CNTNAP1 Mutations and Their Clinical Presentations: New Case Report and Systematic Review
CASE REPORTS IN MEDICINE
Authors: Sabbagh, Sandra; Antoun, Stephanie; Megarbane, Andre
Abstract
Lethal congenital contracture syndrome type 7 (LCCS7) and congenital hypomyelinating neuropathy type 3 (CHN3) are rare autosomal recessive diseases, characterized by severe neonatal hypotonia, polyhydramnios, arthrogryposis, facial diplegia, and severe motor paralysis, leading to death in early infancy. They are related to mutations in the CNTNAP1 (contactin associated protein 1) gene, playing an important role in myelination. Recent studies have shown that both diseases could present with a wide phenotypic spectrum, with promising survival up to early childhood. We report on a 7-year-old boy from a nonconsanguineous Lebanese family presenting with neonatal hypotonia, respiratory distress, and arthrogryposis. Molecular analysis revealed the presence of a pathogenic variant in the CNTNAP1 gene leading to a premature stop codon: NM_003632.2:c.3361C>T p.(Arg1121*). A review of the literature is discussed.
Gene expression signature of non-involved lung tissue associated with survival in lung adenocarcinoma patients
CARCINOGENESIS
Authors: Galvan, Antonella; Frullanti, Elisa; Anderlini, Marco; Manenti, Giacomo; Noci, Sara; Dugo, Matteo; Ambrogi, Federico; De Cecco, Loris; Spinelli, Roberta; Piazza, Rocco; Pirola, Alessandra; Gambacorti-Passerini, Carlo; Incarbone, Matteo; Alloisio, Marco; Tosi, Davide; Nosotti, Mario; Santambrogio, Luigi; Pastorino, Ugo; Dragani, Tommaso A.
Abstract
Lung adenocarcinoma patients of similar clinical stage and undergoing the same treatments often have marked interindividual variations in prognosis. These clinical discrepancies may be due to the genetic background modulating an individual's predisposition to fighting cancer. Herein, we hypothesized that the lung microenvironment, as reflected by its expression profile, may affect lung adenocarcinoma patients' survival. The transcriptome of non-involved lung tissue, excised from a discovery series of 204 lung adenocarcinoma patients, was evaluated using whole-genome expression microarrays (with probes corresponding to 28 688 well-annotated coding sequences). Genes associated with survival status at 60 months were identified by Cox regression analysis (adjusted for gender, age and clinical stage) and retested in a validation series of 78 additional cases. RNA-Seq analysis from non-involved lung tissue of 12 patients was performed to characterize the different isoforms of candidate genes. Ten genes for which the log e transformed hazard ratios expressed the same direction of effect in the discovery (P < 1.0 x 10(-3)) and validation series comprised the gene expression signature associated with survival: CNTNAP1, PKNOX1, FAM156A, FRMD8, GALNTL1, TXNDC12, SNTB1, PPP3R1, SNX10 and SERPINH1. RNA sequencing highlighted the complex expression pattern of these genes in non-involved lung tissue from different patients and permitted the detection of a read-through gene fusion between PPP3R1 and the flanking gene (CNRIP1) as well as a novel isoform of CNTNAP1. Our findings support the hypothesis that individual genetic characteristics, evidenced by the expression pattern of non-involved tissue, influence the outcome of lung adenocarcinoma patients.