Browsing by Author "Ferreira, C."
Now showing 1 - 10 of 13
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- 47,XY,+del(X)(q21.31)/46,XY mosaicism in prenatal diagnosis - case report of a rare eventPublication . Ferreira, C.; Tarelho, A.; Marques, B.; Serafim, S.; Pedro, S.; Ferreira, A.; Correia, H.OBJECTIVES: Aneuploidies involving the sex chromosomes are the most common anomalies in humans. In many cases these anomalies are present in mosaic and may involve either the whole chromosome or just part of it. These anomalies constitute a challenge in prenatal diagnosis because it is generally very difficult to establish a reliable genotype-phenotype correlation. Here we report a rare event of a mosaic in which one cell line carries an additional abnormal X chromosome, with a terminal deletion at q21.31 region, and a normal XY constitution in the majority of the cells. METHODS: A healthy 36-year-old G1P1 woman was referred for prenatal diagnosis at 11+5 weeks of gestation for increased nuchal translucency. Chorionic villus biopsy was performed and molecular rapid aneuploidy result indicated an anomalous situation for the X chromosome in a male fetus. As the material was not sufficient to establish a culture an amniocentesis was performed at 17+3 weeks and karyotyping and microarray were performed in order to characterize the anomalous result. RESULTS: The results obtained indicated the presence of a mosaic involving an extra X chromosome with a terminal deletion, [47,XY,+del(Xq)/46,XY.arr[GRCh37] Xp22.33q21.31(169921_89283237)x1~2], which is compatible with a Klinefelter syndrome variant. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnancies affected by X chromosome aneuploidies diagnosed prenatally are at an increased risk of adverse fetal and neonatal outcomes. High quality information is critical for informed decision-making in pregnancy following a prenatal diagnosis of sex chromosome aneuploidy. The participant shall be able to understand the importance of breakpoints definition and the impact that a mosaicism situation have in prenatal diagnosis.
- Characterization of a rare analphoid supernumerary marker chromosome in mosaicPublication . Marques, B.; Alves, C.; Ferreira, C.; Correia, H.; Brito, F.; Pedro, S.; Amorim, M.Analphoid supernumerary marker chromosomes (SMCs) are a rare subclass of SMCs C-band-negative and devoid of alpha-satellite DNA. These marker chromosomes cannot be identified unambiguously by conventional banding techniques alone being necessary to apply molecular cytogenetic methods in favour of a detailed characterization. In this work we report an analphoid SMC involving the terminal long arm of chromosome 7, in 9 years-old boy with several dysmorphic features and severe development delay. Cytogenetic analysis revealed a mosaic karyotype with the presence of an extra SMC, de novo, in 20 % of lymphocytes and 73 % of fibroblast cells. FISH analysis with alpha-satellite probes for all chromosomes, whole chromosome painting probe for chromosome 7, and D7S427 and TelVysion 7q probes, allowed establishing the origin of the SMC as an analphoidmarker resulting of an invdup rearrangement of 7q36-qter region. Affimetrix CytoScan HD microarray analysis, redefined the SMC to arr[hg19] 7q35(143696249-159119707)×2~3, which correspond to a gain of 15.42 Mb and encloses 67 OMIM genes, 16 of which are associated to disease. This result, combined with detailed clinical description, will provide an important means for better genotype-phenotype correlation and a more suitable genetic counselling to the patient and his parents, despite the additional difficulty resulting from being a mosaic (expression varies in different tissues). Analphoid SMCs derived from chromosome 7 are very rare, with only three cases reported so far. With this case we hope contribute to a better understanding of this type of chromosome rearrangements which are difficult for genetic counselling.
- Diagnóstico pré-natal tardio de uma gestação com anomalias ecográficas e com duplicação da região 7q11.23Publication . Simão, L.; Serafim, S.; Ferreira, C.; Alves, C.; Brito, F.; Silva, M.; Furtado, J.; Viegas, M.; Pedro, S.; Marques, B.; Rodrigues, M.; Sá, J.; Castro, M.J.; Mendes, P.; Vassal, H.; Correia, H.Introdução: O diagnóstico pré-natal (DPN) atempado de anomalias cromossómicas em fetos com anomalias ecográficas é fundamental no prognóstico da gravidez, ou na sua possível interrupção. Assim, a realização das ecografias fetais nas semanas preconizadas é determinante para a gestão dos casos anormais. Descrevemos um caso de uma gravidez mal vigiada, com ecografia fetal realizada às 29 semanas de gestação, onde se identificou uma dilatação pielo-calicial grave no rim esquerdo e dúvida na área cardíaca. Objectivos: Evidenciar que a vigilância atempada das gestações conjuntamente com a análise por microarray aumenta a capacidade de diagnóstico em gestações com anomalias fetais detetadas ecograficamente.
- Interstitial deletion on chromosome 14q in prenatal diagnosisPublication . Simão, L.; Alves, C.; Marques, B.; Pedro, S.; Ferreira, C.; Viegas, M.; Ventura, C.; Furtado, J.; Cruz, J.; Martins, A.; Cohen, A.; Fernandes, R.; Freixo, J.; Correia, J.; Correia, H.A limited number of prenatal diagnosis (PND) cases have reported interstitial deletions of the long arm of chromosome 14 involving the 14q31-32 region. Those cases presented cardiac anomalies, urogenital anomalies, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, and mild pyelectasis. We report the PND of a 33-year-old pregnant woman, who underwent chorionic villus sampling at 12 weeks of gestation after a positive combined 1st trimester screen. The karyotype revealed a 14q interstitial deletion. Amniocentesis was performed at 18 weeks of gestation to confirm the deletion and to exclude a confined placental mosaicism and a microarray analysis was performed in order to accurately define the deletion breakpoints. Cytogenetics analysis revealed a karyotype 46,XY,del(14)(q31q32.2)dn. Microarray analysis allowed to redefined the breakpoints accurate localization and the identification of a ~21Mb deletion (arr[hg19] 14q31.1q32.31(79917376_101568230)x1). At 18 weeks of gestation the fetus presented abnormal fetal biometric parameters (occipitofrontal diameter, cephalic perimeter and abdominal circumference) on ultrasound. After counseling the couple opted for pregnancy termination. The postmorten analysis presented decreased biometry, low weight and low fetal size, facial dysmorphism, clinodactyly, club foot, overlapping fingers and short penis. In internal habitus he presented thymus hypoplasia, bladder hypoplasia, and horseshoe kidneys. The genotype-phenotype correlation in PND pure del(14q) cases is not well established. Furthermore, to our knowledge, del(14q) had not been reported so early in the gestation yet. In this case the positive 1st trimester screen was related to the inverted ductus venosus and low PAPP-A value. The urogenital anomalies (as horseshoe kidneys) and biometry anomalies are described in the literature. However, to our knowledge, some features of the present case were not seen in other reported cases, for instance clinodactyly, club foot, overlapping fingers, thymus hypoplasia and bladder hypoplasia. Other reports described cardiac and cerebral anomalies, diaphragmatic hernia, and also UPD(14)like phenotypes, which are possibly liked to the 14q32 imprinted region. The establishment of a phenotype-genotype correlation is difficult given the size of the deletion, which includes a large number of genes in distinct regions. Nevertheless, this work contributes to a better identification of additional features associated to del(14q) that can be present in PND.
- Kalirin: a novel genetic risk factor for ischemic strokePublication . Krug, T.; Manso, H.; Gouveia, L.; Sobral, J.; Xavier, J.M.; Albergaria, I.; Gaspar, G.; Correia, M.; Viana-Baptista, M.; Simões, R.M.; Pinto, A.N.; Taipa, R.; Ferreira, C.; Fontes, J.R.; Silva, M.R.; Gabriel, J.P.; Matos, I.; Lopes, G.; Ferro, J.M.; Vicente, A.M.; Oliveira, S.A.Cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. They are complex disorders resulting from the interplay of genetic and environmental factors, and may share several susceptibility genes. Several recent studies have implicated variants of the Kalirin (KALRN) gene with susceptibility to cardiovascular and metabolic phenotypes, but no studies have yet been performed in stroke patients. KALRN is involved, among others, in the inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase, in the regulation of ischemic signal transduction, and in neuronal morphogenesis, plasticity, and stability. The goal of the present study was to determine whether SNPs in the KALRN region on 3q13, which includes the Ropporin gene (ROPN1), predispose to ischemic stroke (IS) in a cohort of Portuguese patients and controls. We genotyped 34 tagging SNPs in the KALRN and ROPN1 chromosomal region on 565 IS patients and 517 unrelated controls, and performed genotype imputation for 405 markers on chromosome 3. We tested the single-marker association of these SNPs with IS. One SNP (rs4499545) in the ROPN1-KALRN intergenic region and two SNPs in KALRN (rs17286604 and rs11712619) showed significant (P < 0.05) allelic and genotypic (unadjusted and adjusted for hypertension, diabetes, and ever smoking) association with IS risk. Thirty-two imputed SNPs also showed an association at P < 0.05, and actual genotyping of three of these polymorphisms (rs7620580, rs6438833, and rs11712039) validated their association. Furthermore, rs11712039 was associated with IS (0.001 < P < 0.01) in a recent well-powered genomewide association study (Ikram et al. 2009). These studies suggest that variants in the KALRN gene region constitute risk factors for stroke and that KALRN may represent a common risk factor for vascular diseases.
- Low frequency of CD4+CD25+ Treg in SLE patients: a heritable trait associated with CTLA4 and TGFbeta gene variantsPublication . Barreto, M.; Ferreira, R.C.; Lourenço, L.; Moraes-Fontes, M.F.; Santos, E.; Alves, M.; Carvalho, C.; Martins, B.; Andreia, R.; Viana, J.F.; Vasconcelos, C.; Mota-Vieira, L.; Ferreira, C.; Demengeot, J.; Vicente, A.M.CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells play an essential role in maintaining immune homeostasis and preventing autoimmunity. Therefore, defects in Treg development, maintenance or function have been associated with several human autoimmune diseases including Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by loss of tolerance to nuclear components and significantly more frequent in females. RESULTS: To investigate the involvement of Treg in SLE pathogenesis, we determined the frequency of CD4+CD25+CD45RO+ T cells, which encompass the majority of Treg activity, in the PBMC of 148 SLE patients (76 patients were part of 54 families), 166 relatives and 117 controls. SLE patients and their relatives were recruited in several Portuguese hospitals and through the Portuguese Lupus Association. Control individuals were blood donors recruited from several regional blood donor centers. Treg frequency was significantly lower in SLE patients than healthy controls (z = -6.161, P < 0.00001) and intermediate in the relatives' group. Remarkably, this T cell subset was also lower in females, most strikingly in the control population (z = 4.121, P < 0.001). We further ascertained that the decreased frequency of Treg in SLE patients resulted from the specific reduction of bona fide FOXP3+CD4+CD25+ Treg. Treg frequency was negatively correlated with SLE activity index (SLEDAI) and titers of serum anti-dsDNA antibodies. Both Treg frequency and disease activity were modulated by IVIg treatment in a documented SLE case. The segregation of Treg frequency within the SLE families was indicative of a genetic trait. Candidate gene analysis revealed that specific variants of CTLA4 and TGFbeta were associated with the decreased frequency of Treg in PBMC, while FOXP3 gene variants were associated with affection status, but not with Treg frequency. CONCLUSION: SLE patients have impaired Treg production or maintenance, a trait strongly associated with SLE disease activity and autoantibody titers, and possibly resulting from the inability to convert FOXP3+CD25- into FOXP3+CD25+ T cells. Treg frequency is highly heritable within SLE families, with specific variants of the CTLA4 and TGFbeta genes contributing to this trait, while FOXP3 contributes to SLE through mechanisms not involving a modulation of Treg frequency. These findings establish that the genetic components in SLE pathogenesis include genes related to Treg generation or maintenance.
- Mitochondrial haplogroup H1 is protective for ischemic stroke in Portuguese patientsPublication . Rosa, A.; Fonseca, B.V.; Krug, T.; Manso, H.; Gouveia, L.; Albergaria, I.; Gaspar, G.; Correia, M.; Viana-Baptista, M.; Simões, R.M.; Pinto, A.N.; Taipa, R.; Ferreira, C.; Fontes, J.R.; Silva, M.R.; Gabriel, J.P.; Matos, I.; Lopes, G.; Ferro, J.M.; Vicente, A.M.; Oliveira, S.A.The genetic contribution to stroke is well established but it has proven difficult to identify the genes and the disease-associated alleles mediating this effect, possibly because only nuclear genes have been intensely investigated so far. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been implicated in several disorders having stroke as one of its clinical manifestations. The aim of this case-control study was to assess the contribution of mtDNA polymorphisms and haplogroups to ischemic stroke risk.
- Mudanças no diagnóstico pré-natal cromossómico: indicações clínicas, amostras biológicas, metodologias e cromossomopatiasPublication . Simão, L.; Silva, M.; Alves, C.; Brito, F.; Serafim, S.; Ambrósio, P.; Geraldes, M.C.; Marques, B.; Ferreira, C.; Pedro, S.; Furtado, J.; Ventura, C.; Tristão, J.; Ferreira, A.; Correia, J.; Correia, H.Introdução: As mudanças no diagnóstico pré-natal de anomalias cromossómicas (DPN) nos últimos 10-15 anos foram contínuas e significativas. Objetivos: Propômo-nos analisar essa evolução: mudanças nas indicações clínicas; introdução das biópsias de vilosidades coriónicas (BVC); utilização do diagnóstico rápido de aneuploidias (DRA); estudos por microarray; alterações cromossómicas encontradas. Metodologia: Fez-se a avaliação retrospetiva nas gestações com amostras estudadas nos triénios 2004-2006 e 2014-2016. Analisaram-se os parâmetros indicação clínica, tipo de amostra, metodologias utilizadas e resultados. Resultados: Identificaram-se 68 fetos com cariotipo anormal em 2210 cariotipos (3,1%) em 2004-2006 e 208 fetos com cariotipo anormal em 2315 cariotipos (9,0%) em 2014-2016. A maior frequência de anomalias encontrou-se nos casos de rastreios ecográficos e combinados indicativos de risco acrescido de anomalia numérica e de progenitores portadores de alterações cromossómicas. As BVC permitiram respostas precoces nas gestações com anomalias numéricas e, adicionalmente, um aumento desses cariotipos (7.5% das amostras). O DRA permitiu ter uma resposta rápida nas anomalias numéricas mais frequentes (2 dias). As anomalias estruturais foram menos preponderantes nos cariotipos anormais (32,4% em 2004-2006 e 14.4% em 2014-2016). Discussão e conclusões: O DRA reduziu o tempo de resposta e das decisões sobre o futuro das gestações. O microarray permitiu identificar alterações sindromáticas em situações não resolúveis por outras metodologias. A utilização de BVC permite estabelecer uma melhor correlação fenotipo-genotipo em menores idades gestacionais. No entanto, as gestações com anomalias numéricas têm algum risco de perda fetal no primeiro e início do segundo trimestres. Assim, algumas BVC com cariotipos anormais resultariam em perdas espontâneas, o que poderia disponibilizar outros casos para DPN. Por outro lado, o menor número de anomalias estruturais equilibradas encontrado pode reduzir o conhecimento da variação genética nas famílias e na população. Um novo paradigma resulta da implementação dos testes não invasivos no DPN, para os quais ainda não conhecemos todas as limitações e repercussões.
- Multiple non contiguous copy gains and a terminal loss in 8q24 identified in a fetus with cleft palate and lipPublication . Serafim, S.; Pedro, S.; Marques, B.; Tarelho, A.R.; Ferreira, C.; Simao, L.; Viegas, M.; Silva, M.; Alves, C.; Mourinha, V.; Ferreira, A.; Correia, H.Objectives: Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) is the recommended genetic test in pregnancies with ultrasound abnormalities but in some cases karyotype may still be needed to clarify the underlying mechanism of complex rearrangements. Here we report the case of a fetus from a healthy 24-year-old G1P0 woman, with a low risk for common aneuploidies in the 1st trimester prenatal screening but referred for CMA at 17+6 weeks of gestation due to cleft palate and lip in the 1st trimester ultrasound. Method: After a normal result in the rapid aneuploidy diagnostic test we performed CMA using ThermoFisher Cytoscan™ 750K. Our reporting resolution includes gains and losses larger than 35 Kb, considered clinically relevant for the course of the pregnancy. In this case further tests were done to assess recurrence risk and a possible chromosomal rearrangement: CMA and karyotype on the parents and karyotype on the fetus. Results: The CMA profile revealed a female fetus with three non-contiguous interstitial copy gains and a terminal loss in the long arm of chromosome 8 (8q24), as follows: - x4 copy gain at 8q24.12q24.13 with 585 Kb - x2 copy neutral region with 1.5 Mb - x4 copy gain at 8q24.13 with 2.9 Mb - x2 copy neutral region with 1.2 Mb - x3 copy gain at 8q24.21q24.23 with 17.8 Mb - x1 terminal loss at 8q24.3 with 130 Kb The fetal karyotype showed, in one of the chromosomes 8, an abnormal pattern in the long arm with a larger relative size. After parental studies the reported copy number variants were shown to be de novo. Conclusions. Most of the cases reported in the literature with gains along 8q result from a rearrangement involving another chromosome making it challenging to assess a genotype-phenotype correlation (PMID: 34265769; PMID: 31141803; PMID: 34794751). The few cases of individuals reported with isolated gains in the 8q24 have been described as having different features, depending on the size of the gain, and those may include facial dysmorphysms, clef lip and palate, developmental delay, among others (PMID: 25506438; PMID: 11484205; PMID: 33316910; UNIQUE - rarechromo.org: duplications of 8q). Recently a fetus with multiple congenital abnormalities, including clef palate, was reported having a similar imbalance, and although the parents decided to keep the pregnancy the baby died soon after birth given the extension of the congenital abnormalities (PMID: 30638476). The CMA results in our case explained the clef palate and lip identified in the fetus and, after genetic counseling, the parents opted to terminate the pregnancy. Although the identified non-contiguous gains and the terminal loss may suggest a mechanism of chromothripsis/chromoanagenesis for the arising of this abnormal chromosome 8, no further studies were performed after determining that the parents had a normal result and therefore a low recurrence risk for future pregnancies.
- Prenatal diagnosis of 7q11.23 duplication in a fetus with renal pelvic dilatation and the postnatal outcomePublication . Serafim, S.; Ferreira, C.; Simão, L.; Alves, C.; Brito, F.; Silva, M.; Furtado, J.; Viegas, M.; Pedro, S.; Marques, B.; Rodrigues, M.; Sá, J.; Castro, M.J.; Mendes, P.; Vassal, H.; Correia, H.7q11.23 duplication syndrome is a multisystemic developmental disorder characterized by variable manifestations, such as speech delay, mild craniofacial anomalies with distinctive facial features, and intellectual ability ranging from mental retardation to normal cognitive development. Approximately 30% of individuals with 7q11.23 duplication have one or more congenital anomalies. Penetrance is complete with variable expression of phenotypic features. Prevalence has been estimated at 1:7,500-1:20,000. The 7q11.23 duplication is frequently inherited from a parent. Here we report a 33-year-old woman referred for prenatal diagnosis at 29 weeks of gestation due to fetal renal pelvic dilatation. Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) was performed after a normal molecular rapid aneuploidy test result and identified a 1.44 Mb duplication at 7q11.23 - arr [GRCh37] 7q11.23 (72,700,467-74,136,633)x3 - overlapping the 7q11.23 duplication syndrome region, in a female fetus. The gain was inherited from the mother which had no previous clinical evaluation but a later reassessment revealed mild cognitive delay and language impairment. Delivery was at 35 weeks due to a maternal respiratory infection with acute pulmonary edema. Newborn resuscitation was required for neonatal respiratory depression with an Apgar score of 1'-2, 5'-4, 10 '-8. Birth weight and length was 2140g and 43cm respectively, with a head circumference of 32cm. In the neonatal period a transient systolic murmur was identified with no alterations on the echocardiogram. Renal and bladder ultrasound showed pelvic dilatation with no changes of the ureteral tract, suggesting a relation with ureteropelvic junction syndrome. Left pyeloplasty for the ureteropelvic junction syndrome was performed at 14 months of age. Clinical evaluation at the age of 22 months revealed psychomotor development delay with delayed speech, facial features overlapping Williams-Beuren syndrome, and the systolic murmur grade I/VI was still present. Growth and weight were both normal. To the best of our knowledge this is the second prenatal case of 7q11.23 duplication described. Although genitourinary tract abnormalities are not the most common feature in patients with 7q11.23 duplication, congenital anomalies of the urinary tract can occur in 15%-18%, including hydronephrosis and unilateral renal agenesis. This shows that the ultrasound abnormalities not always suggest a specific syndrome but after the identification of a pathogenic CNV made possible by the use of CMA a correlation may be achievable. Additionally the discovery of CNVs in prenatal CMA may go beyond the context of the current pregnancy allowing for the identification of carriers thus having a larger impact in a family's health management and genetic counseling.