Serological Characteristics of Subtype A Caused by New A Allele Mutation and a Family Survey / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#In this study, the results of forward and reverse blood typing of a male patient diagnosed as bronchiectasis were inconsistent, which were type O and type A respectively. Multiple experiments including genotyping and sequencing and family investigation were carried out to determine the subtype of ABO blood group and explore the serological characteristics of this subtype.@*METHODS@#Standard serological techniques were used to conduct forward and reverse typing, reverse blood typing enhancement test, H antigen identification, absorption-elution test, salivary blood group substances test, and PCR-SSP method for ABO genotyping and exon 6 and 7 sequencing.@*RESULTS@#The proband's blood group was type O by forward typing, but antigen A could be detected by absorption-elution test, anti-A1 could be detected by reverse blood typing enhancement test, it was found that there was substance H but no substance A in saliva, and the serological characteristics were consistent with Ael subtype. Gene sequencing analysis showed that there was a c.625T>G base substitution on the basis of A102, which had never been reported before. Family survey showed that c.625T>G base substitution appeared in three generations of the family.@*CONCLUSION@#In this study, a new subtype A with Ael serological characteristics caused by c.625T>G mutation was identified. c.625T>G base substitution results in the weakening of A antigen, and this mutation can be stably passed down to future generations.

Factors in first-time adrenocorticotropic hormone therapy and their influence on spasm control time in infantile spasms: a Cox proportional-hazards regression model analysis / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the factors in first-time adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) therapy and their influence on spasm control time in infants with infantile spasms.@*METHODS@#A total of 72 infants with infantile spasms who were admitted from January 2008 to October 2013 were enrolled. Their clinical data were collected, and the exposure factors for infantile spasms were selected. A Cox proportional-hazards regression model analysis was performed for these factors to analyze their influence on spasm control time.@*RESULTS@#Clarification of the etiology (known or unexplained etiology), frequency of spasms before treatment, and presence or absence of combination therapy (ACTH used alone or in combination with magnesium sulfate) had a significant influence on spasm control time in infants with infantile spasms. The infants with a known etiology had a significantly shorter spasm control time than those with unexplained etiology, and the infants with a low frequency of spasms before treatment and receiving ACTH combined with magnesium sulfate early had a significantly longer spasm control time than their counterparts (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#For infants with infantile spasms at initial diagnosis, etiology should be clarified, which may helpful for evaluating prognosis. A combination of ACTH and magnesium sulfate should be given as soon as possible, which may improve their prognosis.

Psychomotor retardation with neutropenia for more than one year in a toddler / 中国当代儿科杂志

A boy was admitted at the age of 17 months. He had psychomotor retardation in early infancy. Physical examination revealed microcephalus, unusual facies, and a single palmar crease on his right hand, as well as muscle hypotonia in the extremities and hyperextension of the bilateral shoulder and hip joints. Genetic detection identified two pathogenic compound heterozygous mutations, c.8868-1G>A (splicing) and c.11624_11625del (p.V3875Afs*10), in the VPS13B gene, and thus the boy was diagnosed with Cohen syndrome. Cohen syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by the VPS13B gene mutations and has complex clinical manifestations. Its clinical features include microcephalus, unusual facies, neutropenia, and joint hyperextension. VPS13B gene detection helps to make a confirmed diagnosis.

Roles of CXCR3 on lymphocytes and IP-10 of peripheral blood in infants with bronchiolitis / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the roles of chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3) on lymphocytes and interferon-γ-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) of peripheral blood in childhood bronchiolitis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty-five children with bronchiolitis were classified into Group I (with allergic factors) and Group II (without allergic factors). Twenty-eight children with noninfectious diseases were enrolled randomly as the control group. The expression of CXCR3 (CD183 as its molecular marker) on lymphocytes of peripheral blood was detected by flow cytometry. Serum IP-10 level was measured using ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression of CD183(+) cells on CD4(+) and CD8(+) lymphocytes in peripheral blood in children with bronchiolitis from both Group I and Group II was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05), and Group I had higher expression of CD183(+) cells on CD4(+) and CD8(+) lymphocytes than Group II (P<0.05).Serum IP-10 levels in Group I and Group II were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in serum IP-10 levels between Group I and Group II.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>CXCR3 and IP-10 are involved in the pathogenesis of bronchiolitis, and CXCR3 is associated with allergic factors.</p>

Expression and significance of adhesion molecules CD62P and CD44 in peripheral blood of infants with bronchiolitis / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the expression and significance of the adhesion molecules CD62P and CD44 in the peripheral blood of infants with bronchiolitis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-three infants with bronchiolitis in the acute phase and 19 infants with bronchiolitis in the recovery phase, who were hospitalized between November 2014 and May 2015, were enrolled. Thirty infants with bronchopneumonia and 26 infants without infection were enrolled as the bronchopneumonia group and the control group, respectively. The CD62P expression in the peripheral blood of each group was measured by flow cytometry, and the CD44 level in serum was determined using ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The levels of the adhesion molecules CD62P and CD44 in the bronchiolitis group in the acute phase were significantly higher than those in the bronchiolitis group in the recovery phase, the bronchopneumonia group, and the control group (P<0.05). The levels of the adhesion molecules CD62P and CD44 in the bronchiolitis group in the recovery phase were also significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). In the bronchiolitis group in the acute phase, there was a positive correlation between CD62P expression and serum CD44 level (r=0.91; P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The adhesion molecules CD62P and CD44 play an important role in the pathogenesis of bronchiolitis, and their levels can reflect the severity of inflammatory response in infants with bronchiolitis.</p>

Down-regulatory effects of budesonide on expression of STAT6 and ORMDL3 in lung tissues of asthmatic mice / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the roles of signal transduction and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) and orosomucoid 1-like 3 (ORMDL3) in airway remodeling among asthmatic mice and to observe the effects of budesonide (BUD) on their expression.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty BALB/c mice were randomly divided into control, asthma, and BUD intervention group. The mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA) to establish a mouse model of asthma. The BUD intervention group received aerosol inhalation of BUD dissolved in normal saline 30 minutes before each OVA challenge, while normal saline was used instead of OVA solution in the control group. The pathological changes in the airway were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and Masson staining. The interleukin-13 (IL-13) level in lung homogenate was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The mRNA expression of STAT6 and ORMDL3 was measured by RT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The asthma group showed more pathological changes in the airway than the control and BUD intervention groups, and the BUD intervention group had reduced pathological changes in the airway compared with the asthma group. The asthma and BUD intervention groups had significantly higher IL-13 levels and mRNA expression of STAT6 and ORMDL3 than the control group (P<0.05), and these indices were significantly higher in the asthma group than in the BUD intervention group (P<0.05). The Pearson correlation analysis showed that STAT6 mRNA expression was positively correlated with ORMDL3 mRNA expression (r=0.676, P=0.032).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>STAT6 and ORMDL3 may be involved in the airway remodeling of mice, and BUD can reduce airway remodeling in asthmatic mice, possibly by down-regulating mRNA expression of STAT6 and ORMDL3.</p>

Research advances in pathogenesis of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis / 中国当代儿科杂志

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is the most prevalent type of encephalitis. Investigating the pathogenesis of anti-NMDAR encephalitis will enhance our understanding of this disease and play a central part in providing reasonable treatment for the patients. The pathogenesis is elucidated as follows: (1) the findings of the relationship between anti-NMDAR encephalitis and tumors; (2) further research on the relationship between anti-NMDAR encephalitis and tumors; (3) NMDAR epitopes and the autoimmunity of patients; (4) the interaction between antibody and NMDAR; (5) the pathogenesis of anti-NMDAR encephalitis without tumors. This review gives a brief introduction to the methodology and way of finding out the valuable clinical problems and making a clear and explicit explanation of them by exhibiting the process of discovering the disease, disclosing its relationship with tumors, and investigating its pathological and molecular mechanism. Current studies have demonstrated that anti-NMDAR encephalitis is an autoimmune disease of the nervous system that is closely associated with tumors, particularly ovarian teratoma.

Therapeutic effects of levetiracetam on electrical status epilepticus during sleep in children / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the efficacy of levetiracetam (LEV) in the treatment of electrical status epilepticus during sleep (ESES) in children.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data of 27 children who were newly diagnosed with ESES and treated with LEV between August 2009 and March 2011 and who were followed up for at least 6 months were retrospectively studied.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The onset age of the 27 children ranged from 9 months to 9 years and 7 months. Partial motion seizures were found in 81% of the children in the early stage. Twenty-three children received LEV treatment after ESES was definitely diagnosed. Of the 23 children, 19 were diagnosed as epilepsy syndrome of benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECT). The age of the patients at the beginning of LEV treatment ranged from 1 year and 8 months to 11 years and 9 months. The follow- up duration was 7 to 19 months. The effective rate of LEV for seizure control was 82% and for EEG recovery it was 78% (P<0.05). The other 4 children received LEV treatment before the occurrence of ESES. Seizure control and EEG recovery were noted in two of the 4 children.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>LEV treatment is efficacious, to some extent, for both seizure control and EEG recovery in children with ESES.</p>

Development of a time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay for detecting S1 subunit of pertussis toxin and its application / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To develop a time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TRFIA) for detection of pertussis toxin (PT) S1 subunit for quality control of human PT vaccine.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A double antibody sandwich one-step method was used to establish the TRFIA for detecting PT S1 subunit in the vaccine.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The sensitivity of c peptide analysis reached 2.5 ng/ml without cross-reactions with other antigens. This assay could be used in detecting S1 subunit in the vaccine.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The TRFIA for detecting PT S1 subunit is simple, sensitive and rapid for quality control of the PT vaccine.</p>

Point mutation analysis of SMN1 gene in patients with spinal muscular atrophy / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify the point mutations in survival motor neuron gene 1 SMN1 gene and confirm the existence of compound heterozygous mutations in Chinese patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Three unrelated patients were diagnosed and clinically typed according to the criteria of proximal SMA established by the International SMA Consortium. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) analysis was carried out to measure the copy numbers of SMN1, SMN2 and neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein gene (NAIP)in the patients. The point mutation analysis of SMN1 gene was performed by reversed transcript-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and cloning sequencing. The MLPA assay and point mutation analysis were also performed in the family members to confirm the transmission of the mutations.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Two point mutations were identified in the present study, i.e., the p.Leu228X in one patient and p.Arg288Met in two patients. The mutation p.Arg288Met was first reported in Chinese and p.Leu228X was first reported in Mainland Chinese. The case carrying p.Leu228X mutation was diagnosed as SMA I with 2 copies of SMN2, and the cases with p.Arg288Met were diagnosed as SMA I and SMA II , respectively, with 3 copies of SMN2 gene.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The mutations p.Leu228X and p.Arg288Met caused severe clinical phenotypes, SMA I or SMA II. This study suggested that the compound heterozygous mutations of SMN1 existed in Chinese SMA patients, which was rarely reported previously in Chinese. It was necessary to detect the point mutation in SMN1 for genetic diagnosis of those patients with heterozygous deletion of SMN1, which would be beneficial to prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling in these families.</p>

Prospective, naturalistic study of open-label OROS methylphenidate treatment in Chinese school-aged children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders during childhood, characterized by the core symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention and puts great burden on children themselves, their families and the society. Osmotic release oral system methylphenidate (OROS-MPH) is a once-daily controlled-release formulation developed to overcome some of the limitations associated with immediate-release methylphenidate (IR-MPH). It has been marketed in China since 2005 but still lacks data from large-sample clinical trials on efficacy and safety profiles. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of OROS-MPH in children aged 6 to 16 years with ADHD under naturalistic clinical setting.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This 6-week, multi-center, prospective, open-label study enrolled 1447 ADHD children to once-daily OROS-MPH (18 mg, 36 mg or 54 mg) treatment. The effectiveness measures were parent-rated Inattention and Overactivity With Aggression (IOWA) Conners I/O and O/D subscales, physician-rated CGI-I and parent-rated global efficacy assessment scale. Blood pressure, pulse rate measurement, adverse events (AEs) and concomitant medications and treatment review were conducted by the investigator and were served as safety measures.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 1447 children with ADHD (mean age (9.52 ± 2.36) years) were enrolled in this trial. Totally 96.8% children received an OROS-MPH modal dose of 18 mg, 3.1% with 36 mg and 0.1% with 54 mg at the endpoint of study. The parent IOWA Conners I/O score at the end of week 2 showed statistically significant (P < 0.001) improvement with OROS-MPH (mean: 6.95 ± 2.71) versus the score at baseline (10.45 ± 2.72). The change in the parent IOWA Conners O/D subscale, CGI-I and parent-rated global efficacy assessment scale also supported the superior efficacy for OROS-MPH treatment. Fewer than half of 1447 patients (511(35.3%)) reported AEs, and the majority of the events reported were mild (68.2%). No serious adverse events were reported during the study.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This open-label, naturalistic study provides further evidence of effectiveness and safety of OROS-MPH in school-aged children under routine practice.</p>

Development of an amplified luminescent proximity homogeneous immunoassay kit for detecting human hepatitis B virus e antibody / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To develop an amplified luminescent proximity homogeneous immunoassay (AlphaLISA) kit for the detection of human hepatitis B virus e antibody (HBeAb).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The neutralizing and competitive inhibition method was used to develop the AlphaLISA kit for detection of serum HBeAb.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The working range of the kit was 0.003-16 NCU/ml with a sensitivity up to 0.003 NCU/ml. The intra- and inter-assay coefficient of variation was 5.3% and 6.8%, respectively. The kit showed no cross-reaction with HBcAb, and comparison of the detection results with those of a commercially available Elecsys HBeAb kit (Roche) for 136 samples showed a correlation coefficient of 0.961.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The AlphaLISA kit for HBeAb detection meets the clinical requirements for detection HBeAb in human serum.</p>

A multicenter controlled study on aripiprazole treatment for children with Tourette syndrome in China / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy and safety of aripiprazole in the treatment of children with Tourette syndrome.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>A prospective, multi-center, controlled clinical trial was conducted in 195 children aged 5-17 years with Tourette syndrome. The patients were assigned to two groups: aripiprazole group (n=98) and tiapride group (n=97), with the treatment dosage of 5-25 mg/d and 100-500 mg/d, respectively. After 12 weeks treatment, the clinical efficacy was assessed by the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) score, and adverse reactions were observed by side effects symptoms scale, blood biochemical indexes, and electrocardiography.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Significant pre- and post-treatment differences were ascertained for motor tic, phonic tic, function damage and total scores of YGTSS in the both groups from the second week of treatment (P<0.0001). Compared with the tiapride group, the aripiprazole group showed a more significantly decreased function damage score of YGTSS by the second week of treatment (P<0.05). After 12 weeks treatment, total scores of YGTSS in the aripiprazole group decreased from 53.74±15.71 at baseline to 24.36±16.38, while in the tiapride group from 51.66±13.63 to 23.26±15.31. The mean reduction scores of YGTSS were 29.38 in the aripiprazole group and 28.40 in the tiapride group at the end of treatment, and the clinical response rates were 60.21% and 63.92%, respectively. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups (P>0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions was similar in the aripiprazole and tiapride groups, with 29.6% and 27.8% respectively. There were no significant differences in the incidence of adverse reactions between aripiprazole and tiapride groups and no severe adverse events were found in either group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results showed that aripiprazole showed similar therapeutic effect to tiapride in treatment of children with Tourette syndrome. Aripiprazole was safe and well tolerated in Chinese population, and can be considered as a new valid option for the treatment of tic disorders.</p>

Follow-up study on the clinical characteristics and treatment effect of the different types of Guillain-Barré syndrome in children / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the clinical characteristics and effects of immunoglobulin treatment in children with the different types of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Data of 108 patients hospitalized for GBS were retrospectively analyzed; 75 cases in this group were given acute high dose of gamma globulin (IVIG) 400 mg/(kg·d) intravenously for 5 d. Clinical and electrophysiological data and information on treatment and recovery of the children were collected during the follow-up and were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>According to the clinical and electrophysiologic findings, 32 patients manifested acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP), 34 had acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN), 3 had acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN), 4 were inexcitable, 2 were unclassified. The clinical progress of the AMAN was faster than the AIDP group. Except for sensory nerve involvement, there was no significant difference in the clinical feature and severity. The mean time of the muscle strength began to recover was (5.59±3.63) days in the AIDP group and (7.21±4.68) days in the AMAN group after IVIG treatment. The time of the AIDP group was shorter than the AMAN group, but the difference was not statistically significant (t=-1.5702, P>0.05). The mean time of the muscle strength increased one grade was (8.88±4.39) days in the AIDP group and (12.67±8.35) days in the AMAN group. The difference was statistically significant (t=-2.3689, P<0.05). No patients in this group died. Follow-up data showed that the complete recovery time was not significantly different (t=0.2041, P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The clinical progress of the AMAN was faster than the AIDP group. Besides sensory nerve involvement, there was no significant difference in the clinical feature and severity. The AIDP group's clinical recovery was faster than AMAN's after the immunoglobulin treatment. The two groups were not significantly different in long-term prognosis.</p>

Expression of perforin and granzyme B in asthmatic rats and intervention of recombinant human growth hormone / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the expression of perforin and granzyme B (GzmB) in the lungs of asthmatic rats and the effect of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) on the expression.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into a normal control group and asthma groups with and without rhGH treatment. An asthma model was prepared by repeated sensitization with ovalbumin and aluminium hydroxide. The morphological changes of the airway were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Terminal deoxyribonucleotide transferase-mediated Dutp-bintin (TUNLE) was used to detect the apoptosis of epithelial cells in the airway. RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA transcripts of perforin and GzmB in the lung tissues.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A significantly increased apoptosis rate of airway epithelial cells was noted in the untreated asthma group. The apoptosis rate was significantly ruduced in the rhGH-treated asthma group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, perforin and GzmB expression in the lungs in the untreated asthma group increased significantly. The rhGH-treated asthma group demonstrated significantly decreased perforin (0.48 ± 0.08 vs 0.63 ± 0.08; P<0.05) and GzmB (0.44 ± 0.13 vs 0.71 ± 0.15; P<0.05) expression in the lungs compared with the untreated asthma group. Both PFP (r=0.800, P<0.05) and GzmB (r=0.806, P<0.01) were positively correlated with the apoptosis rate of airway epithelial cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Perforin and GzmB may play important roles in the pathogenesis of asthma. rhGH treatment can inhibit apoptosis of airway epithelial cells and airway remodeling, possibly through a reduction in perforin and GzmB expression.</p>

Expression of SDF-1 in lung tissues and intervention of AMD3100 in asthmatic rats / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the expression of stromal cell derived factor-1(SDF-1) in the airway and to investigate the role of SDF-1 receptor antagonist AMD3100 intervention in rats with asthma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: normal control and asthma with and without AMD3100 intervention. The rat model of asthma was prepared by aerosolized ovalbum (OVA) challenge. The AMD3100 intervention group was administered with AMD3100 of 50 μg 30 minutes before challenge every other day, for 10 times. The characteristic airway inflammation and alterations of airway structures were observed by hemetoxylin and eosin staining. The levels of interleukin 4 and interleukin 5 in whole lung homogenates were measured using ELISA. RT-PCR was used to evaluate the expression of SDF-1 mRNA in the lung.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The airway wall thickness in the untreated asthma group was greater than that in the control and the AMD3100 intervention groups (P<0.05). The levels of interleukin 4 and interleukin 5 in whole lung homogenates in the AMD3100 intervention group were lower than those in the untreated asthma group (P<0.05). The expression of SDF-1 mRNA in the untreated asthma group was higher than that in the control and the AMD3100 intervention groups (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>SDF-1 may be associated with airway inflammation and remodeling in rats with asthma. AMD3100 may reduce the airway inflammation and improve airway remodeling by inhibiting the bioactivity of SDF-1.</p>

Signal transduction pathway mediated by thrombopoietin in the inflammation model of microglia / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the signal transduction pathway mediated by thrombopoietin (TPO) in the inflammation model of microglia induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The inflammation model of microglia BV2 cells was prepared by LPS of 0.5 and 1.0 μg/mL stimulation. The expression of TPO and ERK mRNA in BV2 cells was detected by real time quantitative PCR. Western blot was used to evaluate the expression of TPO and ERK protein in BV2 cells. TPO and IL-6 contents in the culture supernatant fluid were measured using ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>LPS stimulation increased significantly the mRNA and protein expression of TPO and ERK in BV2 cells, especially at the concentration of 1.0 μg/mL for 12 hrs stimulation. There was a significant positive correlation between the mRNA and protein expression of TPO and ERK.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Signal transduction pathway of ERK1/2 participates in the activation of TPO in inflammatory injury of BV2 cells.</p>

A novel missense mutation of the ubiquitin protein ligase E3A gene in a patient with Angelman syndrome / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurogenetic disorder caused by an expression defect of the maternally inherited copy of ubiquitin protein ligase E3A (UBE3A) gene from chromosome 15. Although the most common genetic defects include maternal deletions of chromosome 15q11-13, paternal uniparental disomy and imprinting defect, mutations in the UBE3A gene have been identified in approximately 10% of AS patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A Chinese girl of 28 months presented clinical manifestation of AS. Genetic diagnosis and molecular genetic defects were studied by methylation-specific PCR (MS-PCR) and linkage analysis by short tandem repeat (STR). We further performed sequence analysis of all the coding exons and flanking sequences of the UBE3A gene. The novel mutation screening was also performed in 100 unrelated healthy individuals to exclude the possibility of identifying a polymorphism variation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The MS-PCR analysis of the patient showed biparental inheritance of chromosome 15 with a normal methylation pattern in the 15q11-q13 region. And STR analysis revealed that the patient also inherited biparental alleles for six microsatellites. A novel mutation, cDNA1199 C> A (p.P400H), in exon 9 of the maternal UBE3A gene, was identified in the patient. Meanwhile, the mutation was observed in the patient's mother who had a normal phenotype.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>It is necessary to perform the UBE3A gene mutation analysis in non-deletion/non-UPD/non-ID patients with AS. The clinical picture of the patient is concordant with that observed in previously reported AS patients with UBE3A mutation.</p>

A rare Asian founder polymorphism of Raptor may explain the high prevalence of Moyamoya disease among East Asians and its low prevalence among Caucasians

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>In an earlier study, we identified a locus for Moyamoya disease (MMD) on 17q25.3.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Linkage analysis and fine mapping were conducted for two new families in additional to the previously studied 15 families. Three genes, CARD14, Raptor, and AATK, were selected based on key words, namely, "inflammation", "apoptosis", "proliferation", and "vascular system", for further sequencing. A segregation analysis of 34 pedigrees was performed, followed by a case-control study in Japanese (90 cases vs. 384 controls), Korean (41 cases vs. 223 controls), Chinese (23 cases and 100 controls), and Caucasian (25 cases and 164 controls) populations.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Linkage analysis increased the LOD score from 8.07 to 9.67 on 17q25.3. Fine mapping narrowed the linkage signal to a 2.1-Mb region. Sequencing revealed that only one newly identified polymorphism, ss161110142, which was located at position -1480 from the transcription site of the Raptor gene, was common to all four unrelated sequenced familial affected individuals. ss161110142 was then shown to segregate in the 34 pedigrees studied, resulting in a two-point LOD score of 14.2 (P = 3.89 × 10(-8)). Its penetrance was estimated to be 74.0%. Among the Asian populations tested (Japanese, Korean, and Chinese), the rare allele was much more frequent in cases (26, 33, and 4%, respectively) than in controls (1, 1, and 0%, respectively) and was associated with an increased odds ratio of 52.2 (95% confidence interval 27.2-100.2) (P = 2.5 × 10(-49)). This allele was, however, not detected in the Caucasian samples. Its population attributable risk was estimated to be 49% in the Japanese population, 66% in the Korean population, and 9% in the Chinese population.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ss161110142 may confer susceptibility to MMD among East Asian populations.</p><p><b>ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL</b>The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12199-009-0116-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.</p>

Concentrations of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in children with moyamoya disease / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the roles of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in the pathogenesis of moyamoya disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Serum G-CSF concentrations were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 20 children with moyamoya disease and 20 healthy children.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Serum G-CSF concentration (35.7+/-10.3 pg/mL) in children with moyamoya disease was significantly higher than that in healthy controls (23.5+/-3.8 pg/mL) (p<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The elevated serum G-CSF concentration in children with moyamoya disease suggests that G-CSF may play an important role in the pathogenesis of moyamoya disease.</p>