 gene in Moroccan patient with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP, MIM 135100) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by postnatal progressive heterotopic ossification of the connective tissue and congenital malformation of the big toes. Recently, FOP has been associated with a specific mutation of ACVR1, the gene coding for a bone morphogenetic protein type I receptor. We report the case of a Moroccan patient with FOP carrying a rarely occurring mutation of ACVR1 gene.     

Moroccan consanguineous family with Becker myotonia and review

Myotonia congenita is a genetic muscle disorder characterized by clinical and electrical myotonia, muscle hypertrophy, and stiffness. It is inherited as either autosomal-dominant or –recessive, known as Thomsen and Becker diseases, respectively. These diseases are distinguished by the severity of their symptoms and their patterns of inheritance. Becker disease usually appears later in childhood than Thomsen disease and causes more severe muscle stiffness and pain. Mutations in the muscular voltage-dependent chloride channel gene (CLCN1), located at 7q35, have been found in both types. We report here the case of a Moroccan consanguineous family with a myotonic autosomal-recessive condition in two children. The molecular studies showed that the patients reported here are homozygous for mutation p.Gly482Arg in the CLCN1 gene. The parents were heterozygote carriers for mutation p.Gly482Arg. This diagnosis allowed us to provide an appropriate management to the patients and to make a genetic counselling to their family.