Clinical Genetics 1 Intro Flashcards
Give 5 examples of Single Gene Disorders
Choose 5 from:
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Neurofibromatosis
- Marfan Syndrome
- Haemochromatosis
- Familial Expansile Osteolysis
- Familial Breast Cancer
Give types of Mendelian Inheritance
- Autosomal Dominant
- Autosomal Recessive
- X linked Recessive
- X linked Dominant
Also
- Y linked
- Mitochondrial Disease
- Imprinted Genes
- How many genes in the human genome?
- How many pairs of chromosomes? Autosomes and sex chromosomes?
- How are mitochondria inherited?
- Approx 23,000
- 23 chromosome pairs - 22 pairs of autosomes and 1 pair of sex chromosomes (XX female, XY male)
- Exclusively maternal inheritance
What are the mechanisms of Single Gene Disorders?
- Dosage sensitivity (too much/too little)
- Loss of function
- Gain of function
- Activating mutations
- Accumulation of toxic produce
- Interference of abnormal product with normal product
- Effects on developmental timing, cell migration, interaction etc
- ‘Two hit’ effects
Give examples of Autosomal Dominant Conditions.
Explain the mode of inheritance.
- HHT
- Tuberous sclerosis
- Marfan Syndrome
- Neurofibromatosis
- Huntington’s Disease
- BRCCA 1/2 breast/ovarian cancer
- FAP
One copy of the diseased allele causes disease in the individual
5 points about Neurofibromatosis
Choose from:
- NF1 – 1/3500: Autosomal dominant
- Multiple café au lait spots
- Neurofibromata (usu post-pubertal)
- Plexiform neuromas
- Lisch nodules, optic nerve glioma
- DevDel/LDs / macrocephaly
- Skeletal abnormalities: scoliosis, tibial pseudarthrosis
- High BP (renal artery stenosis)
(NB: NF2 is a completely different condition)
Describe the onset, symptoms and mechanism of Huntington’s Disease
- Onset 40s-50s
- Choreiform movements
- Psychiatric disturbance
- Autosomal dominant: 50% risk of transmission
- Huntingtin gene on chromosome 4
- Disease due to unstable trinucleotide repeat (
Give possible targets for Huntington Disease Treatment
- Blocking formation of the abnormal protein (need to consider replacing the normal protein)?
- Help cells degrade/excrette polyglutamine (autophagy)?
- Help cells tolerate polyglutamine inclusions?
- Target the apoptosis pathway?
- Stem cells?
- Gene therapy?
- What is the objective of prenatal diagnosis
- When is amniocentesis performed?
- When is chorion villus sampling performed?
- What is free fetal DNA analysis and what is its purpose?
- Helping families
- 16 weeks
- 12 weeks
- Analysis of fetal DNA in the mother’s bloodstream - non-invasive prenatal genetic diagnosis. Can be used for fetal sexing.
- How is preimplantation genetic diagnosis performed?
2. What is the use of preimplantation genetic diagnosis?
- IVF technique in which you fertilise the egg, grow to 8 cell embryo star and remove one cell for testing (blastomere biopsy). Only reimplant non-affected embryos.
- Used for genetic disorders and ‘saviour siblings’ e.g. bone marrow transplant in Fanconi Anaemia
What are the features of congenital myotonic dystrophy?
- Very floppy babies
- Often require initial ICU care
- Muscle tone may improve with time
- Outlook very variable.
Describe the mechanism of myotonic dystrophy.
What are the features of myotonic dystrophy?
- Mutation in DMPK gene on chromosome 19
- Shows anticipation
- Mildly affected mothers can have severely affected children
- Cardiac problems in adulthood
- Diabetes
- Male baldness
Give 5 examples of single gene cancer disorders
Choose from:
- Retinoblastoma
- Familial Adenomatous Polypoptosis (FAP)
- Hereditary Non-Polypoptosis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC)
- Familial breast and ovarian cancer: BRCA 1/2 mutation
- Multiple endocrine neoplasia 1 and 2
- Von Hippel Lindau Disease
Describe the Knudson 2-hit hypothesis.
See notes
- What mutation is involved in Von Hippel-Lindau Disease?
- Describe the tumours which present in this condition.
- Screening?
- VHL gene on chromosome 2.
- CNS heamangioblastomas: cerebellum, cerebrum, spinal cord.
- Retinal angiomas
- Pheochromocytomas
- Pancreatic tumours
- Renal cell carcinoma - Cambridge Protocol - asymptomatic patients need screening