• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.28.1-28.13
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• 2023

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a clinical syndrome characterized by the onset and evolution of cognitive impairments, often considered a transitional stage to Alzheimer's disease (AD). The genetic traits of MCI patients who experience a rapid progression to AD can enhance early diagnosis capabilities and facilitate drug discovery for AD. While a genome-wide association study (GWAS) is a standard tool for identifying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to a disease, it fails to detect SNPs with small effect sizes due to stringent control for multiple testing. Additionally, the method does not consider the group structures of SNPs, such as genes or linkage disequilibrium blocks, which can provide valuable insights into the genetic architecture. To address the limitations, we propose a Bayesian bi-level variable selection method that detects SNPs associated with time of conversion from MCI to AD. Our approach integrates group inclusion indicators into an accelerated failure time model to identify important SNP groups. Additionally, we employ data augmentation techniques to impute censored time values using a predictive posterior. We adapt Dirichlet-Laplace shrinkage priors to incorporate the group structure for SNP-level variable selection. In the simulation study, our method outperformed other competing methods regarding variable selection. The analysis of Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) data revealed several genes directly or indirectly related to AD, whereas a classical GWAS did not identify any significant SNPs.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.37.1-37.11
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• 2023

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an inflammatory-autoimmune disease with a complex multi-organ pathogenesis, and it is known to be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Various genetic, immunological, endocrine, and environmental factors contribute to SLE. Genomic variants have been identified as potential contributors to SLE susceptibility across multiple continents. However, the specific pathogenic variants that drive SLE remain largely undefined. In this study, we sought to identify these pathogenic variants across various continents using genomic and bioinformatic-based methodologies. We found that the variants rs35677470, rs34536443, rs17849502, and rs13306575 are likely damaging in SLE. Furthermore, these four variants appear to affect the gene expression of NCF2, TYK2, and DNASE1L3 in whole blood tissue. Our findings suggest that these genomic variants warrant further research for validation in functional studies and clinical trials involving SLE patients. We conclude that the integration of genomic and bioinformatic-based databases could enhance our understanding of disease susceptibility, including that of SLE.

• Journal of Interdisciplinary Genomics
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• 제5권2호
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• pp.18-23
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• 2023

Conventional evaluation method for identifying the organic cause of short stature has a low detection rate. If an infant who is small for gestational age manifests postnatal growth deterioration, triangular face, relative macrocephaly, and protruding forehead, a genetic testing of IGF2, H19, GRB10, MEST, CDKN1, CUL7, OBSL1, and CCDC9 should be considered to determine the presence of Silver-Russell syndrome and 3-M syndrome. If a short patient with prenatal growth failure also exhibits postnatal growth failure, microcephaly, low IGF-1 levels, sensorineural deafness, or impaired intellectual development, genetic testing of IGF1 and IGFALS should be conducted. Furthermore, genetic testing of GH1, GHRHR, HESX1, SOX3, PROP1, POU1F1, and LHX3 should be considered if patients with isolated growth hormone deficiency have short stature below -3 standard deviation score, barely detectable serum growth hormone concentration, and other deficiencies of anterior pituitary hormone. In short patients with height SDS <-3 and high growth hormone levels, genetic testing should be considered to identify GHR mutations. Lastly, when severe short patients (height z score <-3) exhibit high levels of prolactin and recurrent pulmonary infection, genetic testing should be conducted to identify STAT5B mutations.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.31-38
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• 2023

Rare diseases, even though defined as fewer than 20,000 in South Korea, with over 8,000 rare Mendelian disorders having been identified, they collectively impact 6-8% of the global population. Many of the rare diseases pose significant challenges to patients, patients' families, and the healthcare system. The diagnostic journey for rare disease patients is often lengthy and arduous, hampered by the genetic diversity and phenotypic complexity of these conditions. With the advent of next-generation sequencing technology and clinical implementation of exome sequencing (ES) and genome sequencing (GS), the diagnostic rate for rare diseases is 25-50% depending on the disease category. It is also allowing more rapid new gene-disease association discovery and equipping us to practice precision medicine by offering tailored medical management plans, early intervention, family planning options. However, a substantial number of patients remain undiagnosed, and it could be due to several factors. Some may not have genetic disorders. Some may have disease-causing variants that are not detectable or interpretable by ES and GS. It's also possible that some patient might have a disease-causing variant in a gene that hasn't yet been linked to a disease. For patients who remain undiagnosed, reanalysis of existing data has shown promises in providing new molecular diagnoses achieved by new gene-disease associations, new variant discovery, and variant reclassification, leading to a 5-10% increase in the diagnostic rate. More advanced approach such as long-read sequencing, transcriptome sequencing and integration of multi-omics data may provide potential values in uncovering elusive genetic causes.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.6-13
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• 2024

Rare diseases are characterized by a low prevalence, which often means that patients with such diseases are undiagnosed and do not have effective treatment options. Neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders make up around 40% of rare diseases and in the past decade, there has been a surge in the identification of genes linked to these conditions. This has created the need for model organisms to reveal mechanisms and to assess therapeutic methods. Different model animals have been employed, like Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila, zebrafish, and mice, to investigate the rare neurological diseases and to identify the causative genes. While the zebrafish has become a popular animal model in the last decade, mainly for studying brain development, understanding neural circuits, and conducting chemical screens, the mouse has been a very well-known model for decades. This review explores the strengths and limitations of using zebrafish as a vertebrate animal model for rare neurological disorders, emphasizing the features that make this animal model promising for the research on these disorders.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• 제9권2호
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• pp.84-88
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• 2012

Purpose: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), which is caused by mutations of the NF1 gene, is the most frequent single gene disorder to affect the nervous system. Unidentified bright objects (UBOs) are commonly observed on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with NF1. However, their clinical and pathologic significance is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between UBOs and cerebral glucose metabolism measured by $^{18}F$-2-Fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ($^{18}F$-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in Korean patients with NF1. Materials and Methods: Medical records of 75 patients (34 males and 41 females) with NF1 who underwent brain MRI and PET between 2005 and 2011 were evaluated retrospectively. Clinical data including demographics, neurological symptoms, and brain MRI and PET findings, were reviewed. Results: UBOs were detected in the brain MRI scans of 31 patients (41%). The region most frequently affected by UBOs was the basal ganglia. The most frequent brain PET finding was thalamic glucose hypometabolism (45/75, 60%). Of the 31 patients with UBOs, 26 had thalamic glucose hypometabolism on brain PET, but the other 5 had normal brain PET findings. Conversely, of the 45 patients with thalamic glucose hypometabolism on brain PET, 26 showed UBOs on their brain MRI scans, but 19 had normal findings on brain MRI scans. Conclusion: UBOs on brain MRI scans and thalamic glucose hypometabolism on PET appear to be 2 distinctive features of NF1 rather than correlated symptoms. Because the clinical significance of these abnormal imaging findings remains unclear, a longitudinal follow-up study of changes in clinical manifestations and imaging findings is necessary.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.33-37
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• 2013

Purpose: Myotonic dystrophy 1 (DM1, OMIM 160900) is an autosomal-dominant muscular disorder caused by an expansion of CTG repeats in the 3' UTR of the DMPK gene. Variable expansions of CTG repeats preclude the accurate determination of repeat size. We tried to show the clinical and analytical validity of the application of Southern blotting after long-range PCR was demonstrated in Korean DM1 patients. Materials and Methods: The Southern blotting of long-range PCR was applied to 1,231 cases with clinical suspicion of DM1, between 2000 and 2011. PCR was performed using genomic DNA with forward 5'-CAGTTCACAACCGCTCCGAGC-3' and reverse 5'-CGTGGAGGATGGAACACGGAC-3' primers. Subsequently, the PCR fragments were subjected to gel electrophoresis, capillary transfer to a nylon membrane, hybridization with a labeled (CAG)10 probe. The correlation between clinical manifestations and the CTG repeat expansions were analyzed. Results: Among a total of 1,231 tested cases, 642 individuals were diagnosed with DM1 and the range of the detected expansion was 50 to 2,500 repeats; fourteen cases with mild DM1 ($75{\pm}14$ repeats), 602 cases with classical DM1 ($314{\pm}143$ repeats), and 26 cases with congenital DM1 ($1,219{\pm}402$ repeats). The positive and negative predictive values were 100%. The age at test requested and the CTG repeat numbers were inversely correlated (R=-0.444, P<0.01). Conclusion: This study indicates that Southern blotting after long-range PCR is a reliable diagnostic method DM1.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제45권1호
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• pp.21-28
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• 2007

In order to search for specific genotypes related to this unique phenotype, we used whole genomic DNA microarray to characterize the genomic diversity of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) strains isolated from clinical patients in China. The open reading frame (ORF) fragments on our microarray were generated by PCR using gene-specific primers. Genomic DNA of H. pylori 26695 and J99 were used as templates. Thirty-four H. pylori isolates were obtained from patients in Shanghai. Results were judged based on In(x) transformed and normalized Cy3/Cy5 ratios. Our microarray included 1882 DNA fragments corresponding to 1636 ORFs of both sequenced H. pylori strains. Cluster analysis, revealed two diverse regions in the H. pylori genome that were not present in other isolates. Among the 1636 genes, 1091 (66.7%) were common to all H. pylori strains, representing the functional core of the genome. Most of the genes found in the H. pylori functional core were responsible for metabolism, cellular processes, transcription and biosynthesis of amino acids, functions that are essential to H. pylori's growth and colonization in its host. In contrast, 522 (31.9%) genes were strain-specific genes that were missing from at least one strain of H. pylori. Strain-specific genes primarily included restriction modification system components, transposase genes, hypothetical proteins and outer membrane proteins. These strain-specific genes may aid the bacteria under specific circumstances during their long-term infection in genetically diverse hosts. Our results suggest 34 H. pylori clinical strains have extensive genomic diversity. Core genes and strain-specific genes both play essential roles in H. pylori propagation and pathogenesis. Our microarray experiment may help select relatively significant genes for further research on the pathogenicity of H. pylori and development of a vaccine for H. pylori.

• 대한유전성대사질환학회지
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.37-43
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• 2020

페닐케톤뇨증(PKU)은 전세계적으로 가장 잘 알려지고 중요한 유전성 대사질환이다. 1950년대 이후 단백제한을 이용한 식사치료를 처음으로 시도하여 성과가 있었던 질환이며 1960년대 이후 신생아선별검사를 통해 조기진단과 조기치료가 가능하게 된 최초의 유전성대사질환이기 때문이다. 단백제한 식사치료의 효과가 좋지만 학동기, 사춘기 이후 성인시기까지 유지하는 것의 어려움이 있고 이시기에 조절이 잘 되지 않았을 경우 경련, 여러가지 정신과적인 문제들, 삶의 질의 감소 등이 문제가 되어서 오랜 기간 치료를 위한 여러 방법들이 제시되었다. 더해서 2014년 미국의학유전학회(American Medical College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, ACMG)에서 전 연령에서 혈중 페닐알라닌 수치를 120-360 umol/L로 제시를 한 이후 더욱 치료의 중요성이 올라갔다. 2000년대 페닐알라닌수산화 효소(phenylalanine hydroxylase, PAH)의 조효소인 tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4)가 치료 승인되어서 약물반응을 보이는 환자에서 치료가 시작되었으며 4세미만에서도 허가가 되어서 이른 시기부터 약물치료를 병행하여 효과를 보게 되었다. 높은 혈중 페닐알라닌수치가 혈액-뇌 장벽(Blood-brain barrier, BBB)을 통하여 뇌로 넘어가서 회백질의 변성을 나타내게 되는 문제를 막기 위해 거대중성아미노산(LNAA)를 이용한 치료가 시도되고 있다. 오랫동안 연구되었던 페닐알라닌을 trans-cinnamic acid와 암모니아로 변화를 시키는 phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL)을 이용한 효소치료는 최근 약제로 개발되어서 2018년 이후 성인환자를 대상으로 치료가 시작되었고 잘 조절되지 않는 환자들에게 효과를 보이고 있다. PAL을 경구용으로 개발하는 것이 빠르게 진행 중이며 유전자치료에 대한 연구들도 활발하게 진행이 되고 있어 다양한 치료들이 앞으로 기대된다.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.47-54
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• 2008

목 적 : 속 산전 염색체 이수성 진단을 위한 미배양 양수 세포를 이용한 FISH 검사는 최근 많은 세포유전검사실의 중요한 업무 중의 하나가 되고 있다. 이에 본 저자들은 의뢰된 양수검체 943례에 대하여 산전 염색체 이수성 진단에 있어서 미배양 양수 FISH의 임상적 유용성을 알아보고자 한다. 방 법 : 2004년에서 2006년까지 의뢰된 943례의 양수검체에 대하여 염색체 13번, 18번, 21번에 대한 간기 FISH검사를 시행하였고, 산모의 나이, 임신주수와 적응증을 분석하였다. FISH 결과는 고전적 염색체 핵형분석과 비교분석하였다. 결 과 : 양수 검체 943례에 대해 염색체 핵형분석을 시행한 결과 45례(4.8%)에서 염색체 이상이 발견되었고 이를 간기 FISH결과와 비교하였다. 가족성 염색체 상호전좌와 역위 20례를 제외한 염색체 이상이 25례에서 발견되어 2.7%를 차지하였는데 그 중 6례(0.7%)는 FISH로 검출되지 않았고 19례(2.0%)는 FISH로 검출되었다. 핵형분석결과 다운증후군이 14례(Classic형 13례, 전좌형 1례)로 관찰되었다. 에드워드 증후군은 5례로 모두 FISH로 검출되었고 위양성, 위음성은 없었다(특이도와 민감도, 100%). 결 론 : 본 연구결과는 FISH검사가 염색체 이수성을 진단하는데 있어 고전적 핵형분석법을 보완할 수 있는 신속하고 예민한 방법이지만 FISH검사로 모든 염색체이상을 검출할 수 없으며 위음성결과를 보일수 있는 FISH 검사의 한계에 대하여 신중한 유전상담이 중요하다고 사료된다.