Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome Research Articles

Chromosome 9p terminal deletion in nine Egyptian patients and narrowing of the critical region for trigonocephaly.

BackgroundThis study aimed to delineate the clinical phenotype of patients with 9p deletions, pinpoint the chromosomal breakpoints, and identify the critical region for trigonocephaly, which is a frequent finding in 9p terminal deletion.MethodsWe investigated a cohort of nine patients with chromosome 9p terminal deletions who all displayed developmental delay, intellectual disability, hypotonia, and dysmorphic features. Of them, eight had trigonocephaly, seven had brain anomalies, seven had autistic manifestations, seven had fair hair, and six had a congenital heart defect (CHD).ResultsKaryotyping revealed 9p terminal deletion in all patients, and patients 8 and 9 had additional duplication of other chromosomal segments. We used six bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones that could identify the breakpoints at 17–20 Mb from the 9p terminus. Array CGH identified the precise extent of the deletion in six patients; the deleted regions ranged from 16 to 18.8 Mb in four patients, patient 8 had an 11.58 Mb deletion and patient 9 had a 2.3 Mb deletion.ConclusionThe gene deletion in the 9p24 region was insufficient to cause ambiguous genitalia because six of the nine patients had normal genitalia. We suggest that the critical region for trigonocephaly lies between 11,575 and 11,587 Mb from the chromosome 9p terminus. To the best of our knowledge, this is the minimal critical region reported for trigonocephaly in 9p deletion syndrome, and it warrants further delineation.

Dual-task effect on gait in adolescents: Visual versus auditory concurrent task

To describe temporal and spatial gait characteristics in individuals with Cri du Chat syndrome (CdCS) and to explore the effects of performing concurrent manual tasks while walking.The gait parameters of 14 participants with CdCS (mean age 10.3, range 3–20 years) and 14 age-matched controls (mean age 10.1, range 3–20 years) were collected using the GAITRite® instrumented walkway. All participants first walked without any concurrent tasks and then performed 2 motor dual task walking conditions (pitcher and tray).Individuals with CdCS took more frequent, smaller steps than controls, but, on average, had a comparable gait speed. In addition, there was a significant task by group interaction. Participants decreased gait speed, decreased cadence, decreased step length, and increased% time in double limb support under dual task conditions compared to single task conditions. However, the age-matched controls altered their gait for both manual tasks, and the participants with CdCS only altered their gait for the tray task.Although individuals with CdCS ambulate with a comparable gait speed to age-matched controls under single task conditions, they did not significantly alter their gait when carrying a pitcher with a cup of water inside, like controls. It is not clear whether or not individuals with CdCS had difficulty attending to task demands or had difficulty modifying their gait.

Синдром делеции короткого плеча хромосомы 18 (18р-) у детей: возможности цитогенетической и молекулярно-цитогенетической диагностики

Chromosome 18p deletion syndrome (18p-) is associated with a loss of chromosomal material of the short arm (partial monosomy); however, the whole short arm is lost in the majority of cases. The frequency of 18p- syndrome is 1:60000. The syndrome is cytogenetically and clinically heterogeneous. The clinical manifestations vary extremely from mild forms with congenital anomalies and developmental delays to severe brain malformations. Rare cases demonstrate epilepsy and autism spectrum disorders. The deletion breakpoints are also variable. Accordingly, the syndrome needs the analysis of large groups of diseased children by current genomic technologies. Aim of the study: The evaluation of cytogenetic and molecular- cytogenetic technologies for defining critical breakpoints and possible phenotype- genotype correlations. Results: Here, we describe our observations of 15 patients (9 boys and 6 girls) with 18p deletion syndrome, revealed in a large cohort of patients (n=8536). The mean age was 5.1 years; the sex ratio was in favor of boys (1.5:1) in contrast to the literature data. Critical breakpoints associated with this syndrome within the short arm of chromosome 18 were not revealed. It is possible that the clinical features of the syndrome are associated with many breakpoints in chromosome 18 short arm (p11.1->pter). The frequency of 18p- syndrome in children with intellectual disability, developmental delays, and congenital anomalies was 0.2%. The diagnostic aspects of this pathology and the value of molecular cytogenetic methods in studying the syndrome are discussed. Conclusion: We highlight personalized approach to diagnosis of the syndrome for correct genetic counseling for the improvement the life quality and establishing phenotype-karyotype correlations.

A practical approach to dental care for patients with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome.

Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome is a polymalformative chromosomal disorder caused by a deletion in the distal region of the short arm of chromosome 4. The disease is considered rare (1/50,000 births) and predominantly affects females (2:1). In addition to the characteristic facial phenotype ("Greek warrior helmet"), its clinical manifestations include epilepsy, developmental and psychomotor delay, intellectual disability, cardiac and respiratory complications, and eating problems. The most prevalent oral manifestations are hypodontia, delayed tooth eruption, morphological dental abnormalities, dental malocclusions, cleft lip/palate and ogival palate. Based on our clinical experience, Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome does not represent an absolute contraindication for any type of dental procedure. The feasibility of dental treatment will depend mainly on the degree of epilepsy control and on the level of collaboration, this latter conditioned by the severity of the intellectual disability and communication difficulties.

Congenital hypopituitarism with monosomy of chromosome 18

Congenital hypopituitarism is a rare disease. It can be caused by isolated inborn defects of the pituitary, gene mutations (PROP1, PIT1), and chromosomal abnormalities.Deletions of chromosome 18 (De Grouchy syndrome types 1 and 2) are a group of rare genetic diseases with a frequency of 1:50,000. Hypopituitarism in these syndromes is detected in from 13 to 56% of cases and depends on the size and location of the deleted segment.We have described a series of clinical cases of patients with congenital hypopituitarism due to deletions in chromosome 18. All children had a characteristic dysmorphic features and delayed mental and speech development. Within first months of life, patients developed muscular hypotension, dysphagia, and respiratory disorders. The patients had various congenital malformations in combination with hypopituitarism (isolated growth hormone deficiency and multiple pituitaryhormone deficiencies). In the neonatal period, there were the presence of hypoglycemia in combination with cholestasis.Hormone replacement therapy led to rapid relief of symptoms.Сhromosomal microarray analysis in 2 patients allowed us to identify exact location of deleted area and deleted genes and optimize further management for them.

Study on clinical features and diagnostic methods of prenatal Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome

To investigate the clinical features of fetuses with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome(WHS) and explore the diagnostic methods and prenatal ultrasound characteristics and provide evidence for prenatal genetic counseling. We retrospectively analyzed 5 cases of WHS fetuses diagnosed from March 2016 to February 2020, and analyzed the results of chromosomal karyotype analysis and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) of the fetuses. Five cases of WHS were detected by CMA, four cases were detected by karyotype analysis. Prenatal ultrasound revealed 4 abnormalities, of which 3 had intrauterine growth restriction, and only 1 had abnormalities of the maxillofacial region. The sequence of the fragments was 4p16.3p16.1 with a loss of 6.5 Mb, 4p16.3p15.32 with a loss of 15.6 Mb combined with 2p25.3 increased by 906kb, 4p16.3p15.31 with a loss of 20.4 Mb, 4p16.p15.1 with a loss of 35 Mb and 4p16.3p14 with a loss of 37 Mb. Fetal growth restriction may be one of the early manifestations of WHS. Absence of fetal facial abnormality by prenatal ultrasound screening cannot exclude WHS. Karyotype analysis may miss the diagnosis of WHS, while combined CMA techniques can improve the diagnostic accuracy.

The Neuropathology of 1p36 Deletion Syndrome: An Autopsy Case Series

1p36 deletion syndrome is the most common terminal deletion syndrome, manifesting clinically as abnormal facies and developmental delay with frequent cardiac, skeletal, urogenital, and renal abnormalities. Limited autopsy case reports describe the neuropathology of 1p36 deletion syndrome. The most extensive single case report described a spectrum of abnormalities, mostly related to abnormal neuronal migration. We report the largest published series of 1p36 autopsy cases, with an emphasis on neuropathologic findings. Our series consists of 3 patients: 2 infants (5-hours old and 23-days old) and 1 older child (11 years). Our patients showed abnormal cortical gyration together with a spectrum of neuronal migration abnormalities, including heterotopias and hippocampal abnormalities, as well as cerebellar hypoplasia. Our findings thus support the role of neuronal migration defects in the pathogenesis of cognitive defects in 1p36 deletion syndrome and broaden the reported neuropathologic spectrum of this common syndrome.

Loss-of-function and missense variants in NSD2 cause decreased methylation activity and are associated with a distinct developmental phenotype

PurposeDespite a few recent reports of patients harboring truncating variants in NSD2, a gene considered critical for the Wolf–Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS) phenotype, the clinical spectrum associated with NSD2 pathogenic variants remains poorly understood. MethodsWe collected a comprehensive series of 18 unpublished patients carrying heterozygous missense, elongating, or truncating NSD2 variants; compared their clinical data to the typical WHS phenotype after pooling them with ten previously described patients; and assessed the underlying molecular mechanism by structural modeling and measuring methylation activity in vitro. ResultsThe core NSD2-associated phenotype includes mostly mild developmental delay, prenatal-onset growth retardation, low body mass index, and characteristic facial features distinct from WHS. Patients carrying missense variants were significantly taller and had more frequent behavioral/psychological issues compared with those harboring truncating variants. Structural in silico modeling suggested interference with NSD2’s folding and function for all missense variants in known structures. In vitro testing showed reduced methylation activity and failure to reconstitute H3K36me2 in NSD2 knockout cells for most missense variants. ConclusionNSD2 loss-of-function variants lead to a distinct, rather mild phenotype partially overlapping with WHS. To avoid confusion for patients, NSD2 deficiency may be named Rauch–Steindl syndrome after the delineators of this phenotype.

Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome candidate 1 facilitates alveolar macrophage pyroptosis in sepsis-induced acute lung injury through NEK7-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Sepsis is a complex clinical syndrome with high incidence and mortality. Acute lung injury (ALI) is a common complication of sepsis. At present, there is no effective therapeutic strategy to treat ALI. The SET domain–containing histone methyltransferase Wolf–Hirschhorn syndrome candidate 1 (WHSC1) regulates cancer progression, while its role in sepsis-induced ALI remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to study the effect of WHSC1 on sepsis-induced ALI and to explore the potential mechanism of action. In the study, LPS treatment induced lung injury. WHSC1 was highly expressed in LPS-induced ALI. Knockdown of WHSC1 attenuated LPS-induced ALI and pyroptosis in vivo. Besides, knockdown of WHSC1 attenuated LPS-induced alveolar macrophage pyroptosis in vitro. Furthermore, NIMA-related kinase-7 (NEK7) expression could be regulated by WHSC1, and NEK7 bound to NLRP3 in alveolar macrophages. Moreover, WHSC1 regulated alveolar macrophage pyroptosis through modulating NEK7-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation. In conclusion, WHSC1 was highly expressed in LPS-induced ALI. WHSC1 facilitated alveolar macrophage pyroptosis in sepsis-induced ALI through NEK7-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation. WHSC1 may be a valuable target for the therapy of sepsis-induced ALI.

Deep Phenotyping and Genetic Characterization of a Cohort of 70 Individuals With 5p Minus Syndrome.

Chromosome-5p minus syndrome (5p-Sd, OMIM #123450) formerly known as Cri du Chat syndrome results from the loss of genetic material at the distal region of the short arm of chromosome 5. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder of genetic cause. So far, about 400 patients have been reported worldwide. Individuals affected by this syndrome have large phenotypic heterogeneity. However, a specific phenotype has emerged including global developmental delay, microcephaly, delayed speech, some dysmorphic features, and a characteristic and monochromatic high-pitch voice, resembling a cat’s cry. We here describe a cohort of 70 patients with clinical features of 5p- Sd characterized by means of deep phenotyping, SNP arrays, and other genetic approaches. Individuals have a great clinical and molecular heterogeneity, which can be partially explained by the existence of additional significant genomic rearrangements in around 39% of cases. Thus, our data showed significant statistical differences between subpopulations (simple 5p deletions versus 5p deletions plus additional rearrangements) of the cohort. We also determined significant “functional” differences between male and female individuals.

Cardiovascular Phenotypic Spectrum of 1p36 Deletion Syndrome.

Chromosome 1p36 deletion syndrome is a common genetic anomaly (prevalence: 1 in 5,000-1 in 10,000). Despite reports of cardiovascular involvement, the cardiovascular phenotypic spectrum of patients with 1p36 deletion syndrome is not well characterized. In this article, we reported the clinical course of a full-term African American boy with chromosome 1p36 deletion syndrome and neonatal onset of severe cardiac disease with moderate-to-severe biventricular dysfunction and severe pulmonary hypertension. Early neonatal onset presentation of 1p36 deletion syndrome is rare and might be associated with a more guarded prognosis. This case based study is supplemented by a comprehensive review of cardiovascular involvement in this relatively common genetic syndrome.

Chromosome 1p36 Deletion Syndrome: Four Patients with Variable Presentations.

Chromosome 1p36 deletion accounts for around 1% of cases of intellectual disability. The pattern of clinical features includes developmental delay, hypotonia, seizures, short stature, intellectual disability, vision and hearing deficits, congenital heart disease, and renal abnormalities. The size of deletion can be variable. We report four cases of 1p36 deletion syndrome detected in the past 3 years in a genetic clinic. One patient was detected by next-generation sequencing, another by chromosomal microarray, and the remaining two by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification. We discuss the variable presentations in the four children. Early diagnosis enables better prognostication and further reproductive planning.

High WHSC1L1 Expression Reduces Survival Rates in Operated Breast Cancer Patients with Decreased CD8+ T Cells: Machine Learning Approach.

Nuclear receptor-binding SET domain protein (NSD), a histone methyltransferase, is known to play an important role in cancer pathogenesis. The WHSC1L1 (Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome candidate 1-like 1) gene, encoding NSD3, is highly expressed in breast cancer, but its role in the development of breast cancer is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to analyze the survival rates and immune responses of breast cancer patients with high WHSC1L1 expression and to validate the results using gradient boosting machine (GBM) in breast cancer. We investigated the clinicopathologic parameters, proportions of immune cells, pathway networks and in vitro drug responses according to WHSC1L1 expression in 456, 1500 and 776 breast cancer patients from the Hanyang University Guri Hospital, METABRIC and TCGA, respectively. High WHSC1L1 expression was associated with poor prognosis, decreased CD8+ T cells and high CD274 expression (encoding PD-L1). In the pathway networks, WHSC1L1 was indirectly linked to the regulation of the lymphocyte apoptotic process. The GBM model with WHSC1L1 showed improved prognostic performance compared with the model without WHSC1L1. We found that VX-11e, CZC24832, LY2109761, oxaliplatin and erlotinib were effective in inhibiting breast cancer cell lines with high WHSC1L1 expression. High WHSC1L1 expression could play potential roles in the progression of breast cancer and targeting WHSC1L1 could be a potential strategy for the treatment of breast cancer.

Movement disorders associated with chromosomal aberrations diagnosed in adult patients.

Chromosomal aberrations are rare but important causes of various movement disorders. In cases of movement disorders associated with dysmorphic features, multiorgan involvement and/or intellectual disability, the identification of causative chromosomal aberrations should be considered. The purpose of this article was to summarise clinical findings in six patients with dystonia and two with parkinsonism and identified chromosomal aberrations in a single-centre prospective study. 15 adult patients with dystonia or parkinsonism were referred to array comparative genomic hybridisation (aCGH) testing from our Department of Neurology between 2014 and 2019. Additionally, one patient had a karyotype examination. Detailed clinical, psychological and radiological diagnostics were performed in each case. Chromosomal aberrations were identified in six patients with dystonia and two with parkinsonism. Two patients were identified with aberrations associated with de Grouchy syndrome. We also reported generalised dystonia in patients with deletion in 3q26.31 and duplication in 3p26.3, as well as dystonia and hypoacusis in a patient with duplication in Xq26.3. One patient was diagnosed with duplication in 21q21.1. Early-onset parkinsonism was a manifestation of deletion in the 2q24.1 region. Late onset parkinsonism was also present in the patient with the most severe aberrations (duplication 1q21.1q44; deletion 10p15.3p15.1; deletion 10q11.21). Dystonia and parkinsonism are possible manifestations of chromosomal aberrations. Chromosomal aberrations should be excluded in patients with early-onset movement disorders and concomitant dysmorphic features and/or intellectual disability. It is important to include this cause of movement disorders in future classifications. aCGH can be a valuable diagnostic tool in the evaluation of movement disorder aetiology.

Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome with Hyperparathyroidism: A Case Report and a Narrative Review of the Literature.

Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS) is a contiguous gene deletion condition. The WHS core phenotype includes developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, seizures, and distinctive facial features. Various other comorbidities have also been reported, such as hearing loss, heart defects, as well as eye problems and kidney problems. In this report, we present a case of WHS accompanied by hyperparathyroidism and hypercalcemia, which has not been previously reported. A girl was born at 37 weeks of gestation by vaginal delivery. She was small for the gestational age (2,045 g) and admitted to neonatal intensive care unit. She had typical WHS facial features and was found to have bilateral small kidneys associated with transient metabolic acidosis and renal insufficiency. She had right-sided sensorineural hearing loss, a small atrial septal defect, and colpocephaly and hypoplasia of corpus callosum. She had a single seizure which was well controlled with an oral antiepileptic medication. Cytogenetic studies demonstrated a large terminal chromosome 4p deletion (21.4 Mb) and 4p duplication (2.1 Mb) adjacent to the deletion. A unique finding in this patient is her consistently elevated levels of parathyroid hormone and serum calcium, suggesting hyperparathyroidism. We present this rare case along with a review of the literature and hope to draw an attention to a potential relationship between WHS and hyperparathyroidism.

両側性唇顎口蓋裂を認めた18q (‒) 症候群の1例

両側性唇顎口蓋裂を認めた18q (‒) 症候群の1例

The delineation of the Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome over six decades: Illustration of the ongoing advances in phenotype analysis and cytogenomic technology.

Since Hirschhorn's description in 1961, the history and chronology of the clinical, cytogenetic, and molecular characterization of Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS) elegantly demonstrates the remarkable advances in genetic technology over the last six decades that have paralleled the delineation of the phenotype. After mention in the Human Chromosome Newsletter of a child with a visible deletion of the top of a B chromosome group, 4-5, Hirschhorn and colleagues companioned their report with that of Wolf et al. in Humangenetik in 1965, and the condition was recognized and named. The 1960-1970s witnessed the description of many of the now classic chromosome disorders, including WHS, while HRB allowed for the recognition of chromosome syndromes with smaller deletions/duplications. FISH probes, developed in the next two decades, enabled the characterization of the critical region of WHS and improved clinical diagnosis with subtelomeric probes. Cytogenomic microarray in the early-mid 2000s led to both improved diagnosis of WHS patients and documentation of microdeletions of <5 megabases, helping to characterize the critical regions for specific component phenotypes (e.g., seizures, face). Recently exome sequencing technology has led to the discovery of WHS patients with WHSC1 loss of function variants, displaying some cardinal features of the phenotype (face, growth, and developmental delay).

Case report: The spectrum of autoimmune thyroid disease in association with chromosome 18p deletion syndrome

Case report: The spectrum of autoimmune thyroid disease in association with chromosome 18p deletion syndrome

Natural history study of adults with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome 2: Patient-reported outcomes study.

Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS) is a contiguous gene disorder consisting of prenatal and postnatal growth deficiency, distinctive craniofacial features, intellectual disability, and seizures. The condition is caused by a partial loss of material from the distal portion of the short arm of chromosome 4 (4p16.3). While there are many reports of individuals with WHS, useful data on long-term survival and life status of adults with the syndrome are very limited. There are only 11 reports of individuals over the age of 18 years in the literature. Establishing the medical manifestations of adults with WHS would be helpful in establishing appropriate health supervision guidelines. This study was one component of a two-part investigation on adults with WHS. This patient-reported outcomes study (PROS) was accomplished by using the registry of rare diseases at Sanford Research, Coordination of Rare Diseases (CoRDS)at Sanford. Thirty family members or caretakers of 30 adults with WHS/4p- entered into the CoRDS registry and completed some or all of the survey data. Twelve caretakers completed the recently-added survey on activities of daily living. Two of the individuals with WHS were partly independent while 10 required total care. The results provide novel information on daily life and independence in adults with WHS. Importantly, the majority of caretakers reported that the adults were in good health. The data from both parts of the study will contribute to our knowledge of the natural history of the syndrome and guide in establishing appropriate health supervision guidelines for adults with WHS.

Characterization of Wolf‐Hirschhorn Syndrome Candidate 1 ( Whsc1 ) in Pitx2 ‐ miR‐23/24 ‐mediated Tooth Development

Objective Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS) is a developmental disorder attributed to a partial deletion on the short arm of chromosome 4. WHS patients suffer from oral manifestations including cleft lip and palate (CLP), hypodontia and taurodontism. However, the causative factors and underlying mechanisms of these oral anomalies are relatively unknown. Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome candidate 1 (WHSC1) is a H3K36-specific methyltransferase that is frequently deleted in WHS. This gene has been associated with craniofacial defects including CLP and defects in occipital ossification. In our study, we aim to understand the role of WHSC1 in tooth development. Methods To characterize the role of Whsc1 in tooth development, we profiled the Whsc1 expression pattern during mouse tooth development by immunofluorescence staining (IF). To investigate the regulatory effects between Whsc1 and Pitx2, we overexpressed either Whsc1 or Pitx2 in oral epithelial cell line LS8 and detected their expression. Then, ChIP-PCR and luciferase assays were performed to confirm the binding on the promoter regions. To determine the negative regulation of Whsc1 by miR-23-3p and miR-24-3p, miRs were inhibited by our Plasmid-based microRNA inhibition system in PMIS-miR-23-27-24 embryos and LS8 cells followed by detecting the mRNA and protein level of Whsc1. Luciferase assays were also conducted to confirm the direct binding between miRs and Whsc1 3’UTR. Results Whsc1 expresses from early stage of tooth development and restricts to stem cell niches in homeostatic tooth germ. Whsc1 and Pitx2 reciprocally activate each other's expression through chromosomal and transcriptional regulation. miR-23-3p and miR-24-3p, two miRs that regulated by Pitx2, directly inhibit Whsc1. Conclusion Whsc1 expresses in the developing tooth germ and participates the Whsc1-Pitx2-miR23/24 regulatory network in oral epithelium cells. Our observations provide new insights into the potential role of Whsc1 in regulating tooth development and a possible causer of the dental defects in WHS.