Seassion 4 Flashcards
What 6 metabolic disorders are included in NBS?
- phenylketonuria (PKU)
- medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD)
- maple syrup urine disease (MSUD)
- isovaleric acidaemia (IVA)
- glutaric aciduria type 1 (GA1)
- homocystinuria (pyridoxine unresponsive) (HCU)
What are the four pathogenic mechanisms for Inborn errors of metabolism?
A - Toxic substrate accumulation
B - Product deficiency
C - Activation of alternate pathway
D - diversion of metabolic flux to secondary pathways and alternative metabolite production
What are benefits of genetics testing for Inborn errors of metabolism?
Biochem has diagnose most of them however not always disease specific
Genetics allows:
· reproductive options
· determine carrier status
· an exact diagnosis
· prevents the need for invasive procedures
· can decrease the length of time it takes to obtain a diagnosis
· the use of specific therapies: e.g. nonsense mutation suppression
· can provide prognostic information for the patient
What is the phenotype of Peroxisome Biogenesis Disorders?
What are the three types?
Hypotonic, feed poorly, and have distinctive facies, seizures, and liver cysts with hepatic dysfunction
Zellweger syndrome (ZS) - most severe
neonatal adrenoleukodystrophy (NALD)
Infantile Refsum disease (IRD) - least severe
What metabolite is affected in Peroxisome Biogenesis Disorders?
plasma very-long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA)
Variants in which genes are associated with Peroxisome Biogenesis Disorders?
The PEX genes (13 in total). Most commonly PEX1
Name an X linked Inborn error of metabolism?
Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency: Urea cycle deficiency disorder
What is Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome?
How can effect sexual development?
Cholesterol biosynthetic disorder
AR condition - DHCR7 gene
Cholesterol needed for testosterone synthesis
What is Wilson Disease?
What is phenotype?
Copper transport disorder - AR variants in ATP7B
Liver disease includes recurrent jaundice, autoimmune-type hepatitis, chronic liver disease.
movement disorders
rigid dystonia
Kayser-Fleischer rings in cornea
Where do ovaries/testes arise from?
The gonodal ridge
What gene in an XY embryo drives testes differentiation?
SRY
What happens in genital differentiation?
Female - regression of Wolffian ducts and development of Mullerian ducts to make fallopian tubes, uterus and upper vagina. happens independently
Male - Testosterone drives Wolffian ducts to create seminal vesicles and vasa defentia. DHT droves external genitalia. AMH binding causes regression of Mullerian ducts
What is the most common cause of a 46,XX phenotypic male?
80-90% of cases are due to an XY translocation with SRY being on top of an X chromosome
What is Swyer syndrome?
Complete XY gonadal dysgenesis caused by variants in SRY
*‘streak’ gonads
*Female external genitalia
*Failure of pubertal development
*Infertile
*High risk (~30%) of developing gonadoblastoma
What is Complete androgen insensitivity syndrome?
XY by female phenotype
caused by variants in AR gene
*Female external genitalis, Normal development of breasts and female characteristics at puberty, Primary amenorrhea. Infertility, Intra-abdominal testes, Low risk (2-5%) of gonadoblastoma
What is Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)?
Group of disorders caused by by enzyme deficiencies affecting steroidogenesis most commonly caused by 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Reduced cortisol biosynthesis results in accumulation of its precursors which are also in the androgen synthesis pathway – and increased androgen synthesis;
In 46,XX foetuses it causes masculinisation of external genitalia
What treatment is needed for CAH?
Treat the mother with dexamethosone (a corticosteroid) during the pregnancy - otherwsie babies are born “salt-waster” and die in neonatal period
Hormone treatment after birth
What gene dels and dups are involved in DSDs?
o Deletion of SOX9, NF5A1 or WT1 can lead to 46XY gonadal dysgenesis
o Duplication of DAX1 or WNT4 can lead to 46XY gonadal dysgenesis
o Duplication of SOX9 or SOX3 in 46XX can lead to testicular DSD
What are the four terms for sperm quality?
Azoospermia - Absent sperm in ejaculate
Oligozoospermia - Reduced sperm count < 15x106/ml
Asthenozoospermia - Reduced sperm motility (<40% motile)
Teratozoospermia - Morphologically abnormal sperm
Which sex chromosome abnormalities are most associated with infertility?
47,XXY Klinefelter syndrome (KS)
45,X/46,XY mosaicism
46,XX male Disorder of Sex Development (DSD) - Y material on X chromosome
Y isochromsome
X;autosome translocations
Y;autosome translocations
What is most frequent cause of male infertility?
Klinefelters
What underlies Y microdeletions?
How common are they in infertility?
Non-allelic homologous recombination
2-10% of azoospermic and oligospermic men
What are the four most common Y microdeletions?
AZFa - deletion of USP9Y and DDX3Y. Rarest but also most severe. Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS), bilaterally small testes and azoospermia
AZFb - 6.2Mb in size and accounts for 1-5% of deletions
AZFbc - 1-3% of deletions
AZFc - Most frequent deletion type (approx. 80%). Variable clinical phenotype and generally compatible with residual spermatogenesis.
What genes are thought to be key in AZFc deletions?
DAZ genes
What is CHH?
Which syndromes are associated?
Congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism - deficiency in gonadotrophic releasing hormone leads to central hypogonadism
Kallmann syndrome
Bardet-Biedl syndrome
CHARGE syndrome (CHD7)
Prader-Willi syndrome
Waardenburg syndrome (SOX10)
Outline the globin genes
2 α globin genes on Chr16 (HBA1 and HBA2= 4 α globin genes per diploid cell) which are controlled by a single locus control region (α2 expressed at 3:1 ratio of α1).
ζ gene on chromosome 16 and closest to LCR (embryo)
1 β globin gene (HBB) on Chr11
ε gene (embryo) and then γ gene (fetal) on Chr11
What Haemoglobin types are expressed in embryo, fetal and adult red blood cells ?
Embryo:
Hb Gower 1 (ζ2ε2)
Hb Gower 2 (α2ε2)
Hb Portland (ζ2γ2)
Fetal:
Fetal Hb (α2γ2)
Adult:
α2β2
What the possible Alpha-Thalassemia syndromes?
- Alpha Plus-Thalassaemia Carrier - deletion of one alpha-globin = asymptomatic
- Single Thalassaemia variant in HBA2 - mild phenotype
- Homozygous or heterozygous for two deletions - asymptomatic but microcytic anaemia on testing
- Three alpha-globin deletions: HbH Disease - shortage of alpha globin leads B globin tetramers ( HbH).
- Deletion of all 4 alpha globin genes - still birth or early neonatal death
What are some genetic modifiers which effect severity of beta-thalasaemia?
- co-inheritance of Alpha-Thalassemia lessens imbalance = better
- variation which allows persistence of fetal gamma globin = better
- co-inheritance with duplicated Alpha-Globin genes = worse
What is most severe form of Beta-thalassaemia?
Beta-Thalassaemia Major (AR - worst variants)
severe anaemia and hepatosplenomegaly. Tranfusion dependent. Iron overload possible
What is the other mina form of Beta-thalassaemia?
Beta-Thalassemia Intermedia
mild-moderate anaemia and require transfusions for quality of life not survival
Why are Sickle cell carriers more common in some areas of world?
Carrier status provides protection from severe malaria in infancy - West Africa - 1 in 4 of the population