Genetics evaluation outcomes of patients with pediatric hearing loss: 2008-2022 retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore how genetics evaluation and testing for patients with pediatric onset hearing loss affects their diagnosis and management. METHODS: Retrospective chart review was completed for patients with pediatric hearing loss that were evaluated by a genetic counselor from 2008 to 2022 with data entry into a REDCap database. Descriptive statistical analysis was completed. RESULTS: Four hundred twenty-nine patients with pediatric onset hearing loss were evaluated by genetics. Majority of patients presented with bilateral (67 %) and sensorineural (83 %) hearing loss. Genetic testing was recommended for 76 % of patients with pediatric hearing loss evaluated by a genetic counselor with 70 % completing some or all recommended tests. Overall genetic testing diagnostic rate was 34 %, with 41 % of diagnoses syndromic. Yearly trends noted an increasing number of patients evaluated, tests ordered, and subsequently an increased number of diagnoses overtime. For diagnostic results, management recommendations were made for 45 % of patients (35/78) and for 92 % of family members (72/78). This compared to total management recommendations for all patients (82/429, 19 %) and family members (110/429, 26 %). CONCLUSION: This study identified a genetic testing diagnostic rate for pediatric hearing loss of 34 % over 14 years. This study notes the beneficial outcomes of patients with hearing loss and their families meeting with a genetic counselor and the importance of collaboration with hearing loss management colleagues. It highlights the value a genetic counselor consult can add to a patient's diagnostic journey, in addition to how genetic testing impacts management for patients and their families.

Perspectives on Spanish language concordant cancer genetic counseling sessions from the Spanish-speaking population.

Genetic counselors (GCs) provide risk assessment, education, and counseling about the genetic contribution to disease. To do so, they must effectively communicate, build rapport, and help patients make the best decisions for themselves and their families. Language barriers add a complex layer to this patient-provider dynamic. While interpreters serve as a primary solution when a patient and GC speak different languages, issues have been documented with these sessions, such as misinterpreted genetic terminology (Gutierrez et al., 2017). Having a GC with concordant language skills may help address these barriers. The purpose of this study was to assess Spanish-speaking patients' perspectives on communication, decision-making, and the interpersonal relationship developed with a bilingual GC in language concordant cancer genetic counseling sessions. Spanish-speaking patients, ages 18 or older, seen by a Spanish-speaking GC at a California public, safety-net hospital were eligible to participate in this study. Nine participants were interviewed via telephone by the bilingual researcher using a semi-structured interview guide to assess three domains: communication, decision-making, and interpersonal relationship. Analyses of interview transcripts identified themes within these three areas of focus: (1) participants felt all explanations were clear and they were not afraid to ask questions in the session, (2) participants experienced preference-concordant decision making, and (3) participants felt empowered and supported by the GC. Participants suggested that GCs working with Spanish-speaking patients in the future should consider group counseling sessions, engaging in outreach efforts to educate the Spanish-speaking community about genetics, and increasing the number of GCs who speak Spanish. These results demonstrate the positive experiences of Spanish-speaking patients in language concordant cancer genetic counseling sessions and further support the need for recruitment of Spanish-speaking individuals into the profession. Future research should further assess the experience of Spanish-speaking patients in language concordant sessions and address the role of cultural concordance in sessions.

Deletion of conserved non-coding sequences downstream from NKX2-1: A novel disease-causing mechanism for benign hereditary chorea.

BACKGROUND: Benign hereditary chorea (BHC) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by early-onset non-progressive involuntary movements. Although NKX2-1 mutations or deletions are the cause of BHC, some BHC families do not have pathogenic alterations in the NKX2-1 gene, indicating that mutations of non-coding regulatory elements of NKX2-1 may also play a role. METHODS AND RESULTS: By using whole-genome microarray analysis, we identified a 117 Kb founder deletion in three apparently unrelated BHC families that were negative for NKX2-1 sequence variants. Targeted next generation sequencing analysis confirmed the deletion and showed that it was part of a complex local genomic rearrangement. In addition, we also detected a 648 Kb de novo deletion in an isolated BHC case. Both deletions are located downstream from NKX2-1 on chromosome 14q13.2-q13.3 and share a 33 Kb smallest region of overlap with six previously reported cases. This region has no gene but contains multiple evolutionarily highly conserved non-coding sequences. CONCLUSION: We propose that the deletion of potential regulatory elements necessary for NKX2-1 expression in this critical region is responsible for BHC phenotype in these patients, and this is a novel disease-causing mechanism for BHC.

TAOK1 is associated with neurodevelopmental disorder and essential for neuronal maturation and cortical development.

Thousand and one amino-acid kinase 1 (TAOK1) is a MAP3K protein kinase, regulating different mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, thereby modulating a multitude of processes in the cell. Given the recent finding of TAOK1 involvement in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), we investigated the role of TAOK1 in neuronal function and collected a cohort of 23 individuals with mostly de novo variants in TAOK1 to further define the associated NDD. Here, we provide evidence for an important role for TAOK1 in neuronal function, showing that altered TAOK1 expression levels in the embryonic mouse brain affect neural migration in vivo, as well as neuronal maturation in vitro. The molecular spectrum of the identified TAOK1 variants comprises largely truncating and nonsense variants, but also missense variants, for which we provide evidence that they can have a loss of function or dominant-negative effect on TAOK1, expanding the potential underlying causative mechanisms resulting in NDD. Taken together, our data indicate that TAOK1 activity needs to be properly controlled for normal neuronal function and that TAOK1 dysregulation leads to a neurodevelopmental disorder mainly comprising similar facial features, developmental delay/intellectual disability and/or variable learning or behavioral problems, muscular hypotonia, infant feeding difficulties, and growth problems.

Spectrum of KV 2.1 Dysfunction in KCNB1-Associated Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

OBJECTIVE: Pathogenic variants in KCNB1, encoding the voltage-gated potassium channel KV 2.1, are associated with developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE). Previous functional studies on a limited number of KCNB1 variants indicated a range of molecular mechanisms by which variants affect channel function, including loss of voltage sensitivity, loss of ion selectivity, and reduced cell-surface expression. METHODS: We evaluated a series of 17 KCNB1 variants associated with DEE or other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) to rapidly ascertain channel dysfunction using high-throughput functional assays. Specifically, we investigated the biophysical properties and cell-surface expression of variant KV 2.1 channels expressed in heterologous cells using high-throughput automated electrophysiology and immunocytochemistry-flow cytometry. RESULTS: Pathogenic variants exhibited diverse functional defects, including altered current density and shifts in the voltage dependence of activation and/or inactivation, as homotetramers or when coexpressed with wild-type KV 2.1. Quantification of protein expression also identified variants with reduced total KV 2.1 expression or deficient cell-surface expression. INTERPRETATION: Our study establishes a platform for rapid screening of KV 2.1 functional defects caused by KCNB1 variants associated with DEE and other NDDs. This will aid in establishing KCNB1 variant pathogenicity and the mechanism of dysfunction, which will enable targeted strategies for therapeutic intervention based on molecular phenotype. ANN NEUROL 2019;86:899-912.

Cohesin complex-associated holoprosencephaly.

Marked by incomplete division of the embryonic forebrain, holoprosencephaly is one of the most common human developmental disorders. Despite decades of phenotype-driven research, 80-90% of aneuploidy-negative holoprosencephaly individuals with a probable genetic aetiology do not have a genetic diagnosis. Here we report holoprosencephaly associated with variants in the two X-linked cohesin complex genes, STAG2 and SMC1A, with loss-of-function variants in 10 individuals and a missense variant in one. Additionally, we report four individuals with variants in the cohesin complex genes that are not X-linked, SMC3 and RAD21. Using whole mount in situ hybridization, we show that STAG2 and SMC1A are expressed in the prosencephalic neural folds during primary neurulation in the mouse, consistent with forebrain morphogenesis and holoprosencephaly pathogenesis. Finally, we found that shRNA knockdown of STAG2 and SMC1A causes aberrant expression of HPE-associated genes ZIC2, GLI2, SMAD3 and FGFR1 in human neural stem cells. These findings show the cohesin complex as an important regulator of median forebrain development and X-linked inheritance patterns in holoprosencephaly.

Patient Decisions to Receive Secondary Pharmacogenomic Findings and Development of a Multidisciplinary Practice Model to Integrate Results Into Patient Care.

Whole exome sequencing (WES) has the potential of identifying secondary findings that are predictive of poor pharmacotherapy outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate patients' wishes regarding the reporting of secondary pharmacogenomic findings. WES results (n = 106 patients) were retrospectively reviewed to determine the number of patients electing to receive secondary pharmacogenomic results. Phenotypes were assigned based on Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) guidelines. The percent of patients with a predicted phenotype associated with a gene-based CPIC dosing recommendation was determined. Ninety-nine patients (93.4%) elected to receive secondary pharmacogenomic findings. For each gene-drug pair analyzed, the number of patients with an actionable phenotype ranged from two (2%) to 43 patients (43.4%). Combining all gene-drug pairs, 84 unique patients (84.8%) had an actionable phenotype. A prospective multidisciplinary practice model was developed for integrating secondary pharmacogenomic findings into clinical practice. Our model highlights a unique collaboration between physician-geneticists, pharmacists, and genetic counselors.

De Novo Variants in GRIA4 Lead to Intellectual Disability with or without Seizures and Gait Abnormalities.

Using trio whole-exome sequencing, we have identified de novo heterozygous pathogenic variants in GRIA4 in five unrelated individuals with intellectual disability and other symptoms. GRIA4 encodes an AMPA receptor subunit known as GluR4, which is found on excitatory glutamatergic synapses and is important for learning and memory. Four of the variants are located in the highly conserved SYTANLAAF motif in the transmembrane protein M3, and the fifth is in an extra-cellular domain. Molecular modeling of the altered protein showed that three of the variants in the SYTANLAAF motif orient toward the center of the pore region and most likely lead to disturbance of the gating mechanism. The fourth variant in the SYTANLAAF motif most likely results in reduced permeability. The variant in the extracellular domain potentially interferes with the binding between the monomers. On the basis of clinical information and genetic results, and the fact that other subunits of the AMPA receptor have already been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, we suggest that pathogenic de novo variants in GRIA4 lead to intellectual disability with or without seizures, gait abnormalities, problems of social behavior, and other variable features.

CORRIGENDUM: The expanding clinical phenotype of Bosch-Boonstra-Schaaf optic atrophy syndrome: 20 new cases and possible genotype-phenotype correlations.

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/gim.2016.18.

The expanding clinical phenotype of Bosch-Boonstra-Schaaf optic atrophy syndrome: 20 new cases and possible genotype-phenotype correlations.

PURPOSE: Bosch-Boonstra-Schaaf optic atrophy syndrome (BBSOAS) is an autosomal-dominant disorder characterized by optic atrophy and intellectual disability caused by loss-of-function mutations in NR2F1. We report 20 new individuals with BBSOAS, exploring the spectrum of clinical phenotypes and assessing potential genotype-phenotype correlations. METHODS: Clinical features of individuals with pathogenic NR2F1 variants were evaluated by review of medical records. The functional relevance of coding nonsynonymous NR2F1 variants was assessed with a luciferase assay measuring the impact on transcriptional activity. The effects of two start codon variants on protein expression were evaluated by western blot analysis. RESULTS: We recruited 20 individuals with novel pathogenic NR2F1 variants (seven missense variants, five translation initiation variants, two frameshifting insertions/deletions, one nonframeshifting insertion/deletion, and five whole-gene deletions). All the missense variants were found to impair transcriptional activity. In addition to visual and cognitive deficits, individuals with BBSOAS manifested hypotonia (75%), seizures (40%), autism spectrum disorder (35%), oromotor dysfunction (60%), thinning of the corpus callosum (53%), and hearing defects (20%). CONCLUSION: BBSOAS encompasses a broad range of clinical phenotypes. Functional studies help determine the severity of novel NR2F1 variants. Some genotype-phenotype correlations seem to exist, with missense mutations in the DNA-binding domain causing the most severe phenotypes.Genet Med 18 11, 1143-1150.

Assessment of clinical workload for general and specialty genetic counsellors at an academic medical center: a tool for evaluating genetic counselling practices.

With genomics influencing clinical decisions, genetics professionals are exponentially called upon as part of multidisciplinary care. Increasing demand for genetic counselling, a limited workforce, necessitates practices improve efficiency. We hypothesised that distinct differences in clinical workload exist between various disciplines of genetic counselling, complicating practice standardisation and patient volume expectations. We thus sought to objectively define and assess workload among various specialties of genetic counselling. Twelve genetic counsellors (GCs), representing 9.3 clinical FTE, in general or specialty (cancer, cardiovascular or prenatal) services at an academic health system developed a data collection tool for assessing time and complexity. Over a 6-week period, the data were recorded for 583 patient visits (136 general and 447 specialty) and analysed comparing general versus specialty GCs. Variables were compared with hierarchical linear models for ordinal or continuous data and hierarchical logistic models for binary data. General GCs completed more pre- and post-visit activities (P=0.011) and spent more time (P=0.009) per case. General GCs reported greater case discussion with other providers (P<0.001), literature review (P=0.026), exploring testing options (P=0.041), electronic medical record review (P=0.040), insurance preauthorization (P=0.05) and fielding patient inquiries (P=0.003). Lesser redundancy in referral indication was observed by general GCs. GCs in general practice carry a higher pre- and post-visit workload compared with GCs in specialty practices. General GCs may require lower patient volumes than specialty GCs to allow time for additional pre- and post-visit activities. Non-clinical activities should be transferred to support staff.

De novo mutations in the motor domain of KIF1A cause cognitive impairment, spastic paraparesis, axonal neuropathy, and cerebellar atrophy.

KIF1A is a neuron-specific motor protein that plays important roles in cargo transport along neurites. Recessive mutations in KIF1A were previously described in families with spastic paraparesis or sensory and autonomic neuropathy type-2. Here, we report 11 heterozygous de novo missense mutations (p.S58L, p.T99M, p.G102D, p.V144F, p.R167C, p.A202P, p.S215R, p.R216P, p.L249Q, p.E253K, and p.R316W) in KIF1A in 14 individuals, including two monozygotic twins. Two mutations (p.T99M and p.E253K) were recurrent, each being found in unrelated cases. All these de novo mutations are located in the motor domain (MD) of KIF1A. Structural modeling revealed that they alter conserved residues that are critical for the structure and function of the MD. Transfection studies suggested that at least five of these mutations affect the transport of the MD along axons. Individuals with de novo mutations in KIF1A display a phenotype characterized by cognitive impairment and variable presence of cerebellar atrophy, spastic paraparesis, optic nerve atrophy, peripheral neuropathy, and epilepsy. Our findings thus indicate that de novo missense mutations in the MD of KIF1A cause a phenotype that overlaps with, while being more severe, than that associated with recessive mutations in the same gene.

'Double trouble': diagnostic challenges in Duchenne muscular dystrophy in patients with an additional hereditary skeletal dysplasia.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by mutations in Dystrophin and affects 1 in 3600-6000 males. It is characterized by progressive weakness leading to loss of ambulation, respiratory insufficiency, cardiomyopathy, and scoliosis. We describe the unusual phenotype of 3 patients with skeletal dysplasias in whom an additional diagnosis of DMD was later established. Two unrelated boys presented with osteogenesis imperfecta due to point mutations in COL1A1 and were both subsequently found to have a 1 bp frameshift deletion in the Dystrophin gene at age 3 and age 15 years, respectively. The third patient had a diagnosis of pseudoachondroplasia caused by a mutation in the COMP gene and was found to have a deletion of exons 48-50 in Dystrophin at age 9. We discuss the atypical presentation caused by the concomitant presence of 2 conditions affecting the musculoskeletal system, emphasizing aspects that may confound the presentation of a well-characterized disease like DMD. Additional series of patients with DMD and a secondary inherited condition are necessary to establish the natural history in this "double trouble" population. The recognition and accurate diagnosis of patients with two independent genetic disease processes is essential for management, prognosis, genetic risk assessment, and discussion regarding potential therapeutic interventions.

Genetic counselors: your partners in clinical practice.

As our understanding of the human genome has grown, so too has the need for health care providers who can help patients and families understand the implications of these new discoveries for their health care. Increasingly, genetic counselors are working in partnership with physicians to provide a continuum of care from risk assessment to diagnosis. In this article, we explain the process of genetic counseling and its value for patients who have a personal or family history of a hereditary condition.