Clinical Heterogeneity Of Disease Research Articles

Systemic Sclerosis: Highlighting Respiratory Complications and Significance of Early Screening.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease that leads the patient to have a diverse clinical presentation encompassing several systems and a worse prognosis, mainly when complications arise. Most SSc-related deaths are caused by pulmonary hypertension (PH) and interstitial lung disease (ILD). This article focuses on pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) and ILD as pulmonary consequences of SSc. We examined the grave effects regarding SSc's respiratory complications, which are concealed by the disease's clinical heterogeneity. In this article, we briefly reviewed the discussion of clinical features and management and the mortality associated with the sequelae. We further addressed the benefits and significance of screening for the disease and associated respiratory complications in SSc patients in this study.

Compound Heterozygous Mutations in PNKP Gene in an Iranian Child with Microcephaly, Seizures, and Developmental Delay

Background Pathogenic variants within polynucleotide kinase 3′phosphatase (PNKP) gene cause microcephaly, seizures, and developmental delay (MCSZ) and ataxia-oculomotor apraxia type 4 (AOA4) disorders due to unrepaired DNA lesions. Methods Whole exome sequencing was performed on a child with microcephaly, seizures, developmental delay, callosal dysgenesis on MRI, intellectual disability, speech disorder, hyperactivity, and ataxic gait. Results Two heterozygous mutations in the PKNP gene, a novel intronic frameshift variant c.1298 + 33_1299-24del and a previously reported duplication, c.1253_1269dup; p.Thr424Glyfs*49 in exon 14 were identified. Both of these mutations affect the DNA kinase domain of PKNP. Conclusions Our finding along with previous studies provide more evidence of the clinical heterogeneity of diseases caused by mutations in PNKP which makes its clinical diagnosis difficult and highlights the importance of genetic testing to unravel the cause of these diseases.

Family history of psychosis moderates early auditory cortical response abnormalities in non‐psychotic bipolar disorder

Bipolar I disorder is a disabling illness affecting 1% of people worldwide. Family and twin studies suggest that psychotic bipolar disorder (BDP) represents a homogeneous subgroup with an etiology distinct from non-psychotic bipolar disorder (BDNP) and partially shared with schizophrenia. Studies of auditory electrophysiology [e.g., paired-stimulus and oddball measured with electroencephalography (EEG)] consistently report deviations in psychotic groups (schizophrenia, BDP), yet such studies comparing BDP and BDNP are sparse and, in some cases, conflicting. Auditory EEG responses are significantly reduced in unaffected relatives of psychosis patients, suggesting that they may relate to both psychosis liability and expression. While 64-sensor EEGs were recorded, age- and gender-matched samples of 70 BDP, 35 BDNP {20 with a family history of psychosis [BDNP(+)]}, and 70 psychiatrically healthy subjects were presented with typical auditory paired-stimuli and auditory oddball paradigms. Oddball P3b reductions were present and indistinguishable across all patient groups. P2s to paired stimuli were abnormal only in BDP and BDNP(+). Conversely, N1 reductions to stimuli in both paradigms and P3a reductions were present in both BDP and BDNP(-) groups but were absent in BDNP(+). Although nearly all auditory neural response components studied were abnormal in BDP, BDNP abnormalities at early- and mid-latencies were moderated by family psychosis history. The relationship between psychosis expression, heritable psychosis risk, and neurophysiology within bipolar disorder, therefore, may be complex. Consideration of such clinical disease heterogeneity may be important for future investigations of the pathophysiology of major psychiatric disturbance.

A Prognostic Scoring System for Unclassifiable MDS and MDS/MPN

AbstractAbstract 1701Patients with features of MDS and MDS/MPN who do not fulfill diagnostic criteria for a specific subtype of MDS and MDS/MPN are categorized by the WHO 2008 diagnostic criteria as MDS-U and MDS/MPN-U. MDS includes RCUD, RCMD, RARS, RAEB-1, RAEB-2, MDS-U and 5q- syndrome while MDS/MPN includes CMML, JMML, atypical CML and MDS/MPN-U. The natural history of patients who belong to these disease subtypes are hetergeneous. Although included in currently accepted prognostic scoring schemes like the International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) in MDS, Revised IPSS, and MD Anderson prognostic scoring schemes, they represent a minority of patients in the cohort. Within MDS/MPN cases, the clinical heterogeneity of diseases that belong to this group has been recognized and has led to the development of the MD Anderson prognostic Scoring System for CMML. Similarly, a prognostic scoring system for JMML has also been devised to help in risk stratification and treatment decisions. However, there are no prognostic scoring systems for unclassified cases of MDS and MDS/MPN. Clinically, we observe stark differences in treatment responses and clinical outcomes between MDS/MPN-U and other MDS/MPN-subtypes, and MDS-U with other subtypes of MDS. In total, we studied 92 patients with unclassifiable cases seen at the Cleveland Clinic, including MDS/MPN-U (n=52 [57%]) and MDS-U (n=40 [43%]). Hematologic, bone marrow (BM), cytogenetic (metaphase cytogenetic [MC]/SNP-A) and survival data were collected. Survival comparisons were made by Kaplan-Meier analyses. Cox-proportional hazard ratio was used to determine factors predictive of outcomes. A p-value of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. In this cohort, median age at diagnosis was 69 years (20–88), 65% (60/92) were male, and 35% (32/92) were female. Median follow-up was 21 months. Median absolute neutrophil count (ANC) was 2.69k/uL (0–87), peripheral blood (PB) blasts 0% (0–70%), hemoglobin 9.6g/dL (5–15), and LDH 260 U/L (105–2113). SNP-A karyotyping was completed for 65 patients, and new cytogenetic mutations were detected in 72% (47/65): (gains [64%], losses [57%], UPDs [25%]). In 52% (49/92) of patients, we sequenced molecular mutations that typically confer poor prognosis in myeloid neoplasms, such as ASXL1, IDH1/2, EZH2, K/NRAS, CBL and TP53. This sequencing revealed a mutational frequency of 18% (9/49) in TET2, 14% (7/49) in ASXL1, 6% (3/49) in EZH2 exons 18–19, 2% (1/49) in CBL, 2% (1/49) in NRAS, and 4% (2/49) in TP53. No mutations were found in IDH1/2 and KRAS. In univariate analysis of clinciopathologic factors, the following factors were found to be associated with overall survival: ANC (≥8.5 vs <8.5k/uL) (p<.0001), presence of PB blasts (p<.0001), presence of immature myeloid cells (p<.0001), presence of BM blasts (>3% v. ≤3%) (p<.0001), age (≥65 vs <65) (p<.0003), LDH (≥550 vs <550U/L) (p<.0004), albumin (≤3.6 vs >3.6g/dL) (p<.0008), IPSS Risk Group (Int-2/high vs int-1 vs low) (p<.01), IPSS-R Risk Group (High/very high vs low vs very low) (p<.001), WBC (≥15 vs <15k/uL) (p<.001), Hgb (≤11.5 vs >11.5g/dL) (p<.003), % BM cellularity (>85 vs ≤85%) (p<.009), and number of cytopenias (3 vs 2 vs 1 vs 0) (p<.04). In multivariate analysis, age (HR=3.47 CI 1.85–6.51, p=.001), ANC (HR=2.27 CI 1.15–4.49, p=.02), Hgb (HR=2.11 CI 1.07–4.14, p.03), peripheral blasts (HR=2.27 CI 1.19–4.36,p=.01) and LDH (HR=2.40 CI 1.11–5.16, p=.03) were independent predictors of OS in unclassifiable cases of MDS and MDS/MPN. Consequently, a prognostic scoring system was developed to include these factors. A simple scoring assigned 2 points each to an ANC of ≥8.5k/uL, the presence of peripheral blood blasts, hemoglobin ≤ 11.5g/dL, LDH ≥ 550U/L; and 3 points for age ≥65. This results in three well-separated prognostic groups: (favorable [score:0–3], median OS=67.4 months; intermediate [score:4–6],median OS=28.9 months; and poor [score: ≥ 7], median OS=13.1 months, p<.0001). 34, 21, and 24 patients were placed in these three groups, respectively. In conclusion, clinic-pathologic factors like age, LDH levels, ANC count, Hgb levels and peripheral blood blasts are helpful in predicting survival outcomes in patients with unclassifiable cases of MDS and MDS/MPN disorders. This is the first scoring system devised specifically for patients with this disease subtype. [Display omitted] Disclosures:No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Mastocytosis in children and adults: clinical disease heterogeneity.

Mastocytosis is a clonal disease of the hematopoietic stem cell. The condition consists of a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by a pathological accumulation of mast cells in tissues including the skin, bone marrow, liver, spleen and the lymph nodes. Mastocytosis is a rare disease which occurs both in children and adults. Childhood onset mastocytosis is usually cutaneous and transient while in adults the condition commonly progresses to a systemic form. The heterogeneity of clinical presentation of mastocytosis is typically related to the tissue mast cell burden, symptoms due to the release of mast cell mediators, the type of skin lesions, the patient's age at the onset and associated haematological disorders. Therefore, a multidisciplinary approach is recommended. The present article provides an overview of clinical symptoms, diagnostic criteria and treatment of mastocytosis to facilitate the diagnosis and management of mastocytosis patients in clinical practice.

State of the art paper Mastocytosis in children and adults: clinical disease heterogeneity

State of the art paper Mastocytosis in children and adults: clinical disease heterogeneity

Mastocytosis: molecular mechanisms and clinical disease heterogeneity

Systemic mastocytosis has one unifying feature: an unexplained and pathologic increase in mast cells in specific tissues. This observation, along with clinical disease heterogeneity has long suggested that mastocytosis is a disease of complex etiology. At the same time, the last decade has witnessed significant progress in identifying the critical elements that regulate mast cell growth and development. Human mast cells are now known to arise from CD34 + progenitors, particularly under the influence of stem cell factor (SCF). This information in turn led to the critical observation that a substantial number of patients with mastocytosis exhibit activating mutations in c -kit, the receptor for SCF. And while this observation may well be key in understanding mastocytosis, this mutation alone does not explain all heterogeneity. It now appears that other influences such as genetic polymorphisms within the host may influence the course of disease in those with KIT mutations; and that the search for additional molecular events capable of creating disease diversity must continue.

Is it time for a reassessment of prognostic features in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia?

Prognostic assessment of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients is generally based on either Rai or Binet clinical staging systems. However, new biological parameters which reflect the clinical heterogeneity of disease are under investigation. Cellular and molecular features including tumor cell proliferation, immunophenotype, adhesion molecules expression and release, karyotypic abnormalities and biological findings of increased angiogenesis have been correlated with tumor mass and survival. It is not clear, however, whether the newly identified prognostic parameters will eventually replace clinical variables representative of tumor mass. More likely, biological parameters might be incorporated into clinico-prognostic models thus leading to the formulation of a clinico-biological system for CLL.