75: Albinism and Other Genetic Disorders of Pigmentation Flashcards
What are the two main subtypes of albinism?
- Non-syndromic albinism: Symptoms restricted to impaired melanin biosynthesis, including hypopigmentation of skin and hair, and ocular changes such as reduced iris pigment and impaired visual acuity.
- Syndromic albinism: Includes conditions like Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome, Chediak-Higashi syndrome, and Griscelli syndrome, which have additional non-pigmentary symptoms such as bleeding diathesis and immunodeficiency.
What is the overall prevalence of albinism in the population?
The overall prevalence of albinism is approximately 1 in 10,000 to 20,000 people, with incidence varying depending on geographic region and ethnicity.
What are the characteristics of Oculocutaneous Albinism Type 1A (OCA1A)?
- Classic tyrosinase-negative OCA: Complete inability to synthesize melanin in skin, hair, and eyes.
- Phenotype: Characteristic ‘albino’ phenotype with white hair, white skin, and blue eyes.
- Changes with age: No changes as they mature; phenotype remains the same across ethnic groups and ages.
- Hair and iris characteristics: Slight yellow tint of hair due to sun exposure; irides are translucent, pink early in life, changing to gray-blue.
What are the features of Oculocutaneous Albinism Type 1B (OCA1B)?
- Minimal hair pigment: Retains slight TYR activity with TYR missense mutations.
- Pigmentation changes: Very little or no pigment at birth, developing varying amounts of melanin in the first or second decade of life.
- Hair color: Light yellow, light blond, or golden blond at first, transitioning to dark blond or brown in adolescence and adulthood.
- Irides: Light-tan or brown pigment, sometimes limited to the inner third, with some degree of iris translucency.
What are the common symptoms associated with syndromic albinism?
Syndromic albinism can include various non-pigmentary symptoms such as:
- Bleeding diathesis
- Lung fibrosis
- Immunodeficiency
These symptoms are associated with conditions like Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome, Chediak-Higashi syndrome, and Griscelli syndrome.
A patient presents with white hair, white skin, and blue eyes, with no changes as they mature. What type of albinism is most likely, and what is the underlying genetic mutation?
The patient most likely has Oculocutaneous Albinism Type 1A (OCA1A), which is caused by a complete loss of tyrosinase (TYR) activity due to mutations in the TYR gene.
A child with OCA1B develops dark blond hair in adolescence. What explains this change in pigmentation?
The child retains slight tyrosinase (TYR) activity, allowing for the gradual development of melanin in the hair and skin over time.
What are the two main subtypes of albinism and their characteristics?
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Non-syndromic albinism:
- Symptoms restricted to impaired melanin biosynthesis.
- Hypopigmentation of skin and hair.
- Ocular changes such as reduced iris pigment, nystagmus, impaired visual acuity, and foveal hypoplasia.
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Syndromic albinism:
- Includes conditions like Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome, Chediak-Higashi syndrome, and Griscelli syndrome.
- Associated with various non-pigmentary symptoms, including bleeding diathesis, lung fibrosis, and immunodeficiency.
What is the overall prevalence of albinism and how does it vary?
The overall prevalence of albinism is approximately 1:10,000 to 20,000 people. The incidence varies depending on geographic region and ethnicity.
Describe the characteristics of Oculocutaneous Albinism Type 1A (OCA1A).
OCA1A Characteristics:
- Classic tyrosinase-negative OCA.
- Complete inability to synthesize melanin in skin, hair, and eyes.
- Completely lacks TYR activity.
- Characteristic ‘albino’ phenotype: white hair, white skin, and blue eyes.
- No changes as they mature; phenotype is consistent across ethnic groups and ages.
- Slight yellow tint of hair due to sun exposure.
- Irides are translucent, pink early in life, transitioning to gray-blue.
- No pigmented lesions; normal architecture of skin and hair bulb melanocytes.
What are the features of Oculocutaneous Albinism Type 1B (OCA1B)?
OCA1B Features:
- Minimal hair pigment to skin.
- Retains slight TYR activity; TYR missense mutations.
- Hair pigmentation approaches the normal pigment phenotype.
- Very little or no pigment at birth, developing varying amounts of melanin in the first or second decade of life.
- Hair color transitions from light yellow, light blond, or golden blond at first to dark blond or brown in adolescence and adulthood.
- Irides are light-tan or brown, sometimes limited to the inner third, with some degree of iris translucency.
What are the characteristics of Oculocutaneous Albinism Type 1 (OCA1) and its subtypes?
OCA1 is characterized by:
- White skin and hair
- Severe visual impairment
- No eumelanogenesis, limited to pheomelanogenesis
- Freckles may develop
- Caused by mutations in the TYR gene, leading to loss of tyrosinase activity.
OCA1A: Complete absence of pigment.
OCA1B: Some pigmentation may be present in extremities, where body temperature is lower.
OCA1MP: Limited to pheomelanogenesis with white skin and hair.
What are the phenotypic features of Oculocutaneous Albinism Type 2 (OCA2)?
OCA2 is characterized by:
- Creamy-white skin at birth that changes little with time.
- Hair is yellow at birth and may darken over time.
- No generalized skin pigment is present, and no tanning occurs with sun exposure.
- Irides are typically blue-gray or light tan/brown.
- Mutations occur in the OCA2 gene on chromosome 15q, affecting melanosome function and pH regulation.
What distinguishes Oculocutaneous Albinism Type 3 (OCA3) from other types?
OCA3 is characterized by:
- Rare occurrence and a mild phenotype of OCA.
- Distinctive forms in Africa: Brown OCA (BOCA) and Rufous OCA (ROCA).
- Skin can be brick-red, mahogany, or bronze; hair ranges from deep mahogany to sandy red.
- Visual disturbances such as nystagmus and impaired visual acuity may be present.
- Caused by mutations in the TYRP-1 gene, affecting eumelanogenesis.
What are the key features of Oculocutaneous Albinism Type 4 (OCA4)?
OCA4 is characterized by:
- Rare occurrence, found in 3% of albino individuals and 27% of Japanese albinos.
- Hair ranges from light-yellow to brown.
- Irides can be blue to red-brown with possible nystagmus.
- Skin shows severe cutaneous hypopigmentation similar to OCA1A.
- Caused by defects in the SLC45A2 gene, affecting melanosome pH and melanogenesis.
What are the clinical features of Oculocutaneous Albinism Type 5 (OCA5)?
OCA5 is characterized by:
- Golden-colored hair.
- White skin.
- Associated with nystagmus, photophobia, foveal hypoplasia, and impaired visual acuity.
- Caused by mutations in the 4q24 locus.
What are the distinguishing features of Oculocutaneous Albinism Type 6 (OCA6)?
OCA6 is characterized by:
- Occurs in 3% of European albino populations.
- Phenotype varies, similar to OCA2 and OCA4.
- Hair can be light-brown to platinum blonde.
- Skin shows a lighter complexion with or without tanning ability.
- Individuals may experience mild to moderate visual impairment and some may gain pigmentation later in life.
- Caused by mutations in the SLC24A5 gene.
A patient with OCA1TS has pigmented arm and leg hair but white scalp hair. What explains this distribution?
The TYR protein in OCA1TS is thermolabile, retaining activity in cooler body regions like the extremities.
A patient with OCA2 has pigmented nevi and freckles despite generalized hypopigmentation. What explains this phenomenon?
Cutaneous melanocytes in OCA2 retain some ability to synthesize melanin later in life, leading to localized pigmentation.
A patient with OCA2 has creamy-white skin and yellow hair at birth. What is the role of the P protein in this condition?
The P protein regulates the pH of melanosomes, affecting eumelanin synthesis. Mutations in the OCA2 gene lead to hypopigmentation.
A patient with OCA3 has brick-red skin and deep mahogany hair. What gene is implicated in this condition, and what is its role?
OCA3 is caused by mutations in the TYRP-1 gene, which is involved in the eumelanogenesis pathway and stabilizes tyrosinase.
A Japanese patient with OCA4 shows mild pigmentation recovery as they age. What gene is responsible for this condition?
OCA4 is caused by mutations in the SLC45A2 gene, which encodes a melanosomal transporter protein involved in pH control and melanogenesis.
A patient with OCA1MP has severe visual impairment and white skin. What type of melanin is produced in this condition?
OCA1MP is limited to pheomelanogenesis, with no eumelanin production.
What are the clinical features of Oculocutaneous Albinism Type 1 (OCA1) and how do they differ from OCA1MP?
OCA1 features include:
- White skin and hair
- Severe visual impairment
- No eumelanogenesis, limited to pheomelanogenesis
- Skin remains white and does not tan
- Develops some freckles
OCA1MP differs by having:
- White skin and hair
- Severe visual impairment similar to OCA1A
- Limited to pheomelanogenesis only, with some freckles developing.