Genetic Analysis and Prenatal Diagnosis of a Family with Hereditary Spherocytosis Caused by a Novel Compound Heterozygous Mutation of SPTB Gene / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of a family with hereditary spherocytosis (HS), to clarify the cause of the disease, and to provide the basis for genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis.@*METHODS@#The clinical data of proband and his parents were collected, and HS-related pathogenic genovariation of the proband was detected by high throughput sequencing. Suspected pathogenic mutation sites were verified by PCR-Sanger sequencing, and the fetus were conceived by a proband mother underwent prenatal diagnosis.@*RESULTS@#Clinical manifestations of the proband showed moderate anemia, mild splenomegaly, and jaundice (an indirect increase of bilirubin). The gene detection showed that the proband showed compound heterozygous mutations of SPTB gene c. 6095T > C (p.Leu2032Pro) and c. 6224A > G (p.Glu2075Gly), which was inherited from the asymptomatic mother and father, respectively. Both mutations were detected rarely in the common population. Prenatal diagnosis revealed that the fetus inherited a mutant gene of the mother.@*CONCLUSION@#The compound heterozygous mutations of SPTB genes c.6095T>C (p.Leu2032Pro) and c.6224A>G (p.Glu2075Gly) were the causes of the family disease, which provides a basis for family genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis. This report is the first one found in the HGMD,1000G and EXAC database, which provides an addition to the mutation profile of the SPTB gene.

The relationship between hereditaryspherocytosis and protein 4.2 / 医学研究生学报

Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is a common hereditary hemolytic disease. The molecular pathogenesis of HS involves gene mutations, which lead to deficiency or absence of erythrocyte membrane proteins. Five major pathogenic genes of SPTA1, SPTB, ANK1, SLC4A1 and EPB42 had been found, and they encode α-spectrin, β-spectrin, ankyrin, band 3 and protein 4.2 respectively. There are many reports about gene mutations of EPB42, which cause deficiency or absence of protein 4.2 abroad. However, few scholars study the correlation between HS and protein 4.2 in China. This review describe the advances of the relationship between HS and protein 4.2 in detail.

Application of High Resolution Melting Curve Analysis in Detection of SLC4A1 Gene Mutation in Patients with Hereditary Spherocytosis / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the feasibility and clinical significance of high resolution melting(HRM) curve analysis to detect SLC4A1 gene D38A and K56E mutations in the patients with hereditary spherocytosis(HS).@*METHODS@#Peripheral blood was collected from 23 cases of HS for routine tests and their genomic DNA was extracted by routine technique. Specific primers of mutation sites D38A and K56E of SLC4A1 gene were designed. The HRM method was used to analyze all the samples, and then the results of HRM were verified with DNA sequencing technology.@*RESULTS@#Among 23 specimens of HS patients, 6 cases of heterozygous mutant gene were detected by HRM technology, including 3 cases of D38A mutation and 3 cases of K56E mutation, which were confirmed by DNA sequencing.@*CONCLUSION@#The HRM technology can correctly detect 2 common mutation sites including D38A and K56E in SLC4A1 gene in an efficient, fast, and reliable way, which not only can be used for clinical diagnosis, but also expected to be a new method for clinical researchers to define gene mutation spectrum in HS patients.

Phosphatidylserine and male reproduction / 中华男科学杂志

Phosphatidylserine (PS) is an amphiphilic phospholipid ubiquitously present in the inside of the membrane of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. In mammalian cells, there are two synthetic pathways for PS that are different from those of bacterial biosynthesis. The translocation of sperm PS from the inner to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane is considered to be associated with sperm apoptosis and male infertility. The level of PS externalization in human sperm is used as an indicator for the evaluation of sperm quality. Fast separation of PS-externalized sperm at the molecular level by flow cytometry or magnetic activated cell sorting can effectively improve the quality of sperm and the success rate of assisted reproductive technology. This paper reviews the structure properties, distribution, biological activity and synthesis of PS, as well as its association with male reproduction.

Magnetic activated cell sorting and its application in the studies of male infertility / 中华男科学杂志

Magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) is considered as a flexible, fast, specific and simple cell sorting system that can separate target cells effectively according to specific markers on the cell surface, for which it has won a wide clinical application. MACS offers a new platform for male infertility research, as well as a novel idea for applying this technology in the optimization of semen quality and the isolation of germ cells. This article briefly introduces the basic principles of MACS, and summaries its present and potential clinical application in male infertility research, as in spermatozoa selection and cryopreservation, and the isolation of spermatogonial stem cells and germ cells.

Molecular analysis of two pedigrees with inherited coagulation factor VII deficiency / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the gene mutation in two pedigrees of inherited coagulation factor VII (FVII) deficiency, and investigate the relationship between the genotype and phenotype.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The coagulation function and coagulation factors activity of probands were detected for phenotype diagnosis, all exons and junctions of FVII gene from the family members' genomic DNA were amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and detected the gene mutation by direct sequencing. Mutations were confirmed by reverse sequencing.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The prothrombin time (PT) of proband 1 was 265.2 s, FVII:C was 22% and the PT of proband 2 was > 120 s, FVII:C was 1%. Homozygous 17844G→A mutation in No. 8 exon of FVII gene was identified in the proband 1 resulting in Gly343Ser, and heterozygosity for the same mutations were confirmed in his parents and a sister. The proband 2 was compound heterozygous, one mutation was the same as the proband 1 but was a heterozygosity that can also found in his mother and brother; the other heterozygosity mutation was located on No. 8 exon 18055G→A that resulted in Gln413Arg which was inherited from his father.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>No. 8 exon of FVII gene encodes catalytic domain. Mutation found in those domain could change the FVII catalytic domain spatial structure, affected FVII function and stability, and the sufferer of homozygote and compound heterozygous may have clinical bleeding tendency. Almost no clinical findings in simple heterozygotes, however, a few of heterozygotes could have a tendency of bleeding because of genetic polymorphism which would reduce the FVII:C.</p>

Comparison of indirect immunofluorescence assay and ELISA for detecting antinuclear antibodies and anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIFA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies (anti-dsDNA).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 125 serum samples were obtained from patients with established or suspected autoimmune disease, and 82 samples were used for ANA detection and 57 for anti-dsDNA detection using both IIFA and ELISA. Fourteen samples were examined for both ANA and anti-dsDNA. In cases where discrepancy occurred in the results by the two methods, extractable nuclear antigens were detected using immunoblotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The positivity rate of ANA detected by IIFA and ELISA was significantly different (87.8% and 73.17%, respectively, P<0.01), but the positivity rate of anti-dsDNA was similar between IIFA and ELISA (77.19% and 71.93%, respectively, P>0.05). The percent agreement between the two testing methods with different cutoff values of ANA and anti-dsDNA showed significant differences (P<0.01), and for some uncommon patterns, the percent agreement of the two methods was lowered in ANA detection but remained unchanged for anti-dsDNA with different ANA patterns. High percent agreements of the two methods were obtained with the cutoff ANA titer of 1:100 and the cutoff anti-dsDNA value of weak positivity, but they demonstrated a significant difference in testing low-titer ANA and anti-dsDNA.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>IIFA is more sensitive than ELISA in detecting the total ANA and anti-dsDNA. ELISA prescreening combined with IIFA can obtain the information of the nuclear pattern and allow the observation of the titer alterations. The combination of two or more testing methods can greatly enhance the accuracy of the results.</p>

Comparison between Coulter LH-750 and URIT-12 for measuring hemoglobin concentration / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the feasibility of URIT-12 hemoglobin analyzer for fast measurement of hemoglobin concentration.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Hemoglobin concentration was detected in 100 random blood samples using URIT-12 hemoglobin analyzer and Coulter LH-750 hematology analyzer.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The two analyzers showed good correlation of the results (r=0.994) without significant difference between them (P>0.05). The linear range of URIT-12 hemoglobin analyzer was 46-240 g/L, and in the repeated measurements (20 times) of 3 batches of blood samples with low, moderate and high hemoglobin concentrations, the within-batch coefficient of variation of URIT-12 hemoglobin analyzer, from low to high concentrations, were 2.13%, 2.17%, and 2.33%, respectively. In the measurement of 4 batches of high-fat, high-bilirubin, high-globin and high-white-blood-cell blood samples, the interference rate of the former 3 samples were all less than 4% by the two devices, but that of the fourth sample was 10% by URIT-12 hemoglobin analyzer and 7% by Coulter LH-750 analyzer.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results detected by URIT-12 hemoglobin analyzer have high accuracy and precision and is easy to operate, fast-testing and portable.</p>

Clinical application of a method for evaluating von Willebrand factor cleaving protease activity / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a method for evaluating the activity of von Willebrand factor cleaving protease (vWF-cp) and evaluate its clinical application.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Purified von Willebrand factor polymer was isolated by gel filtration from human fresh-frozen plasma as the enzyme substrate. SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, and luminographic detection were used to evaluate vWF-cp activity of 60 healthy adults, 28 patients with cerebral infarction (CI) and 7 with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the subjects involved, the method for evaluating vWF-cp activity had intra- and inter-batch coefficient of variation(CV) of 4.81% (n=8) and 8.63% (n=6), respectively. According to this method, the plasma vWF-cp activity in the 60 healthy adults was significantly higher than that in the CI patients [(86.53-/+17.49)% vs (77.15-/+16.72)%, P<0.05]. In TTP patients before plasma replacement, the vWF-cp activity was (9.06-/+7.17)% and increased significantly to (47.00-/+6.27)% 24 h after plasma replacement, respectively, but still significantly lower than that of healthy adults (P<0.01), whereas in the convalescent stage, the activity approached the normal level [(83.18-/+8.83)%, P>0.05].</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>According to the described method, which allows accurate vWF-cp activity measurement with good sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility, vWF-cp activity is lower in CI patients and even more so in TTP patients than that of healthy adults. Plasma replacement can effectively increase the vWF-cp activity in TTP patients.</p>