ABSTRACT
Germline allele specific expression (ASE), resulting in a lowered expression of one of the BRCA1 alleles, has been described as a possible predisposition marker in Hereditary Breast or Ovarian Cancer (HBOC), usable for molecular diagnosis in HBOC. The main objective of this prospective case-control study was to compare the proportion of ASE between controls without familial history of breast or ovarian cancer, and HBOC cases without BRCA1 or BRCA2 deleterious mutation. BRCA1 ASE evaluated on three SNPs among controls and HBOC patients without deleterious mutation were assessed by pyrosequencing. The allelic ratios and the proportion of ASE were compared between controls and cases using a Student's t test and a Fisher exact test, respectively. The linearity and reproducibility of the ASE dosage was demonstrated with R2 > 0.99 and a coefficient of variation below 10 %, and ASE was detected in two positive controls harbouring BRCA1 truncated mutations. In the heterozygote population, composed of 99/264 controls (37.5 %) and 96/227 patients (42.3 %), we detected a 5 % ASE without truncated mutations, in each population. We failed to detect any significant difference of ASE between controls and patients. So far, BRCA1 Allelic specific expression is not usable in routine diagnosis as a possible predisposition marker in HBOC patients except for the detection of truncated mutations.
Subject(s)
Allelic Imbalance/genetics , BRCA1 Protein/genetics , Genes, BRCA1 , Genetic Predisposition to Disease/genetics , Germ-Line Mutation/genetics , Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome/genetics , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics , Case-Control Studies , Female , Heterozygote , Humans , Middle Aged , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide , Prospective Studies , Young AdultABSTRACT
Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is mostly isolated in swine causing erysipelas. Human invasive infections due to E. rhusiopathiae remain poorly described and interestingly bacteraemia associated with endocarditis are a source of ineffective empirical antibiotherapy. We report a case of sepsis without endocarditis due to E. rhusiopathiae and a review of the literature.
Subject(s)
Bacteriological Techniques , Erysipelothrix Infections/diagnosis , Erysipelothrix/isolation & purification , Diagnosis, Differential , Endocarditis/microbiology , Erysipelothrix Infections/microbiology , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Sperm-associated antigen 9 (SPAG9) has been suggested as a possible biomarker in several malignancies including thyroid cancer. We investigated the expression of SPAG9 mRNA in fine needle aspiration (FNA) material from papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and benign thyroid nodules. STUDY DESIGN: SPAG9 expression was assessed in 36 FNA samples corresponding to 16 PTC and 20 benign nodules using the original method detecting the SPAG9 transcript containing intron 21 (NCBI X91879). The presence of the BRAF V600E point mutation was also analyzed by pyrosequencing. RESULTS: Six of 16 (38%) PTC samples were positive for X91879 SPAG9 transcript compared to 8 of 20 (40%) benign samples (p = 0.88). Out of 12 BRAF-positive PTC, 3 (25%) also expressed the SPAG9 transcript compared to 3 out of 4 BRAF-negative PTC (75%; p = 0.12). CONCLUSIONS: The X91879 SPAG9 transcript originally described does not appear to be overexpressed in FNA material from PTC or to be clinically relevant in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules.
