Biomedical subjects

Anne Slavotinek

Publications and source records attributed to Anne Slavotinek.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2025

Genomic sequencing in diverse and underserved pediatric populations: Parent perspectives on understanding, uncertainty, psychosocial impact, and personal utility of results.

PURPOSE: Limited evidence evaluates parents' perceptions of their child's clinical genome-scale sequencing (GS) results, particularly among individuals from medically underserved groups. Five Clinical Sequencing Evidence-Generating Research consortium studies performed GS in children with suspected genetic conditions with high proportions of individuals from underserved groups to address this evidence gap. METHODS: Parents completed surveys of perceived understanding, personal utility, and test-related distress after GS result disclosure. We assessed outcomes' associations with child- and parent-related factors: child age; type of GS finding; and parent health literacy, numeracy, and education. RESULTS: A total of 1763 parents completed surveys; 83% met "underserved" criteria based on race, ethnicity, and risk factors for barriers to access. We observed high perceived understanding and personal utility and low test-related distress. Outcomes were associated with the type of GS finding; parents of children with a pathogenic or likely pathogenic finding endorsed higher personal utility and more test-related distress than those whose children had a variant of uncertain significance or normal finding. Personal utility was higher in parents who met the criteria for "underserved." CONCLUSION: Our findings shed light on correlates of parents' cognitive and emotional responses to their child's GS findings and emphasize the need for tailored support in disclosure discussions.

Humans↗

PubMed2006

Clinical features and management issues in Mowat-Wilson syndrome.

Mowat-Wilson syndrome (MWS) is a relatively newly described multiple congenital anomaly/mental retardation syndrome. Haploinsufficiency of a gene termed ZFHX1B (also known as SIP1) on chromosome 2 is responsible for this condition, and clinical genetic testing for MWS recently became available. The majority of reports in the literature originate from Northern Europe and Australia. Here we report our clinical experience with 12 patients diagnosed with MWS within a 2-year period of time in the United States, with particular emphasis on clinical characteristics and management strategies. Individuals with this condition have characteristic facial features, including microcephaly, hypertelorism, medially flared and broad eyebrows, prominent columella, pointed chin, and uplifted earlobes, which typically prompt the clinician to consider the diagnosis. Medical issues in our cohort of patients included seizures (75%) with no predeliction for any particular seizure type; agenesis of the corpus callosum (60% of our patients studied); congenital heart defects (75%), particularly involving the pulmonary arteries and/or valves; hypospadias (55% of males); severely impaired or absent speech (100% of individuals over 1 year of age) with relatively spared receptive language; and Hirschsprung disease (50%) or chronic constipation (25%). The incidence of MWS is unknown, but based on the number of patients identified in a short period of time within the US, it is likely greatly under recognized. MWS should be considered in any individual with severely impaired or absent speech, especially in the presence of seizures and anomalies involving the pulmonary arteries (particularly pulmonary artery sling) or pulmonary valves.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

PubMed2006

Systemic hyalinosis: a distinctive early childhood-onset disorder characterized by mutations in the anthrax toxin receptor 2 gene (ANTRX2).

OBJECTIVE: We sought to further characterize the phenotype and facilitate clinical recognition of systemic hyalinosis in children who present with chronic pain and progressive contractures in early childhood. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We report on 3 children who presented in infancy with symptoms and signs that initially were not recognized to be those of systemic hyalinosis. Although the children were evaluated for a variety of problems, including lysosomal storage disorders and nonaccidental trauma, all eventually underwent genetic analysis of the anthrax toxin receptor 2 gene (ANTRX2) and were diagnosed as having systemic hyalinosis. RESULTS: We describe the recognizable but variable clinical phenotype of systemic hyalinosis and associated mutations in ANTRX2. Affected individuals presented in early infancy with severe pain and progressive contractures. Initial diagnostic evaluations were unrevealing; however, hyperpigmented skin over bony prominences, skin nodules, and fleshy perianal masses suggested a diagnosis of systemic hyalinosis. ANTRX2 analysis confirmed the diagnosis in each case. Although 2 of the children died in infancy as a result of complications of chronic diarrhea, the third child has survived into midchildhood. These data suggest that some ANTRX2 mutations, such as that identified in the long-term survivor, may be associated with a less severe course of disease. CONCLUSIONS: Although some aspects of systemic hyalinosis may resemble lysosomal storage disorders, the clinical features of systemic hyalinosis are distinctive, and detection of an ANTRX2 mutation can confirm the diagnosis. Early recognition of affected individuals should allow for aggressive pain control and expectant management of the multiple associated problems, including gastrointestinal dysfunction.

Age of Onset↗

PubMed2006

Atrioventricular block and wiry hair in Teebi hypertelorism syndrome.

We report on a 4 1/2-year-old girl with clinical features of Teebi hypertelorism syndrome (THS), including a prominent forehead with a widow's peak, heavy and broad eyebrows, hypertelorism, long palpebral fissures, ptosis, a thin upper lip, a grooved chin, and a left preauricular cyst. She required a pacemaker for third degree atrioventricular (AV) block, a finding that has not been previously reported in 36 other patients with THS and for which we were unable to identify other causes. We have reviewed the previous reports of THS and note a characteristic facial appearance with hypertelorism, heavy, broad, and arched eyebrows, a thin upper lip with a long and deep philtrum, and a prominent forehead. Structural cardiac defects were present in five patients, implying that cardiac investigations are warranted in patients with a cardiac murmur and a clinical diagnosis of THS.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

PubMed2006

ABCA12 is the major harlequin ichthyosis gene.

Harlequin ichthyosis (HI) is the most severe form of autosomal-recessive, congenital ichthyosis. Affected infants have markedly impaired barrier function and are more susceptible to infection. Abnormalities in the localization of epidermal lipids as well as abnormal lamellar granule formation are features of HI skin. Previously, we and others have shown that mutations in the ABCA12 gene encoding an adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette (ABC) transporter underlie the skin disease HI. In this study, we have sequenced the ABCA12 gene in an additional 14 patients and show that all contain mutations, with the majority being either nonsense substitution or frameshift mutations. Eleven HI patients had bi-allelic ABCA12 mutations, whereas in the remaining three HI patients in this study, ABCA12 mutations were detected on only one allele by sequencing. In addition, the one patient from the previous study where no sequence mutations were detected was screened for heterozygous deletions. A combination of oligonucleotide arrays, multiplex PCR analysis and single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping revealed a heterozygous intragenic deletion in exon 8. These mutation data establish ABCA12 as the major HI gene.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗

PubMed2006

Prenatal diagnosis of familial type I choledochal cyst.

Familial choledochal cysts are extremely rare. High-resolution ultrasound now allows for the antenatal diagnosis of these anomalies. After delivery, elective surgical resection should be planned; however, increases in size, deterioration of liver function, and ascending cholangitis frequently force early intervention. We report an unusual occurrence of siblings with type I choledochal cysts and review the existing literature on cause, genetics, classification, diagnosis, and management of this disease.

Child↗

PubMed2005

A family with X-linked anophthalmia: exclusion of SOX3 as a candidate gene.

We report on a four-generation family with X-linked anophthalmia in four affected males and show that this family has LOD scores consistent with linkage to Xq27, the third family reported to be linked to the ANOP1 locus. We sequenced the SOX3 gene at Xq27 as a candidate gene for the X-linked anophthalmia based on the high homology of this gene to SOX2, a gene previously mutated in bilateral anophthlamia. However, no amino acid sequence alterations were identified in SOX3. We have improved the definition of the phenotype in males with anophthalmia linked to the ANOP1 locus, as microcephaly, ocular colobomas, and severe renal malformations have not been described in families linked to ANOP1.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Craniofacial defects of blastogenesis: duplication of pituitary with cleft palate and orophgaryngeal tumors.

Duplications of organs and/or tissues are rare in morphogenesis and have frequently been attributed to incomplete twinning. To further elucidate the phenotypes associated with organ duplications, we present three infants with duplication of the pituitary gland (DPG). A review of previously reported cases with DPG showed that the commonest additional findings were hypothalamic enlargement, a broad or duplicated sella, cleft palate, hypertelorism, oropharyngeal tumors, agenesis or hypoplasia of the corpus callosum, and abnormalities of vertebrae. DPG and additional malformations constitute a distinct and recognizable pattern of anomalies, which may constitute a polytopic field defect due to splitting of the notochord. However, the precise inductive mechanism resulting in DPG remains unknown.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

PubMed2005

Marinesco-Sjögren syndrome in a male with mild dysmorphism.

Marinesco-Sjogren syndrome (MSS) is a rare, autosomal recessive disorder comprising cataracts, cerebellar ataxia caused by cerebellar hypoplasia, mild to moderate mental retardation, neuromuscular weakness, short stature, hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism, and skeletal anomalies. The syndrome was recently mapped to chromosome 5q31, but there is evidence for genetic heterogeneity, and no gene has been identified. We report a 5-year-old male with cataracts, ataxia, a progressive cerebellar atrophy, developmental delay, seizures, hypotonia, and a sensorimotor neuropathy consistent with many cases of MSS. He also had mild craniofacial dysmorphism consisting of hypertrichosis and synophrys, deep-set eyes with epicanthic folds, a flat philtrum, a high palate, short thumbs, and a wide sandal gap between the first and second toes. Skeletal findings included an increased kyphosis. We reviewed the literature on MSS to determine if craniofacial dysmorphism and the presence of neuropathy and/or myopathy would prove to be diagnostically useful in this phenotypically heterogeneous condition. The majority of cases of MSS do not have craniofacial dysmorphism, but other cases have been reported with features such as ptosis or a myopathic facies that are likely to reflect the underlying myopathic or neuromuscular processes in MSS.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

PubMed2005

Case report: Y;6 translocation with deletion of 6p.

Translocations between the Y chromosome and an autosome are rare. We report a phenotypic male with a translocation between the Y chromosome and chromosome 6p, leading to partial 6p monosomy and XX male syndrome. He is the second child to be reported with this karyotype. Phenotypic findings included growth retardation, severe developmental delay, a Dandy-Walker malformation, cardiac and urogenital abnormalities, bilateral hearing loss, cleft palate, severe kyphoscoliosis, minor digital anomalies, and a hypoplastic phallus. Craniofacial dysmorphism consisted of dolichocephaly, hypertelorism, down-slanting palpebral fissures, depressed nasal bridge and a tented upper lip. Cytogenetic analysis showed the karyotype 46,XX,der(6)t(Y;6)(p11.2;p23).ish der(6)(SRY+,6pTEL48-). The effects of partial monosomy 6p are discussed and compared to other patients with interstitial and terminal 6p deletions.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

PubMed2003

Genetic modifiers in human development and malformation syndromes, including chaperone proteins.

Rapid developments in the elucidation of simple Mendelian traits in humans, the complexity of genotype-phenotype relationships, and the growing appreciation of complex genetic traits have conspired to focus interest on the role of modifier genes in humans. This paper reviews categories of genetic modifiers and their effects and then discusses non-Mendelian inheritance patterns involving modifier genes. Although genetic models from many disease classes of human and model systems will be considered, we focus this review on the implications for the understanding of pleiotropic malformation syndromes. Genetic modifiers have so far been molecularly defined in relatively few malformation syndromes, but the rapid acknowledgement of their critical role in human development is an exciting advance in contemporary attempts to understand the relationship of phenotype and genotype.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Uniparental disomy.

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Chromosome Disorders↗