Fibromodulin Gene Variants (FMOD) as Potential Biomarkers for Prostate Cancer and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.

By the year 2050, the world's elderly population may increase exponentially, raising the rate of disease characteristic of this group, such as prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Prostate disorders have a multifactorial etiology, especially age and genetic factors. Currently, PCa is the second most frequent neoplasm in the male population worldwide. The fibromodulin gene encodes a small leucine-rich proteoglycan (SLRP) which acts in the collagen fibrillogenesis pathway, cell adhesion, and modulation of TGF-ß signaling pathways, which has been recently associated with PCa. The present study sequenced the coding region of the FMOD in a sample of 44 PCa, 90 BPH, and 82 controls from a Brazilian population, and the results identified 6 variants: 2 missenses (p.(Tyr42Ser) and p.(Pro24Ala)); 3 synonymous (p.(His253=), p.(Asn353=), and p.(Glu79=)); and 1 intronic (c.980-114A>G). Of these, p.(Tyr42Ser), p.(Pro24Ala), and p.(Asn353=) are rare variants, and p.(Tyr42Ser) was predicted as potential pathogenic by the algorithms used here, in addition to not being observed in controls, suggesting that may be a potential biomarker for development of PCa and BPH. In conclusion, we identified for the first time, in Brazilian individuals with PCa and BPH, a potentially pathogenic variant in the analysis of FMOD gene. Further studies are needed to investigate the deleterious effect of this variant on the structure and/or function of the FMOD protein.

Identification of Variants Responsible for Monogenic Forms of Diabetes in Brazil.

Monogenic forms of diabetes mellitus may affect a significant number of patients of this disease, and it is an important molecular cause to be investigated. However, studies of the genetic causes of monogenic diabetes, especially in populations with mixed ethnic backgrounds, such as the one in Brazil, are scarce. The aim of this study was to screen several genes associated with monogenic diabetes in fifty-seven Brazilian patients with recurrence of the disease in their families and thirty-four relatives. Inclusion criteria were: Age of onset ≤ 40 years old, BMI < 30 kg/m², at least two affected generations and negative anti-GAD and anti-IA2 antibodies. MODY genes HNF4A, GCK, HNF1A, HNF1B, NEUROD1, KLF11, PAX4, INS, KCNJ11, and MT-TL1 were sequenced by Sanger sequencing. We identified a total of 20 patients with variants, 13 GCK-MODY, four HNF1A-MODY, and one variant in each of the following genes, HNF4A, HNF1B and MT-TL1. Segregation analysis was performed in 13 families. Four variants were novel, two in GCK (p.(Met115Val) [c.343A>G] and p.(Asp365GlufsTer95) [c.1094_1095insGCGA]) and two in HNF1A (p.(Tyr163Ter) [c.489C>G] and p.(Val380CysfsTer39) [c.1136_1137insC]). Here we highlight the importance of screening for monogenic diabetes in admixed populations.

Identification of the First PAX4-MODY Family Reported in Brazil.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to sequence the coding region of the PAX4 gene in a Brazilian cohort with clinical manifestations of monogenic diabetes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study included 31 patients with autosomal dominant history of diabetes, age at diagnosis ≤40 years, BMI <30 kg/m2, and no mutations in GCK or HNF1A, HNF4A, and HNF1B. Screening of the PAX4 coding region was performed by Sanger sequencing. In silico algorithms were used to assess the potential impact of amino acid substitutions on protein structure and function. Additionally, PAX4-MODY family members and 158 control subjects without diabetes were analyzed for the identified mutation. RESULTS: The molecular analysis of PAX4 has detected one missense mutation, p.Arg164Gln (c.491G>A), segregating with diabetes in a large Brazilian family. The mutation was absent among the control group. The index case is a woman diagnosed at 32 years of age with polyneuropathy and treated with insulin. She did not present diabetic renal disease or retinopathy. Family members with the PAX4 p.Arg164Gln mutation have a heterogeneous clinical manifestation and treatment response, with age at diagnosis ranging from 24 years to 50 years. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report a PAX4-MODY family in Brazil. The age of PAX4-MODY diagnosis in the Brazilian family seems to be higher than the classical criteria for MODY. Our results reinforce the importance of screening large monogenic diabetes families for the understanding of the clinical manifestations of rare forms of diabetes for the specific and personalized treatment.