Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor on a patient with a maternally inherited novel NF1 gene pathogenic germline variant: Case report.

INTRODUCTION: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant cancer predisposition syndrome caused by pathogenic variants in NF1, which negatively regulates the RAS pathway. Knowledge of the genotype-phenotype correlation in this disease is an important tool for prognostic evaluation and early detection of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST), present in approximately 10% of these patients. We present the case of a teenager with a left jaw MPNST and a previously unreported germline pathogenic variant on NF1. CASE PRESENTATION: An 11-year-old female with a NF1 clinical diagnosis was referred to our hospital with a MPNST in an advanced state. A previously unreported NF1 pathogenic variant was obtained (GRCh37: NM_182493.2 c.3299C>G, p.Ser1100*). Despite great efforts from the surgical and medical teams, the tumor progression couldn't be halted, resulting in the patient's death. DISCUSSION: As MPNSTs are refractory to current treatment regimens, early diagnosis, and development of new therapies, such as MEK inhibitors, is necessary for reducing morbidity and mortality within NF1 patients. This increases the importance of a more widespread genetic testing strategy. CONCLUSION: The report of a novel NF1 pathogenic variant in a patient with maternally inherited neurofibromatosis type 1 and a MPNST increases the knowledge of the genotype-phenotype correlation in the disease.

Implementation of high-resolution melting analysis of the porcupine (PORCN) gene for molecular diagnosis of focal dermal hypoplasia: Identification of a novel mutation.

BACKGROUND: Focal dermal hypoplasia (FDH) is rare X-linked dominant disease characterized by atrophy and linear pigmentation of the skin, split hand/foot deformities and ocular anomalies. FDH is caused by mutations of the Porcupine (PORCN) gene, which encodes an enzyme that catalyzes the palmitoylation of Wnt ligands required for their secretion. High resolution melting analysis (HRM) is a technique that allows rapid, labor-efficient, low-cost detection of genomic variants. In the present study, we report the successful implementation of HRM in the molecular diagnosis of FDH. METHODS: Polymerase chain reaction and HRM assays were designed and optimized for each of the coding exons of the PORCN gene, processing genomic DNA samples form a non-affected control and a patient complying with the FDH diagnostic criteria. The causal mutation was characterized by Sanger sequencing from an amplicon showing a HRM trace suggesting heterozygous variation and was validated using an amplification-refractory mutation system (ARMS) assay. RESULTS: The melting profiles suggested the presence of a variant in the patient within exon 1. Sanger sequencing revealed a previously unknown C to T transition replacing a glutamine codon for a premature stop codon at position 28, which was validated using ARMS. CONCLUSIONS: Next-generation sequencing facilitates the molecular diagnosis of monogenic disorders; however, its cost-benefit ratio is not optimal when a single, small or medium size causal gene is already identified and the clinical diagnostic presumption is strong. Under those conditions, as it is the case for FDH, HRM represents a cost- and labor-effective approach.

Perfil clínico de una cohorte de pacientes con síndrome de Beckwith-Wiedemann atendidos en el Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez de 2007 a 2012 / Clinical profile of a patient cohort with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome treated at the Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez (2007 to 2012)

Introducción. El síndrome de Beckwith-Wiedemann presenta una frecuencia de 1:13,700 recién nacidos. Se caracteriza por una triada clásica de macrosomía, macroglosia y defectos de la pared abdominal. Es originado por la alteración de diversos mecanismos genéticos y epigenéticos en la expresión de varios genes improntados en el locus 11p15. Métodos. En este estudio se analizó el perfil clínico de una cohorte de pacientes con síndrome de Beckwith-Wiedemann atendidos en el Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez en los últimos 6 años. Se analizaron 19 pacientes con criterios clínicos para síndrome de Beckwith-Wiedemann. Resultados. Algunas de las características clínicas identificadas fueron prematurez (33%), nevus flameus (47%), macroglosia (89%), hipoplasia media facial (68%), hemihiperplasia (36.8%) y defectos de pared abdominal (68%). No se diagnosticaron tumores embrionarios ni cardiopatías. Se identificó un caso familiar. Conclusiones. La vigilancia de los pacientes con síndrome de Beckwith-Wiedemann debe ser estrecha, un compromiso de la familia y del equipo médico tratante. Para poder otorgar un asesoramiento genético integral, idealmente se debe contar con un diagnóstico molecular dada la heterogeneidad en la etiología del síndrome de Beckwith-Wiedemann.

Background. Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) (OMIM 130650) has an incidence of 1:13,700 newborns. Patients characteristically suffer from overgrowth, macroglossia and abdominal wall defects. BWS has diverse etiologies with several genetic and epigenetic mechanisms related to imprinted gene expression in 11p15 being involved. Methods. The clinical profile of a cohort of BWS patients who were treated at the Hospital Infantil de Mexico Federico Gomez during the last 6 years was analyzed. A total of 19 patients with diagnostic criteria for BWS were included. Results. Among the clinical characteristics identified in this study were preterm birth (33%), nevus flameus (47%), macroglossia (89%), medial facial hypoplasia (68%), hemihyperplasia (36.8%) and abdominal wall defects (68%). No embryonic tumor or cardiopathies were identified. A familiar case was described. Conclusions. Clinical follow-up of BWS patients should be strict and include the participation of the medical team and the patient's family. In order to offer genetic counseling, molecular diagnosis should ideally be provided due to the heterogeneity of the etiology of BWS.