• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.411-422
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• 2020

With the increasing number of children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), very early-onset IBD (VEO-IBD), defined as IBD that is diagnosed or that develops before 6 years of age, has become a field of innovation among pediatric gastroenterologists. Advances in genetic testing have enabled the diagnosis of IBD caused by gene mutations, also known as monogenic or Mendelian disorder-associated IBD (MD-IBD), with approximately 60 causative genes reported to date. The diagnosis of VEO-IBD requires endoscopic and histological evaluations. However, satisfactory small bowel imaging studies may not be feasible in this small population. Both genetic and immunological approaches are necessary for the diagnosis of MD-IBD, which can differ among countries according to the available resources. As a result of the use of targeted gene panels covered by the national health insurance and the nationwide research project investigating inborn errors of immunity, an efficient approach for the diagnosis of MD-IBD has been developed in Japan. Proper management of VEO-IBD by pediatric gastroenterologists constitutes a challenge. Some MD-IBDs can be curable by allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. With an understanding of the affected gene functions, targeted therapies are being developed. Social and psychological support systems for both children and their families should also be provided to improve their quality of life. Multidisciplinary team care would contribute to early diagnosis, proper therapeutic interventions, and improved quality of life in patients and their families.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.97-101
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• 2018

Tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome (TRPS) is a hereditary disorder characterized by craniofacial and skeletal abnormalities. A mutation of the TRPS1 gene leads to TRPS type I or type III. A 20-year-old male patient visited our neurologic department with chronic fatigue. He presented with short stature, sparse hair, pear-shaped nose, and brachydactyly. Radiologic study showed short metacarpals, metatarsals with cone-shaped epiphyses, hypoplastic femur and hip joint. Panel sequencing for OMIM (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man) listed genes revealed a de novo heterozygous frameshift mutation of c.1801_1802delGA (p.Arg601Lysfs*3) of exon 4 of the TRPS1 gene. The diagnosis of TRPS can be challenging due to the rarity and variable phenotype of the disease, clinicians should be aware of its characteristic clinical features that will lead a higher rate of diagnosis.

• Journal of Interdisciplinary Genomics
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.15-20
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• 2024

Rare diseases, largely driven by genetic factors, present significant diagnostic challenges due to their complex genomic variations. Traditional short-read sequencing methods, such as whole-exome sequencing and whole-genome sequencing, are widely used to detect genomic alterations in a time- and cost-effective manner. However, some rare conditions are often left undiagnosed due to the technical limitations of current sequencing platforms. To overcome these limitations, long-read sequencing (LRS) technology has been applied to various fields of clinical research including rare diseases. With LRS, researchers are able to accurately characterize complex variants such as structural variations, tandem repeats, transposable elements, and transcript isoforms. This review article explores the current applications of LRS in rare disease research, highlighting its potential in identifying previously elusive causative variants in undiagnosed rare diseases.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.63-67
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• 2002

Myositis ossificans progressiva, also known as 'fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva' is a rare disorder, most probably inherited as a mendelian dominant trait with irregular penetrance. It is characterized by congenital malformations of the great toes and progressive edema, calcification and ossification of the fasciae, aponeurosis, ligaments, tendons, and connective tissue in interstitial tissues of skeletal muscle. The basic defect is in the connective tissue, whereas the skeletal muscle remains fundamentally normal. We report two cases of a brother and sister whose the disorder is involved in a same family.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.147-151
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• 2021

The Say-Barber-Biesecker-Young-Simpson variant of Ohdo syndrome (SBBYSS) (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man #603736) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder and clinically features blepharophimosis with ptosis, a mask-like facial appearance, cryptorchidism, congenital heart defect, long thumbs/great toes, and thyroid dysfunction. The etiology of SBBYSS has been shown to be due to heterozygous KAT6B gene mutation. Here we report a case of a neonate with SBBYSS identified a novel mutation in KAT6B gene. The patient showed typical dysmorphic facies, cryptorchidism with micropenis, overriding fingers, and long thumbs and toes at birth. He had also hypothyroidism, large atrial septal defect, and sensorineural hearing loss. The next generation sequencing identified a heterozygous novel variant, c.5206C>T (p.Gln1736Ter) in KAT6B gene. At the 9 months of age, he underwent patch closure for atrial septal defect. Until the 12-month follow-up, he was under-developed.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.79-87
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• 2020

Inherited platelet disorders (IPDs), which manifest as primary hemostasis defects, often underlie abnormal bleeding and a family history of thrombocytopenia, bone marrow failure, hematologic malignancies, undefined mucocutaneous bleeding disorder, or congenital bony defects. Wide heterogeneity in IPD types with regard to the presence or absence of thrombocytopenia, platelet dysfunction, bone marrow failure, and dysmegakaryopoiesis is observed in patients. The individual processes involved in platelet production and hemostasis are genetically controlled; to date, mutations of more than 50 genes involved in various platelet biogenesis steps have been implicated in IPDs. Representative IPDs resulting from defects in specific pathways, such as thrombopoietin/MPL signaling; transcriptional regulation; granule formation, trafficking, and secretion; proplatelet formation; cytoskeleton regulation; and transmembrane glycoprotein signaling are reviewed, and the underlying gene mutations are discussed based on the National Center for Biotechnology Information database and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man accession number. Further, the status and prevalence of genetically confirmed IPDs in Korea are explored based on searches of the PubMed and KoreaMed databases. IPDs are congenital bleeding disorders that can be dangerous due to unexpected bleeding and require genetic counseling for family members and descendants. Therefore, the pediatrician should be suspicious and aware of IPDs and perform the appropriate tests if the patient has unexpected bleeding. However, all IPDs are extremely rare; thus, the domestic incidences of IPDs are unclear and their diagnosis is difficult. Diagnostic confirmation or differential diagnoses of IPDs are challenging, time-consuming, and expensive, and patients are frequently misdiagnosed. Comprehensive molecular characterization and classification of these disorders should enable accurate and precise diagnosis and facilitate improved patient management.

• Yonsei Medical Journal
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• v.63 no.8
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• pp.724-734
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• 2022

Purpose Hereditary parkinsonism genes consist of causative genes of familial Parkinson's disease (PD) with a locus symbol prefix (PARK genes) and hereditary atypical parkinsonian disorders that present atypical features and limited responsiveness to levodopa (non-PARK genes). Although studies have shown that hereditary parkinsonism genes are related to idiopathic PD at the phenotypic, gene expression, and genomic levels, no study has systematically investigated connectivity among the proteins encoded by these genes at the protein-protein interaction (PPI) level. Materials and Methods Topological measurements and physical interaction enrichment were performed to assess PPI networks constructed using some or all the proteins encoded by hereditary parkinsonism genes (n=96), which were curated using the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man database and literature. Results Non-PARK and PARK genes were involved in common functional modules related to autophagy, mitochondrial or lysosomal organization, catecholamine metabolic process, chemical synapse transmission, response to oxidative stress, neuronal apoptosis, regulation of cellular protein catabolic process, and vesicle-mediated transport in synapse. The hereditary parkinsonism proteins formed a single large network comprising 51 nodes, 83 edges, and three PPI pairs. The probability of degree distribution followed a power-law scaling behavior, with a degree exponent of 1.24 and a correlation coefficient of 0.92. LRRK2 was identified as a hub gene with the highest degree of betweenness centrality; its physical interaction enrichment score was 1.28, which was highly significant. Conclusion Both PARK and non-PARK genes show high connectivity at the PPI and biological functional levels.