Frequency and pattern of cytogenetic alterations in primary amenorrhea cases of Kashmir, North India

Background: Primary amenorrhea [PA] is proposed to have multiple etiological factors that include genetic factors, intrauterine malformations, endocrine dysfunction and environmental factors, as revealed by previous studies pertaining to amenorrhea. However, among the various proposed etiologies, genetic factors appear to be highly associated with PA as approximately 40% of PA cases have been found to have genetic causes

Aim of the study: The present study was proposed to establish the frequency and pattern of chromosomal abnormalities in PA cases of Kashmir

Subjects and methods: A total of 108 females within the age group of 14-33 years and having a history of amenorrhea were included in the study. Peripheral blood lymphocyte cultures were set for each subject according to standard protocol and chromosomal analysis was carried out on well spread metaphases by the help of Cytovision software Version 3.9

Results: The results of the present study reveal that the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities in PA cases of this region is almost similar with those of many reports around the world. However, we report two unique chromosomal alterations viz., 46, XX, dup2q[13] and 46,XX, t[2,5][p11.2;q34] that have not been found elsewhere in the literature

Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate that chromosomal analysis of females with PA, after the exclusion of nongenetic causes, should be essentially considered for the precise diagnosis and the development of more successful treatment. The study being the first of its kind in this part of the world forms the basis for further studies of the PA cases of this region. The precise molecular characterization of the unique breakpoint regions reported in our study can possibly help in the identification of new genes involved in primary amenorrhea

Cytogenetic diagnosis of Roberts SC phocomelia syndrome: first report from Kashmir

There are several syndromes in which specific mitotic chromosomal abnormalities can be seen, like premature centromere separation, premature [sister] chromatid separation, and somatic aneuploidies. Identifications of such specific cytogenetic findings can be the key factor that leads towards the diagnosis of syndromes like Roberts SC phocomelia. The case presented here as Roberts SC phocomelia syndrome was identified as a child with multiple congenital anomalies and dysmorphic features. Conventional cytogenetic analysis of the case revealed premature sister chromatid separation. The premature centromeric separation was also confirmed by C banding analysis of the child. It is the first and the only case of Roberts SC phocomelia diagnosed from this part of the world. The present case report emphasizes the importance of conventional cytogenetics in the diagnosis of such syndromes