ABSTRACT
Transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) mutations are known to cause inherited axonal neuropathies and skeletal dysplasia. TRPV4 mutations are associated with distal hereditary motor neuropathies (dHMN), which distinctly involve motor deficits. A 1 ½-year-old boy presented at the clinic with diminished lower limb movement and ambulatory limitations. The patient was born with bilateral knee arthrogryposis and bilateral talipes equinovarus, which required surgical intervention. A gross neurologic exam was unremarkable, with normal vision and hearing. A bone survey radiograph showed no evidence of skeletal dysplasia. Genetic tests revealed a homozygous mutation in the TRPV4 gene (c.281C>T; p.S94L), leading to the diagnosis of congenital spinal muscular atrophy and arthrogryposis (CSMAA). Hence, this presents the first case of CSMAA caused by a TRPV4 mutation (p.S94L), with a different presentation from the one previously described in the literature, thus broadening the phenotypic variability and clinical spectrum of TRPV4 mutations.
ABSTRACT
Recent advances in the field of proteomics have allowed extensive insights into the molecular regulations of the cell proteome. Specifically, this allows researchers to dissect a multitude of signaling arrays while targeting for the discovery of novel protein signatures. These approaches based on data mining are becoming increasingly powerful for identifying both potential disease mechanisms as well as indicators for disease progression and overall survival predictive and prognostic molecular markers for cancer. Furthermore, mass spectrometry (MS) integrations satisfy the ongoing demand for in-depth biomarker validation. For the purpose of this review, we will highlight the current developments based on MS sensitivity, to place quantitative proteomics into clinical settings and provide a perspective to integrate proteomics data for future applications in cancer precision medicine. We will also discuss malignancies associated with oncogenic viruses such as Acquire Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and suggest novel mechanisms behind this phenomenon. Human Immunodeficiency Virus type-1 (HIV-1) proteins are known to be oncogenic per se, to induce oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stresses, and to be released from the infected or expressing cells. HIV-1 proteins can act alone or in collaboration with other known oncoproteins, which cause the bulk of malignancies in people living with HIV-1 on ART.
ABSTRACT
Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetically inherited disorder that mainly affects the bones and causes a generalized decrease in bone mass. OI has a broad clinical spectrum ranging from the most severe form of OI which may cause in-utero death or stillbirth to the milder form. Clinical manifestations normally mitigate with an increase in age. We report a case of a healthy 12-year-old male who presented with a spontaneous fracture of the femur without trauma. The patient has no previous history of fractures, bone deformities or systemic conditions. The initial physical examination was unremarkable except for a bilateral subtle grayish sclera. Calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) values were within normal range. After genetic testing, the patient was diagnosed with OI due to a pathogenic COL1A2 (c.964G>A [p.Gly322Ser]) mutation. The first manifestation was at 12 years of age with a femur spontaneous fracture, which brings to the fact that the patient has a late onset of OI.
