Breeding ecology of the Asian openbill in eastern Nepal: Larger trees support higher fledgling success.

Colonial nesting waterbirds in agricultural landscapes have historically received limited research attention, especially in South Asia. For example, the Asian openbill (Anastomus oscitans) is a colonial species that extensively utilizes agricultural landscapes, yet there is a notable lack of substantial studies despite increasing urbanization across these landscapes. We investigated the factors affecting the breeding ecology of Asian openbills in eastern Nepal. We used a grid-based approach to locate stork colonies and monitored them throughout the breeding season from May to November for three consecutive years (2020-2022). Altogether, we observed a total of 67 active colonies, comprising 4020 active nests, which successfully fledged a total of 7566 chicks. Additionally, most of the colonies were located within areas of human settlements (40%), followed by community forests (33%) and agricultural land (27%). The Asian openbills primarily preferred large trees, such as Bombax ceiba (72%), for nesting. The mean height of nesting trees was approximately 4 m taller, the diameter at breast height was twice as large, and the canopy cover area was three times greater than that of non-nesting trees. The canopy cover area of trees positively influenced the colony size, while colony size positively influenced the fledgling's success. Our study underscores the significance of large trees in providing sufficient space for accommodating a substantial number of openbill nests and fledglings. These findings have significant implications for conservation efforts to protect large trees along with wetlands and agricultural lands, as crucial measures to ensure the sustainable breeding of this nationally vulnerable species.

Breast and colorectal cancer risks among over 6,000 CHEK2 pathogenic variant carriers: A comparison of missense versus truncating variants.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Heterozygous truncating pathogenic variants (PVs) in CHEK2 confer a 1.5 to 3-fold increased risk for breast cancer and may elevate colorectal cancer risks. Less is known regarding missense variants. Here we compared the cancer associations with truncating and missense PVs in CHEK2 across breast and colorectal cancer. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of 705,797 patients who received single laboratory multigene panel testing between 2013 and 2020. Multivariable logistic regression models determined cancer risk associated with CHEK2 variants as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) after adjusting for age at diagnosis, cancer history, and ancestry. Breast and colorectal cancer analyses were performed using 6255 CHEK2 PVs, including truncating PVs (N = 4505) and missense PVs (N = 1750). RESULTS: CHEK2 PVs were associated with an increased risk of ductal invasive breast cancer (p < 0.001) and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) (p < 0.001), with no statistically significant differences when truncating PVs (p < 0.001) and missense PVs (p < 0.001) were evaluated separately. All CHEK2 variants assessed conferred little to no risk of colorectal cancer. CONCLUSIONS: In our large cohort, CHEK2 truncating and missense PVs conferred similar risks for breast cancer and did not seem to elevate risk for colorectal cancer.

Cancer Risk Associated With PTEN Pathogenic Variants Identified Using Multigene Hereditary Cancer Panel Testing.

PURPOSE: PTEN-associated clinical syndromes such as Cowden syndrome (CS) increase cancer risk and have historically been diagnosed based upon phenotypic criteria. Because not all patients clinically diagnosed with CS have PTEN pathogenic variants (PVs), and not all patients with PTEN PVs have been clinically diagnosed with CS, the cancer risk conferred by PTEN PVs calculated from cohorts of patients with clinical diagnoses of CS/CS-like phenotypes may be inaccurate. METHODS: We assessed a consecutive cohort of 727,091 individuals tested clinically for hereditary cancer risk, with a multigene panel between September 2013 and February 2022. Multivariable logistic regression models accounting for personal and family cancer history, age, sex, and ancestry were used to quantify disease risks associated with PTEN PVs. RESULTS: PTEN PVs were detected in 0.027% (193/727,091) of the study population, and were associated with a high risk of female breast cancer (odds ratio [OR], 7.88; 95% CI, 5.57 to 11.16; P = 2.3 × 10-31), endometrial cancer (OR, 13.51; 95% CI, 8.77 to 20.83; P = 4.2 × 10-32), thyroid cancer (OR, 4.88; 95% CI, 2.64 to 9.01; P = 4.0 × 10-7), and colon polyposis (OR, 31.60; CI, 15.60 to 64.02; P = 9.0 × 10-22). We observed modest evidence suggesting that PTEN PVs may be associated with ovarian cancer risk (OR, 3.77; 95% CI, 1.71 to 8.32; P = 9.9 × 10-4). Among patients with similar personal/family history and ancestry, every 5-year increase in age of diagnosis decreased the likelihood of detecting a PTEN PV by roughly 60%. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate that PTEN PVs are associated with significantly increased risk for a range of cancers. Together with the observation that PTEN PV carriers had earlier disease onset relative to otherwise comparable noncarriers, our results may guide screening protocols, inform risk-management strategies, and warrant enhanced surveillance approaches that improve clinical outcomes for PTEN PV carriers, regardless of their clinical presentation.

Subtilisin from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells through ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated tubulin degradation.

To search for novel proteases from environmental isolates which can induce apoptosis in cancer cells, we have purified subtilisin from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and studied its anti-cancer properties. Subtilisin induced apoptosis in colon (HT29) and breast (MCF7) cancer cells but showed no effect on mouse peritoneal macrophages and normal breast cells (MCF10A). Western blot analysis showed that Bax, Bcl-2 level remained unchanged but tubulin level decreased significantly. Subtilisin does not induce the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis, rather it induced tubulin degradation in MCF-7 cells, whereas in normal cells (MCF-10A) tubulin degradation was not observed. Subtilisin activates ubiquitination and proteasomal-mediated tubulin degradation which was completely restored in presence of proteasome inhibitor MG-132. We further observed PARKIN, one of the known E3-ligase, is overexpressed and interacts with tubulin in subtilisin treated cells. Knockdown of PARKIN effectively downregulates ubiquitination and inhibits degradation of tubulin. PARKIN activation and tubulin degradation lead to ER-stress which in turn activates caspase-7 and PARP cleavage, thus guiding the subtilisin treated cells towards apoptosis. To our knowledge this is the first report of subtilisin induced apoptosis in cancer cells by proteasomal degradation of tubulin.

Drivers of zoonotic disease risk in the Indian subcontinent: A scoping review.

Literature on potential anthropogenic drivers of zoonotic disease risk in the Indian subcontinent is sparse. We conducted a scoping review to identify primary sources, published 2000-2020, to clarify what research exists and on which areas future research should focus. We summarised findings thematically by disease. Of 80 sources included, 78 (98%) were original research articles and two were conference abstracts. Study designs and methods were not always clearly described, but 74 (93%) were quantitative (including one randomised trial), five (6%) were mixed-methods, and one was qualitative. Most sources reported research from India (39%) or Bangladesh (31%), followed by Pakistan (9%), Nepal (9%), Bhutan and Sri Lanka (6% each). Topically, most focused on rabies (18; 23%), Nipah virus (16; 20%) or leptospirosis (11; 14%), while 12 (15%) did not focus on a disease but instead on knowledge in communities. People generally did not seek post-exposure prophylaxis for rabies even when vaccination programmes were available and they understood that rabies was fatal, instead often relying on traditional medicines. Similarly, people did not take precautions to protect themselves from leptospirosis infection, even when they were aware of the link with rice cultivation. Nipah was correlated with presence of bats near human habitation. Official information on diseases, modes of transmission and prevention was lacking, or shared informally between friends, relatives, and neighbours. Behaviour did not correspond to disease knowledge. This review identifies various human behaviours which may drive zoonotic disease risk in the Indian subcontinent. Increasing community knowledge and awareness alone is unlikely to be sufficient to successfully change these behaviours. Further research, using interdisciplinary and participatory methods, would improve understanding of risks and risk perceptions and thus help in co-designing context-specific, relevant interventions.

Germline Pathogenic Variants in the Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) Gene are Associated with High and Moderate Risks for Multiple Cancers.

Pathogenic variants (PVs) in ATM are relatively common, but the scope and magnitude of risk remains uncertain. This study aimed to estimate ATM PV cancer risks independent of family cancer history. This analysis included patients referred for hereditary cancer testing with a multi-gene panel (N = 627,742). Cancer risks for ATM PV carriers (N = 4,607) were adjusted for family history using multivariable logistic regression and reported as ORs with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subanalyses of the c.7271T>G missense PV were conducted. Moderate-to-high risks for pancreatic (OR, 4.21; 95% CI, 3.24-5.47), prostate (OR, 2.58; 95% CI, 1.93-3.44), gastric (OR, 2.97; 95% CI, 1.66-5.31), and invasive ductal breast (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.89-2.19) cancers were estimated for ATM PV carriers. Notably, c.7271T>G was associated with higher invasive ductal breast cancer risk (OR, 3.76; 95% CI, 2.76-5.12) than other missense and truncating ATM PVs. Low-to-moderate risks were seen for ductal carcinoma in situ (OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.61-2.02), male breast cancer (OR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.08-2.75), ovarian cancer (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.35-1.83), colorectal cancer (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.24-1.79), and melanoma (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.18-1.81). ATM PVs are associated with multiple cancer risks and, while professional society guidelines support that carriers are eligible for increased breast and pancreatic cancer screening, increased screening for prostate and gastric cancer may also be warranted. c.7271T>G is associated with high risk for breast cancer, with a 3- to 4-fold risk increase that supports consideration of strategies for prevention and/or early detection. PREVENTION RELEVANCE: This study estimated risks for multiple cancers associated with ATM pathogenic variants independent of family history. These results indicate that some common variants may be associated with higher breast cancer risks than previously appreciated and increased screening for prostate and gastric cancer may be warranted for carriers of ATM pathogenic variants.

Hereditary cancer testing challenges: assembling the analytical pieces to solve the patient clinical puzzle.

Expanded genetic test utilization to guide cancer management has driven the development of larger gene panels and greater diversity in the patient population pursuing testing, resulting in increased identification of atypical or technically challenging genetic findings. To ensure appropriate patient care, it is critical that genetic tests adequately identify and characterize these findings. We describe genetic testing challenges frequently encountered by our laboratory and the methodologies we employ to improve test accuracy for the identification and characterization of atypical genetic findings. While these findings may be individually rare, 15,745 (9%) individuals tested by our laboratory for hereditary cancer risk had an atypical genetic finding, highlighting the importance of employing highly accurate and comprehensive methods in clinical genetic testing.

Prevalence of germ-line mutations in cancer genes among pancreatic cancer patients with a positive family history.

PurposePanel-based genetic testing has identified increasing numbers of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) who carry germ-line mutations. However, small sample sizes or number of genes evaluated limit prevalence estimates of these mutations. We estimated prevalence of mutations in PDAC patients with positive family history.MethodsWe sequenced 25 cancer susceptibility genes in lymphocyte DNA from 302 PDAC patients in the Mayo Clinic Biospecimen Resource for Pancreatic Research Registry. Kindreds containing at least two first-degree relatives with PDAC met criteria for familial pancreatic cancer (FPC), while the remaining were familial, but not FPC.ResultsThirty-six patients (12%) carried at least one deleterious mutation in one of 11 genes. Of FPC patients, 25/185 (14%) were carriers, while 11/117 (9%) non-FPC patients with family history were carriers. Deleterious mutations (n) identified in PDAC patients were BRCA2 (11), ATM (8), CDKN2A (4), CHEK2 (4), MUTYH/MYH (3 heterozygotes, not biallelic), BRCA1 (2), and 1 each in BARD1, MSH2, NBN, PALB2, and PMS2. Novel mutations were found in ATM, BARD1, and PMS2.ConclusionMultiple susceptibility gene testing in PDAC patients with family history of pancreatic cancer is warranted regardless of FPC status and will inform genetic risk counseling for families.

Identification of pathogenic retrotransposon insertions in cancer predisposition genes.

Cancer risks have been previously reported for some retrotransposon element (RE) insertions; however, detection of these insertions is technically challenging and very few oncogenic RE insertions have been reported. Here we evaluate RE insertions identified during hereditary cancer genetic testing using a comprehensive testing strategy. Individuals who had single-syndrome or pan-cancer hereditary cancer genetic testing from February 2004 to March 2017 were included. RE insertions were identified using Sanger sequencing, Next Generation Sequencing, or multiplex quantitative PCR, and further characterized using targeted PCR and sequencing analysis. Personal cancer history, ancestry, and haplotype were evaluated. A total of 37 unique RE insertions were identified in 10 genes, affecting 211 individuals. BRCA2 accounted for 45.9% (17/37) of all unique RE insertions. Several RE insertions were detected with high frequency in populations of conserved ancestry wherein up to 100% of carriers shared a high degree of haplotype conservation, suggesting founder effects. Our comprehensive testing strategy resulted in a substantial increase in the number of reported oncogenic RE insertions, several of which may have possible founder effects. Collectively, these data show that the detection of RE insertions is an important component of hereditary cancer genetic testing and may be more prevalent than previously reported.

Cancer Susceptibility Gene Mutations in Individuals With Colorectal Cancer.

Purpose Hereditary factors play an important role in colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, yet the prevalence of germline cancer susceptibility gene mutations in patients with CRC unselected for high-risk features (eg, early age at diagnosis, personal/family history of cancer or polyps, tumor microsatellite instability [MSI], mismatch repair [MMR] deficiency) is unknown. Patients and Methods We recruited 1,058 participants who received CRC care in a clinic-based setting without preselection for age at diagnosis, personal/family history, or MSI/MMR results. All participants underwent germline testing for mutations in 25 genes associated with inherited cancer risk. Each gene was categorized as high penetrance or moderate penetrance on the basis of published estimates of the lifetime cancer risks conferred by pathogenic germline mutations in that gene. Results One hundred five (9.9%; 95% CI, 8.2% to 11.9%) of 1,058 participants carried one or more pathogenic mutations, including 33 (3.1%) with Lynch syndrome (LS). Twenty-eight (96.6%) of 29 available LS CRCs demonstrated abnormal MSI/MMR results. Seventy-four (7.0%) of 1,058 participants carried non-LS gene mutations, including 23 (2.2%) with mutations in high-penetrance genes (five APC, three biallelic MUTYH, 11 BRCA1/2, two PALB2, one CDKN2A, and one TP53), 15 of whom lacked clinical histories suggestive of their underlying mutation. Thirty-eight (3.6%) participants had moderate-penetrance CRC risk gene mutations (19 monoallelic MUTYH, 17 APC*I1307K, two CHEK2). Neither proband age at CRC diagnosis, family history of CRC, nor personal history of other cancers significantly predicted the presence of pathogenic mutations in non-LS genes. Conclusion Germline cancer susceptibility gene mutations are carried by 9.9% of patients with CRC. MSI/MMR testing reliably identifies LS probands, although 7.0% of patients with CRC carry non-LS mutations, including 1.0% with BRCA1/2 mutations.

Germline multi-gene hereditary cancer panel testing in an unselected endometrial cancer cohort.

Hereditary endometrial carcinoma is associated with germline mutations in Lynch syndrome genes. The role of other cancer predisposition genes is unclear. We aimed to determine the prevalence of cancer predisposition gene mutations in an unselected endometrial carcinoma patient cohort. Mutations in 25 genes were identified using a next-generation sequencing-based panel applied in 381 endometrial carcinoma patients who had undergone tumor testing to screen for Lynch syndrome. Thirty-five patients (9.2%) had a deleterious mutation: 22 (5.8%) in Lynch syndrome genes (three MLH1, five MSH2, two EPCAM-MSH2, six MSH6, and six PMS2) and 13 (3.4%) in 10 non-Lynch syndrome genes (four CHEK2, one each in APC, ATM, BARD1, BRCA1, BRCA2, BRIP1, NBN, PTEN, and RAD51C). Of 21 patients with deleterious mutations in Lynch syndrome genes with tumor testing, 2 (9.5%) had tumor testing results suggestive of sporadic cancer. Of 12 patients with deleterious mutations in MSH6 and PMS2, 10 were diagnosed at age >50 and 8 did not have a family history of Lynch syndrome-associated cancers. Patients with deleterious mutations in non-Lynch syndrome genes were more likely to have serous tumor histology (23.1 vs 6.4%, P=0.02). The three patients with non-Lynch syndrome deleterious mutations and serous histology had mutations in BRCA2, BRIP1, and RAD51C. Current clinical criteria fail to identify a portion of actionable mutations in Lynch syndrome and other hereditary cancer syndromes. Performance characteristics of tumor testing are sufficiently robust to implement universal tumor testing to identify patients with Lynch syndrome. Germline multi-gene panel testing is feasible and informative, leading to the identification of additional actionable mutations.

Frequency of Germline Mutations in 25 Cancer Susceptibility Genes in a Sequential Series of Patients With Breast Cancer.

PURPOSE: Testing for germline mutations in BRCA1/2 is standard for select patients with breast cancer to guide clinical management. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) allows testing for mutations in additional breast cancer predisposition genes. The frequency of germline mutations detected by using NGS has been reported in patients with breast cancer who were referred for BRCA1/2 testing or with triple-negative breast cancer. We assessed the frequency and predictors of mutations in 25 cancer predisposition genes, including BRCA1/2, in a sequential series of patients with breast cancer at an academic institution to examine the utility of genetic testing in this population. METHODS: Patients with stages I to III breast cancer who were seen at a single cancer center between 2010 and 2012, and who agreed to participate in research DNA banking, were included (N = 488). Personal and family cancer histories were collected and germline DNA was sequenced with NGS to identify mutations. RESULTS: Deleterious mutations were identified in 10.7% of women, including 6.1% in BRCA1/2 (5.1% in non-Ashkenazi Jewish patients) and 4.6% in other breast/ovarian cancer predisposition genes including CHEK2 (n = 10), ATM (n = 4), BRIP1 (n = 4), and one each in PALB2, PTEN, NBN, RAD51C, RAD51D, MSH6, and PMS2. Whereas young age (P < .01), Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry (P < .01), triple-negative breast cancer (P = .01), and family history of breast/ovarian cancer (P = .01) predicted for BRCA1/2 mutations, no factors predicted for mutations in other breast cancer predisposition genes. CONCLUSION: Among sequential patients with breast cancer, 10.7% were found to have a germline mutation in a gene that predisposes women to breast or ovarian cancer, using a panel of 25 predisposition genes. Factors that predict for BRCA1/2 mutations do not predict for mutations in other breast/ovarian cancer susceptibility genes when these genes are analyzed as a single group. Additional cohorts will be helpful to define individuals at higher risk of carrying mutations in genes other than BRCA1/2.

dbEM: A database of epigenetic modifiers curated from cancerous and normal genomes.

We have developed a database called dbEM (database of Epigenetic Modifiers) to maintain the genomic information of about 167 epigenetic modifiers/proteins, which are considered as potential cancer targets. In dbEM, modifiers are classified on functional basis and comprise of 48 histone methyl transferases, 33 chromatin remodelers and 31 histone demethylases. dbEM maintains the genomic information like mutations, copy number variation and gene expression in thousands of tumor samples, cancer cell lines and healthy samples. This information is obtained from public resources viz. COSMIC, CCLE and 1000-genome project. Gene essentiality data retrieved from COLT database further highlights the importance of various epigenetic proteins for cancer survival. We have also reported the sequence profiles, tertiary structures and post-translational modifications of these epigenetic proteins in cancer. It also contains information of 54 drug molecules against different epigenetic proteins. A wide range of tools have been integrated in dbEM e.g. Search, BLAST, Alignment and Profile based prediction. In our analysis, we found that epigenetic proteins DNMT3A, HDAC2, KDM6A, and TET2 are highly mutated in variety of cancers. We are confident that dbEM will be very useful in cancer research particularly in the field of epigenetic proteins based cancer therapeutics. This database is available for public at URL: http://crdd.osdd.net/raghava/dbem.

Correlation between dental caries experience and mutans streptococci counts using saliva and plaque as microbial risk indicators in 3-8 year old children. A cross Sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Determination of the relative amounts of mutans streptococcus in both saliva and plaque and to study its correlation with dental caries in children. STUDY DESIGN: The study comprised of 60 children aged 3-8 years divided into 2 groups (30 children in each): Group A- Children with more than 4 carious teeth and Group B- Children without caries. Saliva and plaque was collected from children of both the groups with the help of Dentocult SM strip test kit (Orion Diagnostic). Following incubation, mutans streptococcus scores (from 0 to 3) in each individual was evaluated and compared between both the groups. RESULTS: On comparing the two groups, mean ± SD of saliva score and plaque score was 2.40 ± 0.675 and 2.40 ± 0.621 respectively in group A, whereas it was 0.60 ± 0.498 and 0.83 ± 0.531 in children of group B showing a significant correlation (p = < 0.001) between mutans streptococci scores in both saliva and plaque and dental caries experience. CONCLUSIONS: There is a direct and strong co-relation between the salivary and plaque mutans streptococcus counts and caries activity in children aged 3-8 years. Key words:Mutans streptococci, dentocult, dental caries.

Fine-needle aspiration cytology: a reliable tool in the diagnosis of salivary gland lesions.

BACKGROUND: Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is used as the main initial diagnostic investigation for lumps in the head and neck region. Major salivary glands and some minor salivary glands are easily accessible; therefore, they are optimal targets for FNAC. The aim of this study was to discuss the advantages and pitfalls of FNAC as compared to histopathology in the salivary gland lesions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 127 FNAC were carried out on salivary gland lesions from January 2006 to December 2010--a 5-year period. Histopathological follow-up data were obtained in 56 cases. The study was conducted to examine the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of FNAC for salivary gland swellings in comparison with histopathology. RESULTS: The male-to-female ratio was 2.4:1. Parotid gland was involved in 51.1%, submandibular gland in 37%, sublingual gland in 4.7%, and minor salivary glands in 7% of patients. There were 55.9% cases of non-neoplastic lesions and 44.1% cases of neoplastic lesions on biopsy. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of FNAC for malignant neoplastic lesions were 84.61%, 86.48%, 68.75%, and 94.11%, respectively, whereas for benign neoplastic lesions, they were 84.61%, 91.66%, 91.6%, and 85%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Fine-needle aspiration cytology is found to be a good sensitive and specific technique for the diagnosis of most of the salivary gland lesions. FNAC should be adopted as an initial investigation for all salivary gland swellings in conjunction with other investigations where appropriate.

Building-up a Smile in a 5-Year-Old Child: A Case Report.

A variety of therapeutic modalities, from removable partial dentures to conventional fixed space maintainer can be used for the replacement of traumatically missing or carious lost primary anterior teeth. Dentistry has advanced to a point where it is undesirable for children to be partially edentulous or to have unattractive anterior teeth. The introduction of new materials and adhesive systems in dentistry, offers a new reconstructive alternative for severely destroyed or lost primary anterior teeth. The purpose of this article was to present a clinical case of four primary anterior teeth replacement by means of fiber-reinforced composite bridge. This technique offers a conservative, esthetic and noninvasive treatment. It can be considered, as a long- lasting reversible provisional treatment. How to cite this article: Marwaha M, Bhat M, Nanda KDS. Building-up a Smile in a 5-Year-Old Child: A Case Report. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2012;5(2):151-154.

A role of SCN9A in human epilepsies, as a cause of febrile seizures and as a potential modifier of Dravet syndrome.

A follow-up study of a large Utah family with significant linkage to chromosome 2q24 led us to identify a new febrile seizure (FS) gene, SCN9A encoding Na(v)1.7. In 21 affected members, we uncovered a potential mutation in a highly conserved amino acid, p.N641Y, in the large cytoplasmic loop between transmembrane domains I and II that was absent from 586 ethnically matched population control chromosomes. To establish a functional role for this mutation in seizure susceptibility, we introduced the orthologous mutation into the murine Scn9a ortholog using targeted homologous recombination. Compared to wild-type mice, homozygous Scn9a(N641Y/N641Y) knockin mice exhibit significantly reduced thresholds to electrically induced clonic and tonic-clonic seizures, and increased corneal kindling acquisition rates. Together, these data strongly support the SCN9A p.N641Y mutation as disease-causing in this family. To confirm the role of SCN9A in FS, we analyzed a collection of 92 unrelated FS patients and identified additional highly conserved Na(v)1.7 missense variants in 5% of the patients. After one of these children with FS later developed Dravet syndrome (severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy), we sequenced the SCN1A gene, a gene known to be associated with Dravet syndrome, and identified a heterozygous frameshift mutation. Subsequent analysis of 109 Dravet syndrome patients yielded nine Na(v)1.7 missense variants (8% of the patients), all in highly conserved amino acids. Six of these Dravet syndrome patients with SCN9A missense variants also harbored either missense or splice site SCN1A mutations and three had no SCN1A mutations. This study provides evidence for a role of SCN9A in human epilepsies, both as a cause of FS and as a partner with SCN1A mutations.

Electroconvulsive seizure thresholds and kindling acquisition rates are altered in mouse models of human KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 mutations for benign familial neonatal convulsions.

PURPOSE: Benign familial neonatal convulsions (BFNC) is caused by mutations in the KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 genes, which encode subunits of the M-type potassium channel. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of orthologous BFNC-causing mutations on seizure thresholds and the acquisition of corneal kindling in mice with heterozygous expression of the mutations. METHODS: The effects of the Kcnq2 gene A306T mutation and the Kcnq3 gene G311V mutation were determined for minimal clonic, minimal tonic hindlimb extension, and partial psychomotor seizures. The rate of corneal kindling acquisition was also determined for Kcnq2 A306T and Kcnq3 G311V mice. RESULTS: Seizure thresholds were significantly altered relative to wild-type animals in the minimal clonic, minimal tonic hindlimb extension, and partial psychomotor seizure models. Differences in seizure threshold were found to be dependent on the mutation expressed, the seizure testing paradigm, the genetic background strain, and the gender of the animal. Mutations in Kcnq2 and Kcnq3 were associated with an increased rate of corneal kindling. In the Kcnq2 A306T mice, an increased incidence of death occurred during and immediately following the conclusion of the kindling acquisition period. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that genetic alterations in the subunits that underlie the M-current and cause BFNC alter seizure susceptibility in a sex-, mouse strain-, and seizure-test dependent manner. Although the heterozygous mice do not appear to have spontaneous seizures, the increased seizure susceptibility and incidence of death during and after kindling suggests that these mutations lead to altered excitability in these animals.

Human neuronal acetylcholine receptor A5-A3-B4 haplotypes are associated with multiple nicotine dependence phenotypes.

INTRODUCTION: Previous research revealed significant associations between haplotypes in the CHRNA5-A3-B4 subunit cluster and scores on the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence among individuals reporting daily smoking by age 17. The present study used subsamples of participants from that study to investigate associations between the CHRNA5-A3-B4 haplotypes and an array of phenotypes not analyzed previously (i.e., withdrawal severity, ability to stop smoking, and specific scales on the Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives (WISDM-68) that reflect loss of control, strong craving, and heavy smoking. METHODS: Two cohorts of current or former smokers (N = 886) provided both self-report data and DNA samples. One sample (Wisconsin) comprised smokers making a quit smoking attempt, which permitted the assessment of withdrawal and relapse during the attempt. The other sample (Utah) comprised participants studied for risk factors for nicotine dependence and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and included individuals originally recruited in the Lung Health Study. RESULTS: The CHRNA5-A3-B4 haplotypes were significantly associated with the targeted WISDM-68 scales (Tolerance, Craving, Loss of Control) in both samples of participants but only among individuals who began smoking early in life. The haplotypes were significantly associated with relapse likelihood and withdrawal severity, but these associations showed no evidence of an interaction with age at daily smoking. DISCUSSION: The CHRNA5-A3-B4 haplotypes are associated with a broad range of nicotine dependence phenotypes, but these associations are not consistently moderated by age at initial smoking.

A candidate gene approach identifies the CHRNA5-A3-B4 region as a risk factor for age-dependent nicotine addiction.

People who begin daily smoking at an early age are at greater risk of long-term nicotine addiction. We tested the hypothesis that associations between nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) genetic variants and nicotine dependence assessed in adulthood will be stronger among smokers who began daily nicotine exposure during adolescence. We compared nicotine addiction-measured by the Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence-in three cohorts of long-term smokers recruited in Utah, Wisconsin, and by the NHLBI Lung Health Study, using a candidate-gene approach with the neuronal nAChR subunit genes. This SNP panel included common coding variants and haplotypes detected in eight alpha and three beta nAChR subunit genes found in European American populations. In the 2,827 long-term smokers examined, common susceptibility and protective haplotypes at the CHRNA5-A3-B4 locus were associated with nicotine dependence severity (p = 2.0x10(-5); odds ratio = 1.82; 95% confidence interval 1.39-2.39) in subjects who began daily smoking at or before the age of 16, an exposure period that results in a more severe form of adult nicotine dependence. A substantial shift in susceptibility versus protective diplotype frequency (AA versus BC = 17%, AA versus CC = 27%) was observed in the group that began smoking by age 16. This genetic effect was not observed in subjects who began daily nicotine use after the age of 16. These results establish a strong mechanistic link among early nicotine exposure, common CHRNA5-A3-B4 haplotypes, and adult nicotine addiction in three independent populations of European origins. The identification of an age-dependent susceptibility haplotype reinforces the importance of preventing early exposure to tobacco through public health policies.