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Wang S, Du J, Shen Q, Haas C, Neubauer J. Interpretation of molecular autopsy findings in 45 sudden unexplained death cases: from coding region to untranslated region. Int J Legal Med 2024:10.1007/s00414-024-03329-6. [PMID: 39266800 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-024-03329-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/14/2024]
Abstract
Sudden unexplained death (SUD) can affect apparently healthy adolescents and young adults with no prior clinical symptoms and no clear diagnostic findings at autopsy. Although primary cardiac arrhythmias have been shown to be the direct cause of death in the majority of SUD cases, the genetic predisposition contributing to SUD remains incompletely understood. Currently, molecular autopsy is considered to be an effective diagnostic tool in the multidisciplinary management of SUD, but the analysis focuses mainly on the coding region and the significance of many identified variants remains unclear. Recent studies have demonstrated the strong association between human disease and genetic variants in untranslated regions (UTRs), highlighting the potential role of UTR variants in the genetic predisposition to SUD. In this study, we searched for UTR variants with likely functional effects in the exome data of 45 SUD cases. Among 244 genes associated with cardiac diseases, three candidate variants with high confidence of pathogenicity were identified in the UTRs of SCO2, CALM2 and TBX3 based on a rigorous filtering strategy. A functional assay further validated the effect of these candidate variants on gene transcriptional activity. In addition, the constraint metrics, intolerance indexes, and dosage sensitivity scores of genes affected by the candidate variants were considered when estimating the consequence of aberrant gene expression. In conclusion, our study presents a practical strategy for UTR variant prioritization and functional annotation, which could improve the interpretation of molecular autopsy findings in SUD cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shouyu Wang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianghua Du
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi Shen
- Department of Forensic Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cordula Haas
- Zurich Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Jacqueline Neubauer
- Zurich Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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2
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Del Duca F, Ghamlouch A, Manetti AC, Napoletano G, Sonnini E, Treves B, De Matteis A, La Russa R, Sheppard MN, Fineschi V, Maiese A. Sudden Cardiac Death, Post-Mortem Investigation: A Proposing Panel of First Line and Second Line Genetic Tests. J Pers Med 2024; 14:544. [PMID: 38793126 PMCID: PMC11122432 DOI: 10.3390/jpm14050544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Investigating the causes of Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is always difficult; in fact, genetic cardiac conditions associated with SCD could be "silent" even during autopsy investigation. In these cases, it is important to exclude other aetiology and assist to ask for genetic investigations. Herein, the purpose of this review is to collect the most-implicated genes in SCD and generate a panel with indications for first line and second line investigations. A systematic review of genetic disorders that may cause SCD in the general population was carried out according to the Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Review (PRISMA) standards. We subsequently listed the genes that may be tested in the case of sudden cardiac death when the autopsy results are negative or with no evidence of acquired cardiac conditions. To make genetic tests more specific and efficient, it is useful and demanded to corroborate autopsy findings with the molecular investigation as evident in the panel proposed. The genes for first line investigations are HCM, MYBPC3, MYH7, TNNT2, TNNI3, while in case of DCM, the most implicated genes are LMNA and TTN, and in second line for these CDM, ACTN2, TPM1, C1QPB could be investigated. In cases of ACM/ARVC, the molecular investigation includes DSP, DSG2, DSC2, RYR2, PKP2. The channelopathies are associated with the following genes: SCN5A, KCNQ1, KCNH2, KCNE1, RYR2. Our work underlines the importance of genetic tests in forensic medicine and clinical pathology; moreover, it could be helpful not only to assist the pathologists to reach a diagnosis, but also to prevent other cases of SCD in the family of the descendant and to standardise the type of analysis performed in similar cases worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Del Duca
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 336, 00161 Rome, Italy; (F.D.D.); (A.G.); (G.N.); (B.T.); (A.D.M.); (V.F.)
| | - Alessandro Ghamlouch
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 336, 00161 Rome, Italy; (F.D.D.); (A.G.); (G.N.); (B.T.); (A.D.M.); (V.F.)
| | - Alice Chiara Manetti
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Gabriele Napoletano
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 336, 00161 Rome, Italy; (F.D.D.); (A.G.); (G.N.); (B.T.); (A.D.M.); (V.F.)
| | - Elena Sonnini
- Medicina Genomica, Dipartimento Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Biancamaria Treves
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 336, 00161 Rome, Italy; (F.D.D.); (A.G.); (G.N.); (B.T.); (A.D.M.); (V.F.)
| | - Alessandra De Matteis
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 336, 00161 Rome, Italy; (F.D.D.); (A.G.); (G.N.); (B.T.); (A.D.M.); (V.F.)
| | - Raffaele La Russa
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Public Health, Life Sciences, and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Mary N. Sheppard
- Department of Cardiovascular Pathology, Level 1, Jenner Wing Corridor 4, St George’s University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK;
| | - Vittorio Fineschi
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 336, 00161 Rome, Italy; (F.D.D.); (A.G.); (G.N.); (B.T.); (A.D.M.); (V.F.)
| | - Aniello Maiese
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Medical, Molecular and Critical Area, Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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3
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Liu J, Mai T, Ren H, Chang Y, Li C, Lv G, Zheng D, Liao X, Yu Y, Zhang F, Zhao S, Liu X, Liu S, Zhao H, Luo B, Liu C, Huang E. Arrhythmia onsets triggered by acute myocardial ischemia are not mediated by lysophosphoglycerides accumulation in ventricular myocardium. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9589. [PMID: 38670979 PMCID: PMC11053080 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57047-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Lysophosphoglycerides (LPLs) have been reported to accumulate in myocardium and serve as a cause of arrhythmias in acute myocardial ischemia. However, in this study we found that LPLs level in the ventricular myocardium was decreased by the onset of acute myocardial ischemia in vivo in rats. Decreasing of LPLs level in left ventricular myocardium, but not right, was observed within 26 min of left myocardial ischemia, regardless of whether arrhythmias were triggered. Lower LPLs level in the ventricular myocardium was also observed in aconitine-simulated ventricular fibrillation (P < 0.0001) and ouabain-simulated III° atrioventricular block (P < 0.0001). Shot-lasting electric shock, e.g., ≤ 40 s, decreased LPLs level, while long-lasting, e.g., 5 min, increased it (fold change = 2.27, P = 0.0008). LPLs accumulation was observed in long-lasting myocardial ischemia, e.g., 4 h (fold change = 1.20, P = 0.0012), when caspase3 activity was elevated (P = 0.0012), indicating increased cell death, but not coincided with higher frequent arrhythmias. In postmortem human ventricular myocardium, differences of LPLs level in left ventricular myocardium was not observed among coronary artery disease- and other heart diseases-caused sudden death and non-heart disease caused death. LPLs level manifested a remarkable increasing from postmortem 12 h on in rats, thus abolishing the potential for serving as biomarkers of sudden cardiac death. Token together, in this study we found that LPLs in ventricular myocardium were initially decreased by the onset of ischemia, LPLs accumulation do not confer arrhythmogenesis during acute myocardial ischemia. It is necessary to reassess the roles of LPLs in myocardial infarction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Liu
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Tingting Mai
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Han Ren
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Yafei Chang
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Chao Li
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Guoli Lv
- Guangzhou Forensic Science Institute, Guangzhou, 510030, China
- Key Laboratory of Forensic Pathology, Ministry of Public Security, Guangzhou, 510050, China
| | - Da Zheng
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Xinbiao Liao
- Key Laboratory of Forensic Pathology, Ministry of Public Security, Guangzhou, 510050, China
| | - Yangeng Yu
- Key Laboratory of Forensic Pathology, Ministry of Public Security, Guangzhou, 510050, China
| | - Fu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Forensic Pathology, Ministry of Public Security, Guangzhou, 510050, China
| | - Shuquan Zhao
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Xiaoshan Liu
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Shuiping Liu
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Hu Zhao
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Bin Luo
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Chao Liu
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
- Key Laboratory of Forensic Pathology, Ministry of Public Security, Guangzhou, 510050, China.
- National Anti-Drug Laboratory Guangdong Regional Center, Guangzhou, 510230, China.
| | - Erwen Huang
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
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Cianci V, Forzese E, Sapienza D, Cianci A, Ieni A, Germanà A, Guerrera MC, Omero F, Speranza D, Cracò A, Asmundo A, Gualniera P, Mondello C. Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy Post-Mortem Assessment: A Systematic Review. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2467. [PMID: 38473714 PMCID: PMC10931616 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a genetic disorder characterized by the progressive fibro-fatty replacement of the right ventricular myocardium, leading to myocardial atrophy. Although the structural changes usually affect the right ventricle, the pathology may also manifest with either isolated left ventricular myocardium or biventricular involvement. As ARVC shows an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance with variable penetrance, the clinical presentation of the disease is highly heterogeneous, with different degrees of severity and patterns of myocardial involvement even in patients of the same familiar group with the same gene mutation: the pathology spectrum ranges from the absence of symptoms to sudden cardiac death (SCD) sustained by ventricular arrhythmias, which may, in some cases, be the first manifestation of an otherwise silent pathology. An evidence-based systematic review of the literature was conducted to evaluate the state of the art of the diagnostic techniques for the correct post-mortem identification of ARVC. The research was performed using the electronic databases PubMed and Scopus. A methodological approach to reach a correct post-mortem diagnosis of ARVC was described, analyzing the main post-mortem peculiar macroscopic, microscopic and radiological alterations. In addition, the importance of performing post-mortem genetic tests has been underlined, which may lead to the correct identification and characterization of the disease, especially in those ARVC forms where anatomopathological investigation does not show evident morphostructural damage. Furthermore, the usefulness of genetic testing is not exclusively limited to the correct diagnosis of the pathology, but is essential for promoting targeted screening programs to the deceased's family members. Nowadays, the post-mortem diagnosis of ARVC performed by forensic pathologist remains very challenging: therefore, the identification of a clear methodological approach may lead to both a reduction in under-diagnoses and to the improvement of knowledge on the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Cianci
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (E.F.); (D.S.); (A.A.); (P.G.); (C.M.)
| | - Elena Forzese
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (E.F.); (D.S.); (A.A.); (P.G.); (C.M.)
| | - Daniela Sapienza
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (E.F.); (D.S.); (A.A.); (P.G.); (C.M.)
| | - Alessio Cianci
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli-IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Ieni
- Department of Human Pathology in Adult and Developmental Age “Gaetano Barresi”, Section of Pathology, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy;
| | - Antonino Germanà
- Zebrafish Neuromorphology Lab, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Via Palatucci Snc, University of Messina, 98168 Messina, Italy; (A.G.); (M.C.G.)
| | - Maria Cristina Guerrera
- Zebrafish Neuromorphology Lab, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Via Palatucci Snc, University of Messina, 98168 Messina, Italy; (A.G.); (M.C.G.)
| | - Fausto Omero
- Medical Oncology Unit, Department of Human Pathology “G.Barresi”, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy; (F.O.); (D.S.)
| | - Desirèe Speranza
- Medical Oncology Unit, Department of Human Pathology “G.Barresi”, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy; (F.O.); (D.S.)
| | - Annalisa Cracò
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Unit, University Hospital Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy;
| | - Alessio Asmundo
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (E.F.); (D.S.); (A.A.); (P.G.); (C.M.)
| | - Patrizia Gualniera
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (E.F.); (D.S.); (A.A.); (P.G.); (C.M.)
| | - Cristina Mondello
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (E.F.); (D.S.); (A.A.); (P.G.); (C.M.)
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5
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Cianci V, Forzese E, Sapienza D, Cardia L, Cianci A, Germanà A, Tornese L, Ieni A, Gualniera P, Asmundo A, Mondello C. Morphological and Genetic Aspects for Post-Mortem Diagnosis of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: A Systematic Review. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1275. [PMID: 38279275 PMCID: PMC10816624 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is one of the most common genetic cardiovascular diseases, and it shows an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. HCM can be clinically silent, and sudden unexpected death due to malignant arrhythmias may be the first manifestation. Thus, the HCM diagnosis could be performed at a clinical and judicial autopsy and offer useful findings on morphological features; moreover, it could integrate the knowledge on the genetic aspect of the disease. This review aims to systematically analyze the literature on the main post-mortem investigations and the related findings of HCM to reach a well-characterized and stringent diagnosis; the review was performed using PubMed and Scopus databases. The articles on the post-mortem evaluation of HCM by gross and microscopic evaluation, imaging, and genetic test were selected; a total of 36 studies were included. HCM was described with a wide range of gross findings, and there were cases without morphological alterations. Myocyte hypertrophy, disarray, fibrosis, and small vessel disease were the main histological findings. The post-mortem genetic tests allowed the diagnosis to be reached in cases without morpho-structural abnormalities; clinical and forensic pathologists have a pivotal role in HCM diagnosis; they contribute to a better definition of the disease and also provide data on the genotype-phenotype correlation, which is useful for clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Cianci
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (V.C.); (E.F.); (D.S.); (L.T.); (P.G.)
| | - Elena Forzese
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (V.C.); (E.F.); (D.S.); (L.T.); (P.G.)
| | - Daniela Sapienza
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (V.C.); (E.F.); (D.S.); (L.T.); (P.G.)
| | - Luigi Cardia
- Department of Human Pathology of Adult and Childhood “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, Via C. Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (L.C.); (A.I.)
| | - Alessio Cianci
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli-IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Antonino Germanà
- Zebrafish Neuromorphology Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Via Palatucci snc, 98168 Messina, Italy;
| | - Lorenzo Tornese
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (V.C.); (E.F.); (D.S.); (L.T.); (P.G.)
| | - Antonio Ieni
- Department of Human Pathology of Adult and Childhood “Gaetano Barresi”, University of Messina, Via C. Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (L.C.); (A.I.)
| | - Patrizia Gualniera
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (V.C.); (E.F.); (D.S.); (L.T.); (P.G.)
| | - Alessio Asmundo
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (V.C.); (E.F.); (D.S.); (L.T.); (P.G.)
| | - Cristina Mondello
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy; (V.C.); (E.F.); (D.S.); (L.T.); (P.G.)
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6
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Stanasiuk C, Milting H, Homm S, Persson J, Holtz L, Wittmer A, Fox H, Laser T, Knöll R, Pohl GM, Paluszkiewicz L, Jakob T, Bachmann-Mennenga B, Henzler D, Grautoff S, Veit G, Klingel K, Hori E, Kellner U, Karger B, Schlepper S, Pfeiffer H, Gummert J, Gärtner A, Tiesmeier J. Blood taken immediately after fatal resuscitation attempts yields higher quality DNA for genetic studies as compared to autopsy samples. Int J Legal Med 2023; 137:1569-1581. [PMID: 36773088 PMCID: PMC10421769 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-023-02966-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in the young may be associated with a genetic predisposition which is relevant even for genetic counseling of relatives. The identification of genetic variants depends on the availability of intact genomic DNA. DNA from autopsy may be not available due to low autopsy frequencies or not suitable for high-throughput DNA sequencing (NGS). The emergency medical service (EMS) plays an important role to save biomaterial for subsequent molecular autopsy. It is not known whether the DNA integrity of samples collected by the EMS is better suited for NGS than autopsy specimens. MATERIAL AND METHODS DNA integrity was analyzed by standardized protocols. Fourteen blood samples collected by the EMS and biomaterials from autopsy were compared. We collected 172 autopsy samples from different tissues and blood with postmortem intervals of 14-168 h. For comparison, DNA integrity derived from blood stored under experimental conditions was checked against autopsy blood after different time intervals. RESULTS DNA integrity and extraction yield were higher in EMS blood compared to any autopsy tissue. DNA stability in autopsy specimens was highly variable and had unpredictable quality. In contrast, collecting blood samples by the EMS is feasible and delivered comparably the highest DNA integrity. CONCLUSIONS Isolation yield and DNA integrity from blood samples collected by the EMS is superior in comparison to autopsy specimens. DNA from blood samples collected by the EMS on scene is stable at room temperature or even for days at 4 °C. We conclude that the EMS personnel should always save a blood sample of young fatal OHCA cases died on scene to enable subsequent genetic analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Stanasiuk
- Erich and Hanna Klessmann-Institute for Cardiovascular Research and Development, Heart- and Diabetes Center NRW, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Georgstr. 11, D-32545, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
| | - Hendrik Milting
- Erich and Hanna Klessmann-Institute for Cardiovascular Research and Development, Heart- and Diabetes Center NRW, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Georgstr. 11, D-32545, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany.
| | - Sören Homm
- Institute for Anesthesiology, Intensive Care- and Emergency Medicine, Johannes Wesling Hospital Minden, MKK-Hospital, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Jan Persson
- Institute for Anesthesiology, Intensive Care- and Emergency Medicine, Johannes Wesling Hospital Minden, MKK-Hospital, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Lars Holtz
- Emergency Department, Herford Hospital, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Axel Wittmer
- Institute for Pathology, Herford Hospital, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Henrik Fox
- Clinic for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Heart- and Diabetes Center NRW, D-32545 Bad Oeynhausen, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Thorsten Laser
- Center for Congenital Heart Diseases, Heart and Diabetes Center NRW, 32545 Bad Oeynhausen, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Ralph Knöll
- Karolinska Institute, University Hospital, Myocardial Genetic, 14157, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Greta Marie Pohl
- Erich and Hanna Klessmann-Institute for Cardiovascular Research and Development, Heart- and Diabetes Center NRW, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Georgstr. 11, D-32545, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
| | - Lech Paluszkiewicz
- Clinic for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Heart- and Diabetes Center NRW, D-32545 Bad Oeynhausen, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Thomas Jakob
- Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Herford Hospital, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, University Clinic for Anesthesiology, Bochum, Germany
- Present address: Clinic for Anesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine, Emergency Medicine and Pain Medicine, Bielefeld Hospital, University Hospital Eastern Westphalia-Lippe, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Bernd Bachmann-Mennenga
- Institute for Anesthesiology, Intensive Care- and Emergency Medicine, Johannes Wesling Hospital Minden, MKK-Hospital, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Dietrich Henzler
- Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Herford Hospital, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, University Clinic for Anesthesiology, Bochum, Germany
| | - Steffen Grautoff
- Emergency Department, Herford Hospital, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Gunter Veit
- Institute for Anesthesiology, Intensive Care- and Emergency Medicine, Johannes Wesling Hospital Minden, MKK-Hospital, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Karin Klingel
- Institute for Pathology and Neuropathology, University Hospital Tuebingen, D-72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Erika Hori
- Institute for Pathology, Johannes Wesling Hospital Minden, MKK-Hospital, D-32429 Minden, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Udo Kellner
- Institute for Pathology, Johannes Wesling Hospital Minden, MKK-Hospital, D-32429 Minden, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Bernd Karger
- Institute for Forensic Medicine, University Hospital, Wilhelms-University Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Stefanie Schlepper
- Institute for Forensic Medicine, University Hospital, Wilhelms-University Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Heidi Pfeiffer
- Institute for Forensic Medicine, University Hospital, Wilhelms-University Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Jan Gummert
- Clinic for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Heart- and Diabetes Center NRW, D-32545 Bad Oeynhausen, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Anna Gärtner
- Erich and Hanna Klessmann-Institute for Cardiovascular Research and Development, Heart- and Diabetes Center NRW, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Georgstr. 11, D-32545, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
| | - Jens Tiesmeier
- Erich and Hanna Klessmann-Institute for Cardiovascular Research and Development, Heart- and Diabetes Center NRW, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Georgstr. 11, D-32545, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
- Institute for Anesthesiology, Intensive Care- and Emergency Medicine, Luebbecke MKK-Hospital, Campus OWL, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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7
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Furrow E, Tate N, Minor K, Martinson S, Larrabee S, Anttila M, Sleeper M, Henthorn P. An ABCC9 Missense Variant Is Associated with Sudden Cardiac Death and Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Juvenile Dogs. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14050988. [PMID: 37239348 DOI: 10.3390/genes14050988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Sudden cardiac death in the young (SCDY) is a devastating event that often has an underlying genetic basis. Manchester Terrier dogs offer a naturally occurring model of SCDY, with sudden death of puppies as the manifestation of an inherited dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). We performed a genome-wide association study for SCDY/DCM in Manchester Terrier dogs and identified a susceptibility locus harboring the cardiac ATP-sensitive potassium channel gene ABCC9. Sanger sequencing revealed an ABCC9 p.R1186Q variant present in a homozygous state in all SCDY/DCM-affected dogs (n = 26). None of the controls genotyped (n = 398) were homozygous for the variant, but 69 were heterozygous carriers, consistent with autosomal recessive inheritance with complete penetrance (p = 4 × 10-42 for the association of homozygosity for ABCC9 p.R1186Q with SCDY/DCM). This variant exists at low frequency in human populations (rs776973456) with clinical significance previously deemed uncertain. The results of this study further the evidence that ABCC9 is a susceptibility gene for SCDY/DCM and highlight the potential application of dog models to predict the clinical significance of human variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Furrow
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55455, USA
| | - Nicole Tate
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55455, USA
| | - Katie Minor
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55455, USA
| | - Shannon Martinson
- Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE CIA 4P3, Canada
| | - Shannon Larrabee
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55455, USA
| | | | - Meg Sleeper
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Paula Henthorn
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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8
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Martínez-Barrios E, Grassi S, Brión M, Toro R, Cesar S, Cruzalegui J, Coll M, Alcalde M, Brugada R, Greco A, Ortega-Sánchez ML, Barberia E, Oliva A, Sarquella-Brugada G, Campuzano O. Molecular autopsy: Twenty years of post-mortem diagnosis in sudden cardiac death. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1118585. [PMID: 36844202 PMCID: PMC9950119 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1118585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In the forensic medicine field, molecular autopsy is the post-mortem genetic analysis performed to attempt to unravel the cause of decease in cases remaining unexplained after a comprehensive forensic autopsy. This negative autopsy, classified as negative or non-conclusive, usually occurs in young population. In these cases, in which the cause of death is unascertained after a thorough autopsy, an underlying inherited arrhythmogenic syndrome is the main suspected cause of death. Next-generation sequencing allows a rapid and cost-effectives genetic analysis, identifying a rare variant classified as potentially pathogenic in up to 25% of sudden death cases in young population. The first symptom of an inherited arrhythmogenic disease may be a malignant arrhythmia, and even sudden death. Early identification of a pathogenic genetic alteration associated with an inherited arrhythmogenic syndrome may help to adopt preventive personalized measures to reduce risk of malignant arrhythmias and sudden death in the victim's relatives, at risk despite being asymptomatic. The current main challenge is a proper genetic interpretation of variants identified and useful clinical translation. The implications of this personalized translational medicine are multifaceted, requiring the dedication of a specialized team, including forensic scientists, pathologists, cardiologists, pediatric cardiologists, and geneticists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefanía Martínez-Barrios
- Pediatric Arrhythmias, Inherited Cardiac Diseases and Sudden Death Unit, Cardiology Department, Sant Joan de Déu Hospital de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain,European Reference Network for Rare, Low Prevalence and Complex Diseases of the Heart, Amsterdam, Netherlands,Arrítmies Pediàtriques, Cardiologia Genètica i Mort Sobtada, Malalties Cardiovasculars en el Desenvolupament, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Simone Grassi
- Forensic Medical Sciences, Department of Health Science, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - María Brión
- Family Heart Disease Unit, Cardiology Service, Santiago de Compostela University Hospital, Santiago de Compostela, Spain,Cardiovascular Genetics, Santiago de Compostela Health Research Institute, Santiago de Compostela, Spain,Genomic Medicine Group, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rocío Toro
- Medicine Department, School of Medicine, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Sergi Cesar
- Pediatric Arrhythmias, Inherited Cardiac Diseases and Sudden Death Unit, Cardiology Department, Sant Joan de Déu Hospital de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain,European Reference Network for Rare, Low Prevalence and Complex Diseases of the Heart, Amsterdam, Netherlands,Arrítmies Pediàtriques, Cardiologia Genètica i Mort Sobtada, Malalties Cardiovasculars en el Desenvolupament, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Cruzalegui
- Pediatric Arrhythmias, Inherited Cardiac Diseases and Sudden Death Unit, Cardiology Department, Sant Joan de Déu Hospital de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain,European Reference Network for Rare, Low Prevalence and Complex Diseases of the Heart, Amsterdam, Netherlands,Arrítmies Pediàtriques, Cardiologia Genètica i Mort Sobtada, Malalties Cardiovasculars en el Desenvolupament, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mònica Coll
- Medical Science Department, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain,Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques de Girona (IDIBGI), University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Mireia Alcalde
- Medical Science Department, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain,Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques de Girona (IDIBGI), University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Ramon Brugada
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain,Medical Science Department, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain,Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques de Girona (IDIBGI), University of Girona, Girona, Spain,Cardiology Department, Hospital Josep Trueta, Girona, Spain
| | - Andrea Greco
- Arrítmies Pediàtriques, Cardiologia Genètica i Mort Sobtada, Malalties Cardiovasculars en el Desenvolupament, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain,Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences of the Mother, Children and Adults, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - María Luisa Ortega-Sánchez
- Forensic Pathology Department, Institut de Medicina Legal i Ciències Forenses de Catalunya (IMLCFC), Barcelona, Spain,School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallés, Spain
| | - Eneko Barberia
- Forensic Pathology Department, Institut de Medicina Legal i Ciències Forenses de Catalunya (IMLCFC), Barcelona, Spain,School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain
| | - Antonio Oliva
- Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Health Surveillance and Bioethics, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Georgia Sarquella-Brugada
- Pediatric Arrhythmias, Inherited Cardiac Diseases and Sudden Death Unit, Cardiology Department, Sant Joan de Déu Hospital de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain,European Reference Network for Rare, Low Prevalence and Complex Diseases of the Heart, Amsterdam, Netherlands,Arrítmies Pediàtriques, Cardiologia Genètica i Mort Sobtada, Malalties Cardiovasculars en el Desenvolupament, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain,Medical Science Department, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain,*Correspondence: Georgia Sarquella-Brugada,
| | - Oscar Campuzano
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain,Medical Science Department, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain,Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques de Girona (IDIBGI), University of Girona, Girona, Spain,Oscar Campuzano,
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9
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Post-mortem genetic investigation in sudden cardiac death victims: complete exon sequencing of forty genes using next-generation sequencing. Int J Legal Med 2022; 136:483-491. [PMID: 34984526 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-021-02765-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young people is predominantly caused by genetic causes as cardiomyopathies. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common genetic cardiovascular disease and is responsible for the major proportion of SCD in the young. The purpose of this study was to identify the genetic variants present in young SCD victims with HCM characteristics. From the Portuguese records of autopsies performed at the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, North Delegation, 16 young (16-50 years) SCD victims whose death was suspected to be a manifestation of HCM were selected. Using next-generation sequencing, the coding regions of 40 genes associated with HCM, candidates, or strongly related to HCM-phenocopies were investigated. The victims included in this study were all males, with a mean age of 33.4 ± 11.7 years, left ventricle mean thickness of 21.5 ± 6.28 mm, and the majority of deaths occurred during sleep (36%). A pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant was identified in six out of 16 (37.5%) victims, in the most common HCM genes (MYBPC3 and MYH7). Our results indicate that molecular autopsy of SCD victims contributes to a more precise identification of a cause of death, and this can be used in the prevention of SCD cases through family screening of first relatives who may carry the same pathogenic variant.
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10
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Scrocco C, Bezzina CR, Ackerman MJ, Behr ER. Genetics and genomics of arrhythmic risk: current and future strategies to prevent sudden cardiac death. Nat Rev Cardiol 2021; 18:774-784. [PMID: 34031597 DOI: 10.1038/s41569-021-00555-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
A genetic risk of sudden cardiac arrest and sudden death due to an arrhythmic cause, known as sudden cardiac death (SCD), has become apparent from epidemiological studies in the general population and in patients with ischaemic heart disease. However, genetic susceptibility to sudden death is greatest in young people and is associated with uncommon, monogenic forms of heart disease. Despite comprehensive pathology and genetic evaluations, SCD remains unexplained in a proportion of young people and is termed sudden arrhythmic death syndrome, which poses challenges to the identification of relatives from affected families who might be at risk of SCD. In this Review, we assess the current understanding of the epidemiology and causes of SCD and evaluate both the monogenic and the polygenic contributions to the risk of SCD in the young and SCD associated with drug therapy. Finally, we analyse the potential clinical role of genomic testing in the prevention of SCD in the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Scrocco
- Cardiovascular Clinical Academic Group, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Institute, St George's University of London and St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Connie R Bezzina
- Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Michael J Ackerman
- Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine, Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, and Molecular Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics; Divisions of Heart Rhythm Services and Pediatric Cardiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.,Windland Smith Rice Genetic Heart Rhythm Clinic and the Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Elijah R Behr
- Cardiovascular Clinical Academic Group, Molecular and Clinical Sciences Institute, St George's University of London and St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
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11
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Molecular Autopsy of Sudden Cardiac Death in the Genomics Era. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:diagnostics11081378. [PMID: 34441312 PMCID: PMC8394514 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11081378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular autopsy is the process of investigating sudden death through genetic analysis. It is particularly useful in cases where traditional autopsy is negative or only shows non-diagnostic features, i.e., in sudden unexplained deaths (SUDs), which are often due to an underlying inherited arrhythmogenic cardiac disease. The final goal of molecular autopsy in SUD cases is to aid medico-legal inquiries and to guide cascade genetic screening of the victim’s relatives. Early attempts of molecular autopsy relied on Sanger sequencing, which, despite being accurate and easy to use, has a low throughput and can only be employed to analyse a small panel of genes. Conversely, the recent adoption of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies has allowed exome/genome wide examination, providing an increase in detection of pathogenic variants and the discovery of newer genotype-phenotype associations. NGS has nonetheless brought new challenges to molecular autopsy, especially regarding the clinical interpretation of the large number of variants of unknown significance detected in each individual.
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12
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Sudden cardiac death in the young: Are we still missing the opportunity to prevent recurrences in the family? Heart Rhythm 2021; 18:1645-1646. [PMID: 34157372 DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2021.06.1179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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13
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14
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Holmström L, Pylkäs K, Tervasmäki A, Vähätalo J, Porvari K, Pakanen L, Kaikkonen KS, Perkiömäki JS, Kiviniemi AM, Kerkelä R, Ukkola O, Myerburg RJ, Huikuri HV, Junttila J. Genetic contributions to the expression of acquired causes of cardiac hypertrophy in non-ischemic sudden cardiac death victims. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11171. [PMID: 34045587 PMCID: PMC8159951 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90693-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The contribution of genetic variants to non-ischemic sudden cardiac death (SCD) due to acquired myocardial diseases is unclear. We studied whether SCD victims with hypertension/obesity related hypertrophic myocardial disease harbor potentially disease associated gene variants. The Fingesture study has collected data from 5869 autopsy-verified SCD victims in Northern Finland. Among SCD victims, 740 (13%) had hypertension and/or obesity as the most likely explanation for myocardial disease with hypertrophy and fibrosis. We performed next generation sequencing using a panel of 174 cardiac genes for 151 such victims with the best quality of DNA. We used 48 patients with hypertension and hypertrophic heart as controls. Likely pathogenic variants were identified in 15 SCD victims (10%) and variants of uncertain significance (VUS) were observed in additional 43 SCD victims (28%). In controls, likely pathogenic variants were present in two subjects (4%; p = 0.21) and VUSs in 12 subjects (25%; p = 0.64). Among SCD victims, presence of potentially disease-related variants was associated with lower mean BMI and heart weight. Potentially disease related gene variants are common in non-ischemic SCD but further studies are required to determine specific contribution of rare genetic variants to the extent of acquired myocardial diseases leading to SCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauri Holmström
- Research Unit of Internal Medicine, Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, PO Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland.
| | - Katri Pylkäs
- Laboratory of Cancer Genetics and Tumor Biology, Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit and Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Anna Tervasmäki
- Laboratory of Cancer Genetics and Tumor Biology, Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit and Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Juha Vähätalo
- Research Unit of Internal Medicine, Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, PO Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Katja Porvari
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Research Unit of Internal Medicine, Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Lasse Pakanen
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Research Unit of Internal Medicine, Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Forensic Medicine Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Oulu, Finland
| | - Kari S Kaikkonen
- Research Unit of Internal Medicine, Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, PO Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Juha S Perkiömäki
- Research Unit of Internal Medicine, Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, PO Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Antti M Kiviniemi
- Research Unit of Internal Medicine, Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, PO Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Risto Kerkelä
- Research Unit of Biomedicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Olavi Ukkola
- Research Unit of Internal Medicine, Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, PO Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Robert J Myerburg
- Division of Cardiology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Heikki V Huikuri
- Research Unit of Internal Medicine, Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, PO Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Juhani Junttila
- Research Unit of Internal Medicine, Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, PO Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
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15
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Genetic investigations of 100 inherited cardiac disease-related genes in deceased individuals with schizophrenia. Int J Legal Med 2021; 135:1395-1405. [PMID: 33973092 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-021-02595-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Cardiac diseases and sudden cardiac death (SCD) are more prevalent in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia compared to the general population, with especially coronary artery disease (CAD) as the major cardiovascular cause of death. Antipsychotic medications, genetics, and lifestyle factors may contribute to the increased SCD in individuals with schizophrenia. The role of antipsychotic medications and lifestyle factors have been widely investigated, while the genetic predisposition to inherited cardiac diseases in schizophrenia is poorly understood. In this study, we examined 100 genes associated with inherited cardiomyopathies and cardiac channelopathies in 97 deceased individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia for the prevalence of genetic variants associated with SCD. The deceased individuals had various causes of death and were included in the SURVIVE project, a prospective, autopsy-based study of mentally ill individuals in Denmark. This is the first study of multiple inherited cardiac disease-related genes in deceased individuals with diagnosed schizophrenia to shed light on the genetic predisposition to SCD in individuals with schizophrenia. We found no evidence for an overrepresentation of rare variants with high penetrance in inherited cardiac diseases, following the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG) consensus guidelines. However, we found that the deceased individuals had a statistically significantly increased polygenic burden caused by variants in the investigated heart genes compared to the general population. This indicates that common variants with smaller effects in heart genes may play a role in schizophrenia.
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16
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Adolfsson E, Qvick A, Gréen H, Kling D, Gunnarsson C, Jonasson J, Gréen A. Technical in-depth comparison of two massive parallel DNA-sequencing methods for formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue from victims of sudden cardiac death. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2021; 53:102522. [PMID: 33945952 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2021.102522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a tragic and traumatic event. SCD is often associated with hereditary genetic disease and in such cases, sequencing of stored formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue is often crucial in trying to find a causal genetic variant. This study was designed to compare two massive parallel sequencing assays for differences in sensitivity and precision regarding variants related to SCD in FFPE material. From eight cases of SCD where DNA from blood had been sequenced using HaloPlex, corresponding FFPE samples were collected six years later. DNA from FFPE samples were amplified using HaloPlex HS, sequenced on MiSeq, representing the first method, as well as amplified using modified Twist and sequenced on NextSeq, representing the second method. Molecular barcodes were included to distinguish artefacts from true variants. In both approaches, read coverage, uniformity and variant detection were compared using genomic DNA isolated from blood and corresponding FFPE tissue, respectively. In terms of coverage uniformity, Twist performed better than HaloPlex HS for FFPE samples. Despite higher overall coverage, amplicon-based HaloPlex technologies, both for blood and FFPE tissue, suffered from design and/or performance issues resulting in genes lacking complete coverage. Although Twist had considerably lower overall mean coverage, high uniformity resulted in equal or higher fraction of genes covered at ≥ 20X. By comparing variants found in the matched samples in a pre-defined cardiodiagnostic gene panel, HaloPlex HS for FFPE material resulted in high sensitivity, 98.0% (range 96.6-100%), and high precision, 99.9% (range 99.5-100%) for moderately fragmented samples, but suffered from reduced sensitivity (range 74.2-91.1%) in more severely fragmented samples due to lack of coverage. Twist had high sensitivity, 97.8% (range 96.8-98.7%) and high precision, 99.9% (range 99.3-100%) in all analyzed samples, including the severely fragmented samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Adolfsson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Örebro University Hospital, Sweden; Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro Sweden.
| | - Alvida Qvick
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Örebro University Hospital, Sweden; Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro Sweden
| | - Henrik Gréen
- Division of Drug Research, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Department of Forensic Genetics and Forensic Toxicology, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Daniel Kling
- Department of Forensic Genetics and Forensic Toxicology, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Gunnarsson
- Department of Clinical Genetics and Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden; Centre for Rare Diseases in South East Region of Sweden, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jon Jonasson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Örebro University Hospital, Sweden; Department of Clinical Genetics and Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Anna Gréen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Örebro University Hospital, Sweden; Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro Sweden
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17
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Grassi S, Campuzano O, Coll M, Cazzato F, Sarquella-Brugada G, Rossi R, Arena V, Brugada J, Brugada R, Oliva A. Update on the Diagnostic Pitfalls of Autopsy and Post-Mortem Genetic Testing in Cardiomyopathies. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22084124. [PMID: 33923560 PMCID: PMC8074148 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22084124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Inherited cardiomyopathies are frequent causes of sudden cardiac death (SCD), especially in young patients. Despite at the autopsy they usually have distinctive microscopic and/or macroscopic diagnostic features, their phenotypes may be mild or ambiguous, possibly leading to misdiagnoses or missed diagnoses. In this review, the main differential diagnoses of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (e.g., athlete's heart, idiopathic left ventricular hypertrophy), arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (e.g., adipositas cordis, myocarditis) and dilated cardiomyopathy (e.g., acquired forms of dilated cardiomyopathy, left ventricular noncompaction) are discussed. Moreover, the diagnostic issues in SCD victims affected by phenotype-negative hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and the relationship between myocardial bridging and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are analyzed. Finally, the applications/limits of virtopsy and post-mortem genetic testing in this field are discussed, with particular attention to the issues related to the assessment of the significance of the genetic variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Grassi
- Department of Health Surveillance and Bioethics, Section of Legal Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (F.C.); (R.R.); (A.O.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Oscar Campuzano
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), 28029 Madrid, Spain; (O.C.); (M.C.); (J.B.); (R.B.)
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica Girona (IDIBGI), University of Girona, 17190 Girona, Spain
- Medical Science Department, School of Medicine, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain;
| | - Mònica Coll
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), 28029 Madrid, Spain; (O.C.); (M.C.); (J.B.); (R.B.)
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica Girona (IDIBGI), University of Girona, 17190 Girona, Spain
- Medical Science Department, School of Medicine, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain;
| | - Francesca Cazzato
- Department of Health Surveillance and Bioethics, Section of Legal Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (F.C.); (R.R.); (A.O.)
| | - Georgia Sarquella-Brugada
- Medical Science Department, School of Medicine, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain;
- Arrhythmias Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Riccardo Rossi
- Department of Health Surveillance and Bioethics, Section of Legal Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (F.C.); (R.R.); (A.O.)
| | - Vincenzo Arena
- Area of Pathology, Department of Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00147 Rome, Italy;
- Istituto di Anatomia Patologica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Josep Brugada
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), 28029 Madrid, Spain; (O.C.); (M.C.); (J.B.); (R.B.)
- Arrhythmias Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut Clínic Cardiovascular (ICCV), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ramon Brugada
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), 28029 Madrid, Spain; (O.C.); (M.C.); (J.B.); (R.B.)
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica Girona (IDIBGI), University of Girona, 17190 Girona, Spain
- Medical Science Department, School of Medicine, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain;
| | - Antonio Oliva
- Department of Health Surveillance and Bioethics, Section of Legal Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy; (F.C.); (R.R.); (A.O.)
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18
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Abstract
In this section of the European Resuscitation Council Guidelines 2021, key information on the epidemiology and outcome of in and out of hospital cardiac arrest are presented. Key contributions from the European Registry of Cardiac Arrest (EuReCa) collaboration are highlighted. Recommendations are presented to enable health systems to develop registries as a platform for quality improvement and to inform health system planning and responses to cardiac arrest.
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19
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Scheiper-Welling S, Körber S, Geisen C, Verhoff MA, Kauferstein S. Genetic analysis of sudden unexpected death cases: Evaluation of library preparation methods to handle heterogeneous sample material. Forensic Sci Int 2021; 322:110768. [PMID: 33774385 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.110768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Over the past years, next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies revolutionized the possibilities in a broad range of application areas. Also in the field of forensic genetics, NGS continuously gained in importance and attentiveness. A significant number of sudden cardiac deaths (SCD) in the young is due to heritable arrhythmia syndromes emphasizing the need of examining the genetic basis in these cases also with regard to the identification of relatives and/or patients being at risk. As a result, high-throughput methods became of increasing value in molecular autopsy investigations enabling the analysis of a broad spectrum of genes. Most standard protocols are optimized for high-quality samples and frequently not directly applicable to challenging forensic sample material. In the present study, we intended to examine a comprehensive gene panel associated with SCD and inherited arrhythmogenic disorders. We compared three different hybridization-based library preparation technologies in order to implement a suitable NGS workflow for heterogeneous, forensic as well as diagnostic sample material. The results obtained indicated, that the Illumina technologies Nextera DNA Flex and TruSeq were compatible with samples exhibiting varying levels of degradation. In comparison, the TruSight method also resulted in good sequencing data, but seemed to be more dependent on DNA integrity. The preparation protocols evaluated in our study are not restricted to molecular autopsy investigations and might be helpful for and transferrable to further forensic research applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Scheiper-Welling
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Goethe University, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany; German Red Cross Blood Center, Institute of Transfusion Medicine and Immunohaematology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Stephanie Körber
- German Red Cross Blood Center, Institute of Transfusion Medicine and Immunohaematology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Christof Geisen
- German Red Cross Blood Center, Institute of Transfusion Medicine and Immunohaematology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Marcel A Verhoff
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Goethe University, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Silke Kauferstein
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Goethe University, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
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20
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A comparative study of single nucleotide variant detection performance using three massively parallel sequencing methods. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0239850. [PMID: 32986766 PMCID: PMC7521702 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Massively parallel sequencing (MPS) has revolutionised clinical genetics and research within human genetics by enabling the detection of variants in multiple genes in several samples at the same time. Today, multiple approaches for MPS of DNA are available, including targeted gene sequencing (TGS) panels, whole exome sequencing (WES), and whole genome sequencing (WGS). As MPS is becoming an integrated part of the work in genetic laboratories, it is important to investigate the variant detection performance of the various MPS methods. We compared the results of single nucleotide variant (SNV) detection of three MPS methods: WGS, WES, and HaloPlex target enrichment sequencing (HES) using matched DNA of 10 individuals. The detection performance was investigated in 100 genes associated with cardiomyopathies and channelopathies. The results showed that WGS overall performed better than those of WES and HES. WGS had a more uniform and widespread coverage of the investigated regions compared to WES and HES, which both had a right-skewed coverage distribution and difficulties in covering regions and genes with high GC-content. WGS and WES showed roughly the same high sensitivities for detection of SNVs, whereas HES showed a lower sensitivity due to a higher number of false negative results.
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21
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Barretta F, Mirra B, Monda E, Caiazza M, Lombardo B, Tinto N, Scudiero O, Frisso G, Mazzaccara C. The Hidden Fragility in the Heart of the Athletes: A Review of Genetic Biomarkers. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E6682. [PMID: 32932687 PMCID: PMC7555257 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21186682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a devastating event which can also affect people in apparent good health, such as young athletes. It is known that intense and continuous exercise along with a genetic background that predisposes a person to the risk of fatal arrhythmias is a trigger for SCD. Therefore, knowledge of the athlete's genetic conditions underlying the onset of SCD must be extended, in order to develop new effective prevention and/or therapeutic strategies. Arrhythmic features occur across a broad spectrum of cardiac diseases, sometimes presenting with overlapping phenotypes. The genetic basis of arrhythmogenic disorders has been greatly highlighted in the last 30 years, and has shown marked heterogeneity. The advent of next-generation sequencing has constantly updated our understanding of the genetic basis of arrhythmogenic diseases and is laying the foundation for precision medicine. With the exception of a few clinical cases involving a single athlete showing a highly suspected phenotype for the presence of a heart disease, there are few studies to date that analysed the applicability of genetic testing on cohorts of athletes. This evidence shows that genetic testing can contribute to the diagnosis of up to 13% of athletes; however, the presence of clinical markers is essential. This review aims to provide a reference collection on current knowledge of the genetic basis of sudden cardiac death in athletes and to review updated evidence on the effectiveness of genetic testing in early identification of athletes at risk for SCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferdinando Barretta
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (F.B.); (B.M.); (B.L.); (N.T.); (O.S.); (C.M.)
- CEINGE Advanced Biotechnologies, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Bruno Mirra
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (F.B.); (B.M.); (B.L.); (N.T.); (O.S.); (C.M.)
- CEINGE Advanced Biotechnologies, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Emanuele Monda
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, Monaldi Hospital, 80131 Naples, Italy; (E.M.); (M.C.)
| | - Martina Caiazza
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Campania ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, Monaldi Hospital, 80131 Naples, Italy; (E.M.); (M.C.)
| | - Barbara Lombardo
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (F.B.); (B.M.); (B.L.); (N.T.); (O.S.); (C.M.)
- CEINGE Advanced Biotechnologies, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Nadia Tinto
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (F.B.); (B.M.); (B.L.); (N.T.); (O.S.); (C.M.)
- CEINGE Advanced Biotechnologies, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Olga Scudiero
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (F.B.); (B.M.); (B.L.); (N.T.); (O.S.); (C.M.)
- CEINGE Advanced Biotechnologies, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Giulia Frisso
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (F.B.); (B.M.); (B.L.); (N.T.); (O.S.); (C.M.)
- CEINGE Advanced Biotechnologies, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Cristina Mazzaccara
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy; (F.B.); (B.M.); (B.L.); (N.T.); (O.S.); (C.M.)
- CEINGE Advanced Biotechnologies, 80131 Naples, Italy
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22
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Marey I, Fressart V, Rambaud C, Fornes P, Martin L, Grotto S, Alembik Y, Gorka H, Millat G, Gandjbakhch E, Bordet C, de la Grandmaison GL, Richard P, Charron P. Clinical impact of post-mortem genetic testing in cardiac death and cardiomyopathy. Open Med (Wars) 2020; 15:435-446. [PMID: 33336002 PMCID: PMC7711964 DOI: 10.1515/med-2020-0150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-mortem genetic analyses may help to elucidate the cause of cardiac death. The added value is however unclear when a cardiac disease is already suspected or affirmed. Our aim was to study the feasibility and medical impact of post-mortem genetic analyses in suspected cardiomyopathy. We studied 35 patients with cardiac death and suspected cardiomyopathy based on autopsy or clinical data. After targeted sequencing, we identified 15 causal variants in 15 patients (yield 43%) in sarcomeric (n = 8), desmosomal (n = 3), lamin A/C (n = 3) and transthyretin (n = 1) genes. The results had various impacts on families, i.e. allowed predictive genetic testing in relatives (15 families), planned early therapeutics based on the specific underlying gene (5 families), rectified the suspected cardiomyopathy subtype (2 families), assessed the genetic origin of cardiomyopathy that usually has an acquired cause (1 family), assessed the diagnosis in a patient with uncertain borderline cardiomyopathy (1 family), reassured the siblings because of a de novo mutation (2 families) and allowed prenatal testing (1 family). Our findings suggest that post-mortem molecular testing should be included in the strategy of family care after cardiac death and suspected cardiomyopathy, since genetic findings provide additional information useful for relatives, which are beyond conventional autopsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Marey
- APHP, Reference Center for Hereditary Heart Diseases, Department of Genetics, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Véronique Fressart
- APHP, Cardiogenetics and Myogenetics Unit, Metabolic Biochemistry Department, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital Group, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Caroline Rambaud
- Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, Raymond Poincaré Hospital, APHP, UVSQ, 92380 Garches, France
| | - Paul Fornes
- Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, Reims Hospital, 51100 Reims, France
| | - Laurent Martin
- Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, Dijon Hospital, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Sarah Grotto
- Department of Medical Genetics, Robert Debré Hospital, 75019 Paris, France
| | - Yves Alembik
- Department of Medical Genetics, Strasbourg-Hautepierre Hospital, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Hervé Gorka
- Department of Cardiology, Chartres Hospital, 28000 Chartres, France
| | - Gilles Millat
- Molecular Cardiogenetics Laboratory, Center for Biology and Pathology East, Hospices Civils de Lyon, 69500 Bron, France
| | - Estelle Gandjbakhch
- APHP, Reference Center for Hereditary Heart Diseases, Department of Genetics, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, 75013 Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, UMR_S 1166, ICAN Institute for Cardiometabolism and Nutrition, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Céline Bordet
- APHP, Reference Center for Hereditary Heart Diseases, Department of Genetics, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, 75013 Paris, France
| | | | - Pascale Richard
- APHP, Cardiogenetics and Myogenetics Unit, Metabolic Biochemistry Department, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital Group, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Philippe Charron
- APHP, Reference Center for Hereditary Heart Diseases, Department of Genetics, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, 75013 Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, UMR_S 1166, ICAN Institute for Cardiometabolism and Nutrition, 75013 Paris, France
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23
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Lahrouchi N, Raju H, Lodder EM, Papatheodorou S, Miles C, Ware JS, Papadakis M, Tadros R, Cole D, Skinner JR, Crawford J, Love DR, Pua CJ, Soh BY, Bhalshankar JD, Govind R, Tfelt-Hansen J, Winkel BG, van der Werf C, Wijeyeratne YD, Mellor G, Till J, Cohen M, Tome-Esteban M, Sharma S, Wilde AAM, Cook SA, Sheppard MN, Bezzina CR, Behr ER. The yield of postmortem genetic testing in sudden death cases with structural findings at autopsy. Eur J Hum Genet 2020; 28:17-22. [PMID: 31534214 PMCID: PMC6906523 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-019-0500-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is often associated with structural abnormalities of the heart during autopsy. This study sought to compare the diagnostic yield of postmortem genetic testing in (1) cases with structural findings of uncertain significance at autopsy to (2) cases with autopsy findings diagnostic of cardiomyopathy. We evaluated 57 SCD cases with structural findings at cardiac autopsy. Next-generation sequencing using a panel of 77 primary electrical disorder and cardiomyopathy genes was performed. Pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants were classified using American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) consensus guidelines. In 29 cases (51%) autopsy findings of uncertain significance were identified whereas in 28 cases (49%) a diagnosis of cardiomyopathy was established. We identified a pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant in 10 cases (18%); in 1 (3%) case with non-specific autopsy findings compared with 9 (32%) cases with autopsy findings diagnostic of cardiomyopathy (p = 0.0054). The yield of genetic testing in SCD cases with autopsy findings consistent with cardiomyopathy is comparable with the yield in cardiomyopathy patients that are alive. Genetic testing in cases with findings of uncertain significance offers lower clinical utility than in cardiomyopathy, with lower yields than detected previously. This highlights the need for stringent evaluation of variant pathogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Najim Lahrouchi
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Heart Center; Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hariharan Raju
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, UK
- Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Elisabeth M Lodder
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Heart Center; Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Stathis Papatheodorou
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, UK
- Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Chris Miles
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, UK
- Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - James S Ware
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Sydney Street, London, UK
- Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK
| | - Michael Papadakis
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, UK
- Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Rafik Tadros
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Heart Center; Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Montreal Heart Institute and Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Della Cole
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, UK
- Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Jonathan R Skinner
- Cardiac Inherited Disease Group New Zealand, Green Lane Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Services, Starship Children's Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
- The University of Auckland, Department of Paediatrics Child and Youth Health, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jackie Crawford
- Cardiac Inherited Disease Group New Zealand, Green Lane Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Services, Starship Children's Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Donald R Love
- Cardiac Inherited Disease Group New Zealand, Green Lane Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Services, Starship Children's Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Chee J Pua
- National Heart Centre Singapore, 5 Hospital Drive, Singapore, 169609, Singapore
| | - Bee Y Soh
- National Heart Centre Singapore, 5 Hospital Drive, Singapore, 169609, Singapore
| | | | - Risha Govind
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Sydney Street, London, UK
- Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK
| | | | - Bo G Winkel
- Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christian van der Werf
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Heart Center; Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yanushi D Wijeyeratne
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, UK
- Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Greg Mellor
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, UK
- Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Janice Till
- Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Sydney Street, London, UK
- Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK
| | - Marta Cohen
- Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - Maria Tome-Esteban
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, UK
- Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Sanjay Sharma
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, UK
- Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Arthur A M Wilde
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Heart Center; Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Stuart A Cook
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, Sydney Street, London, UK
- National Heart Centre Singapore, 5 Hospital Drive, Singapore, 169609, Singapore
- Duke-NUS, 8 College Road, Singapore, 169857, Singapore
| | - Mary N Sheppard
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, UK
- Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Connie R Bezzina
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Heart Center; Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Elijah R Behr
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, UK.
- Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
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24
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Larsen MK, Christiansen SL, Hertz CL, Frank-Hansen R, Jensen HK, Banner J, Morling N. Targeted molecular genetic testing in young sudden cardiac death victims from Western Denmark. Int J Legal Med 2019; 134:111-121. [DOI: 10.1007/s00414-019-02179-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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25
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Performance of the entirely subcutaneous ICD in borderline indications. Clin Res Cardiol 2019; 109:694-699. [DOI: 10.1007/s00392-019-01558-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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26
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Whole genome and transcriptome sequencing of post-mortem cardiac tissues from sudden cardiac death victims identifies a gene regulatory variant in NEXN. Int J Legal Med 2019; 133:1699-1709. [PMID: 31392414 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-019-02127-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a major public health problem and constitutes a diagnostic and preventive challenge in forensic pathology, especially for cases with structural normal hearts at autopsy, so-called sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS). The identification of new genetic risk factors that predispose to SADS is important, because they may contribute to establish the diagnosis and increase the understanding of disease pathways underlying SADS. Pathogenic mutations in the protein coding regions of cardiac genes were found in relation to SADS. However, much remains unknown about variants in non-coding regions of the genome. METHODS AND RESULTS In this study, we explored the potential of whole genome sequencing (WGS) and whole transcriptome sequencing (WTS) to find DNA variants in SCD victims with structural normal hearts. With focus on the non-coding regulatory regions, we re-examined a cohort of 13 SADS and sudden unexplained death in infancy (SUDI) victims without disease causing DNA variants in recognized cardiac genes. The genetic re-examination of DNA was carried out using frozen tissue samples and WTS was carried out using five distinct formalin fixed and paraffin embedded (FFPE) cardiac tissue samples from each individual, including anterior and posterior walls of the left ventricle, ventricular papillary muscle, septum, and the right ventricle. We identified 23 candidate variants in regulatory sequences of cardiac genes, including a variant in the promotor region of NEXN, c.-194A>G, that was found to be statistically significantly (p < 0.05) associated with decreased expression of NEXN and cardiac hypertrophy. CONCLUSION With the use of post-mortem FFPE tissues, we highlight the potential of using WTS investigations and compare gene expression levels with DNA variation in regulatory non-coding regions of the genome for a better understanding of the genetics of cardiac diseases leading to SCD.
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27
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Campuzano O, Sanchez-Molero O, Fernandez A, Mademont-Soler I, Coll M, Perez-Serra A, Mates J, Del Olmo B, Pico F, Nogue-Navarro L, Sarquella-Brugada G, Iglesias A, Cesar S, Carro E, Borondo JC, Brugada J, Castellà J, Medallo J, Brugada R. Sudden Arrhythmic Death During Exercise: A Post-Mortem Genetic Analysis. Sports Med 2018; 47:2101-2115. [PMID: 28255936 DOI: 10.1007/s40279-017-0705-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sudden cardiac death is a natural and unexpected death that occurs within 1 h of the first symptom. Most sudden cardiac deaths occur during exercise, mostly as a result of myocardial infarction. After autopsy, some cases, especially in the young, are diagnosed as cardiomyopathies or remain without a conclusive cause of death. In both situations, genetic alterations may explain the arrhythmia. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to identify a genetic predisposition to sudden cardiac death in a cohort of post-mortem cases of individuals who died during exercise, with a structurally normal heart, and were classified as arrhythmogenic death. METHODS We analyzed a cohort of 52 post-mortem samples from individuals <50 years old who had a negative autopsy. Next-generation sequencing technology was used to screen genes associated with sudden cardiac death. RESULTS Our cohort showed a male prevalence (12:1). Half of the deaths occurred in individuals 41-50 years of age. Running was the most common exercise activity during the fatal event, accounting for 46.15% of cases. Genetic analysis identified 83 rare variants in 37 samples (71.15% of all samples). Of all rare variants, 36.14% were classified as deleterious, being present in 53.84% of all cases. CONCLUSIONS A comprehensive analysis of sudden cardiac death-related genes in individuals who died suddenly while exercising enabled the identification of potentially causative variants. However, many genetic variants remain of indeterminate significance, thus further work is needed before clinical translation. Nonetheless, comprehensive genetic analysis of individuals who died during exercise enables the detection of potentially causative variants and helps to identify at-risk relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Campuzano
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Girona (IDIBGI), University of Girona, C/Dr Castany s/n, Parc Hospitalari Martí i Julià (M-2), Salt, 17190, Girona, Spain.,Medical Science Department, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Olallo Sanchez-Molero
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Girona (IDIBGI), University of Girona, C/Dr Castany s/n, Parc Hospitalari Martí i Julià (M-2), Salt, 17190, Girona, Spain
| | - Anna Fernandez
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Girona (IDIBGI), University of Girona, C/Dr Castany s/n, Parc Hospitalari Martí i Julià (M-2), Salt, 17190, Girona, Spain
| | - Irene Mademont-Soler
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Girona (IDIBGI), University of Girona, C/Dr Castany s/n, Parc Hospitalari Martí i Julià (M-2), Salt, 17190, Girona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Monica Coll
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Girona (IDIBGI), University of Girona, C/Dr Castany s/n, Parc Hospitalari Martí i Julià (M-2), Salt, 17190, Girona, Spain
| | - Alexandra Perez-Serra
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Girona (IDIBGI), University of Girona, C/Dr Castany s/n, Parc Hospitalari Martí i Julià (M-2), Salt, 17190, Girona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesus Mates
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Girona (IDIBGI), University of Girona, C/Dr Castany s/n, Parc Hospitalari Martí i Julià (M-2), Salt, 17190, Girona, Spain
| | - Bernat Del Olmo
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Girona (IDIBGI), University of Girona, C/Dr Castany s/n, Parc Hospitalari Martí i Julià (M-2), Salt, 17190, Girona, Spain
| | - Ferran Pico
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Girona (IDIBGI), University of Girona, C/Dr Castany s/n, Parc Hospitalari Martí i Julià (M-2), Salt, 17190, Girona, Spain
| | - Laia Nogue-Navarro
- Medical Science Department, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | | | - Anna Iglesias
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Girona (IDIBGI), University of Girona, C/Dr Castany s/n, Parc Hospitalari Martí i Julià (M-2), Salt, 17190, Girona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergi Cesar
- Arrhythmias Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Esther Carro
- Arrhythmias Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Borondo
- Histopathology Unit, Instituto Nacional Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses (INTCF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Brugada
- Arrhythmias Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Castellà
- Forensic Pathology Service, Institut de Medicina Legal i Ciències Forenses de Catalunya (IMLCFC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Medallo
- Forensic Pathology Service, Institut de Medicina Legal i Ciències Forenses de Catalunya (IMLCFC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ramon Brugada
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Girona (IDIBGI), University of Girona, C/Dr Castany s/n, Parc Hospitalari Martí i Julià (M-2), Salt, 17190, Girona, Spain. .,Medical Science Department, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona, Spain. .,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain. .,Cardiology Service, Hospital Josep Trueta, Girona, Spain.
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Scheiper S, Ramos-Luis E, Blanco-Verea A, Niess C, Beckmann BM, Schmidt U, Kettner M, Geisen C, Verhoff MA, Brion M, Kauferstein S. Sudden unexpected death in the young - Value of massive parallel sequencing in postmortem genetic analyses. Forensic Sci Int 2018; 293:70-76. [PMID: 30415094 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2018.09.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Cases of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young and apparently healthy individuals represent a devastating event in affected families. Hereditary arrhythmia syndromes, which include primary electrical heart disorders as well as cardiomyopathies, are known to contribute to a significant number of these sudden death cases. We performed postmortem genetic analyses in young sudden death cases (aged <45years) by means of a defined gene panel using massive parallel sequencing (MPS). The data were evaluated bioinformatically and detected sequence variants were assessed using common databases and applying in silico prediction tools. In this study, we identified variants with likely pathogenic effect in 6 of 9 sudden unexpected death (SUD) cases. Due to the detection of numerous unknown and unclassified variants, interpretation of the results proved to be challenging. However, by means of an appropriate evaluation of the findings, MPS represents an important tool to support the forensic investigation and implies great progress for relatives of young SCD victims facilitating adequate risk stratification and genetic counseling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Scheiper
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany; German Red Cross Blood Center, Institute of Transfusion Medicine and Immunohaematology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Eva Ramos-Luis
- Xenética Cardiovascular, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña), Spain; Medicina Xenómica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela-Fundación Pública Galega de Medicina Xenómica, Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña), Spain
| | - Alejandro Blanco-Verea
- Xenética Cardiovascular, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña), Spain; Medicina Xenómica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela-Fundación Pública Galega de Medicina Xenómica, Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña), Spain
| | - Constanze Niess
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Britt-Maria Beckmann
- Department of Medicine I, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Ulrike Schmidt
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Mattias Kettner
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Christof Geisen
- German Red Cross Blood Center, Institute of Transfusion Medicine and Immunohaematology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Marcel A Verhoff
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Maria Brion
- Xenética Cardiovascular, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña), Spain; Medicina Xenómica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela-Fundación Pública Galega de Medicina Xenómica, Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña), Spain
| | - Silke Kauferstein
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
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Molecular autopsy in a cohort of infants died suddenly at rest. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2018; 37:54-63. [PMID: 30086531 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2018.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2018] [Revised: 07/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Sudden infant death syndrome is the leading cause of death during the first year of life. A large part of cases remains without a conclusive cause of death after complete autopsy. In these situations, cardiac arrhythmia of genetic origin is suspected as the most plausible cause of death. Our aim was to ascertain whether genetic variants associated with sudden cardiac death might be the cause of death in a cohort of infants died suddenly. We analyzed 108 genes associated with sudden cardiac death in 44 post-mortem samples of infants less than 1 year old of age who died at rest. Definite cause of death was not conclusive in any case after a complete autopsy. Genetic analysis identified at least one rare variant in 90.90% of samples. A total of 121 rare genetic variants were identified. Of them, 33.05% were novel and 39.66% were located in genes encoding ion channels or associated proteins. A comprehensive genetic analysis in infants who died suddenly enables the unraveling of potentially causative cardiac variants in 2045% of cases. Molecular autopsy should be included in forensic protocols when no conclusive cause of death is identified. Large part genetic variants remain of uncertain significance, reinforcing the crucial role of genetic interpretation before clinical translation but also in early identification of relatives at risk.
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Bonilla JC, Parra-Medina R, Chaves JJ, Campuzano O, Sarquella-Brugada G, Brugada R, Brugada J. [Molecular autopsy in sudden cardiac death]. ARCHIVOS DE CARDIOLOGIA DE MEXICO 2018; 88:306-312. [PMID: 30030015 DOI: 10.1016/j.acmx.2018.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Revised: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/09/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, there are a significant percentage of autopsies left without a conclusive diagnosis of death, especially when this lethal event occurs suddenly. Genetic analysis has been recently incorporated into the field of forensic medicine, especially in patients with sudden death and where no conclusive cause of death is identified after a complete medical-legal autopsy. Inherited arrhythmogenic diseases are the main cause of death in these cases. To date, more than 40 genes have been associated with arrhythmogenic disease, and causing sudden cardiac death has been described. The main arrhythmogenic diseases are Long QT Syndrome, Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia, Brugada Syndrome, and Short QT Syndrome. These post-mortem genetic studies, not only allow a diagnosis of the cause of death, but also allow a clinical translation in relatives, focusing on the early identification of individuals at risk of syncope, as well as adopting personalised therapeutic measures for the prevention of a lethal arrhythmic episode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Bonilla
- Departamento de Patología, Hospital de San José, Hospital Infantil Universitario de San José, Fundación Universitaria de Ciencias de la Salud, Bogotá, Colombia.
| | - Rafael Parra-Medina
- Departamento de Patología, Hospital de San José, Hospital Infantil Universitario de San José, Fundación Universitaria de Ciencias de la Salud, Bogotá, Colombia; Instituto de Investigación, Fundación Universitaria de Ciencias de la Salud, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Juan José Chaves
- Departamento de Patología, Hospital de San José, Hospital Infantil Universitario de San José, Fundación Universitaria de Ciencias de la Salud, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Oscar Campuzano
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Girona (IDIBGI), Universidad de Girona, Girona, España; Department de Ciencias Médicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Girona, Girona, España; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares-CIBERCV, Madrid, España
| | | | - Ramón Brugada
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Girona (IDIBGI), Universidad de Girona, Girona, España; Department de Ciencias Médicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Girona, Girona, España; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares-CIBERCV, Madrid, España; Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Josep Trueta, Girona, España
| | - Josep Brugada
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares-CIBERCV, Madrid, España; Institut Clínic Cardiovascular (ICCV), Hospital Clínic, Universidad de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, España
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31
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van Deventer BS, du Toit-Prinsloo L, van Niekerk C. Feasibility of analysis of the SCN5A gene in paraffin embedded samples in sudden infant death cases at the Pretoria Medico-Legal Laboratory, South Africa. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2018; 14:276-284. [PMID: 29907895 DOI: 10.1007/s12024-018-9995-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
To determine variations in the SCN5A gene linked to inherited cardiac arrhythmogenic disorders in sudden, unexplained infant death (SUID) cases examined at the Pretoria Medico-Legal Laboratory, South Africa. A retrospective study was conducted on SUID cases and controls, analyzing DNA extracted from archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) myocardial tissue samples as well as blood samples. A total of 48 FFPE tissue samples (cases), 10 control FFPE tissue samples and nine control blood samples were included. DNA extracted from all samples was used to test for variations in the SCN5A gene by using high resolution melt (HRM) real-time PCR and sequencing. Genetic analysis showed 31 different single nucleotide variants in the entire study population (n = 67). Five previously reported variants of known pathogenic significance, and 14 variants of benign clinical significance, were identified. The study found 12 different variants in the cases that were not published in any database or literature and were considered novel. Of these novel variants, two were predicted as "probably damaging" with a high level of certainty (found in four case samples), one (identified in another case sample) was predicted to be "possibly damaging" with a 50% chance of being disease-causing, and nine were predicted to be benign. This study shows the significant added value of using genetic testing in determining the cause of death in South African SUID cases. Considering the high heritability of these arrhythmic disorders, post mortem genetic testing could play an important role in the understanding of the pathogenesis thereof and could also aid in the diagnosis and treatment of family members at risk, ultimately preventing similar future cases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lorraine du Toit-Prinsloo
- Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Forensic Medicine, Sydney, Forensic & Analytical Science Services (FASS), NSW Health Pathology, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Chantal van Niekerk
- Department of Chemical Pathology, University of Pretoria, R3-43 Pathology Building, Prinshof Campus, Pretoria, 0002, Republic of South Africa. .,Department of Chemical Pathology, National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS), Tshwane Academic Division, Pretoria, South Africa.
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33
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Van Niekerk C, Van Deventer BS, du Toit-Prinsloo L. Long QT syndrome and sudden unexpected infant death. J Clin Pathol 2017; 70:808-813. [PMID: 28663329 DOI: 10.1136/jclinpath-2016-204199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Revised: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is an inheritable primary electric disease of the heart characterised by abnormally long QT intervals and a propensity to develop atrial and ventricular tachyarrhythmias. It is caused by an inherited channelopathy responsible for sudden cardiac death in individuals with structurally normal hearts. Long QT syndrome can present early in life, and some studies suggest that it may be associated with up to 20% of sudden unexplained infant death (SUID), particularly when associated with external stressors such as asphyxia, which is commonly seen in many infant death scenes. With an understanding of the genetic defects, it has now been possible to retrospectively analyse samples from infants who have presented to forensic pathology services with a history of unexplained sudden death, which may, in turn, enable the implementation of preventative treatment for siblings previously not known to have pathogenic genetic variations. In this viewpoint article, we will discuss SUID, LQTS and postmortem genetic analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantal Van Niekerk
- Department of Chemical Pathology, National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.,Department of Chemical Pathology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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34
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Lahrouchi N, Raju H, Lodder EM, Papatheodorou E, Ware JS, Papadakis M, Tadros R, Cole D, Skinner JR, Crawford J, Love DR, Pua CJ, Soh BY, Bhalshankar JD, Govind R, Tfelt-Hansen J, Winkel BG, van der Werf C, Wijeyeratne YD, Mellor G, Till J, Cohen MC, Tome-Esteban M, Sharma S, Wilde AAM, Cook SA, Bezzina CR, Sheppard MN, Behr ER. Utility of Post-Mortem Genetic Testing in Cases of Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome. J Am Coll Cardiol 2017; 69:2134-2145. [PMID: 28449774 PMCID: PMC5405216 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2017.02.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 188] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Revised: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) describes a sudden death with negative autopsy and toxicological analysis. Cardiac genetic disease is a likely etiology. OBJECTIVES This study investigated the clinical utility and combined yield of post-mortem genetic testing (molecular autopsy) in cases of SADS and comprehensive clinical evaluation of surviving relatives. METHODS We evaluated 302 expertly validated SADS cases with suitable DNA (median age: 24 years; 65% males) who underwent next-generation sequencing using an extended panel of 77 primary electrical disorder and cardiomyopathy genes. Pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants were classified using American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) consensus guidelines. The yield of combined molecular autopsy and clinical evaluation in 82 surviving families was evaluated. A gene-level rare variant association analysis was conducted in SADS cases versus controls. RESULTS A clinically actionable pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant was identified in 40 of 302 cases (13%). The main etiologies established were catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and long QT syndrome (17 [6%] and 11 [4%], respectively). Gene-based rare variants association analysis showed enrichment of rare predicted deleterious variants in RYR2 (p = 5 × 10-5). Combining molecular autopsy with clinical evaluation in surviving families increased diagnostic yield from 26% to 39%. CONCLUSIONS Molecular autopsy for electrical disorder and cardiomyopathy genes, using ACMG guidelines for variant classification, identified a modest but realistic yield in SADS. Our data highlighted the predominant role of catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and long QT syndrome, especially the RYR2 gene, as well as the minimal yield from other genes. Furthermore, we showed the enhanced utility of combined clinical and genetic evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Najim Lahrouchi
- Heart Centre, Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hariharan Raju
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom; Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elisabeth M Lodder
- Heart Centre, Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Efstathios Papatheodorou
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom; Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - James S Ware
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Sydney Street, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Papadakis
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom; Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rafik Tadros
- Heart Centre, Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Department of Medicine, Montreal Heart Institute and Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Della Cole
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom; Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan R Skinner
- Cardiac Inherited Disease Group New Zealand, Green Lane Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Services, Starship Children's Hospital, Auckland New Zealand; The University of Auckland, Department of Paediatrics Child and Youth Health, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jackie Crawford
- Cardiac Inherited Disease Group New Zealand, Green Lane Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Services, Starship Children's Hospital, Auckland New Zealand; The University of Auckland, Department of Paediatrics Child and Youth Health, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Donald R Love
- Cardiac Inherited Disease Group New Zealand, Green Lane Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Services, Starship Children's Hospital, Auckland New Zealand; The University of Auckland, Department of Paediatrics Child and Youth Health, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Chee J Pua
- National Heart Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bee Y Soh
- National Heart Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Risha Govind
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Sydney Street, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Bo G Winkel
- Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christian van der Werf
- Heart Centre, Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Yanushi D Wijeyeratne
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom; Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Greg Mellor
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom; Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jan Till
- Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom; National Heart and Lung Institute, Sydney Street, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marta C Cohen
- Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Tome-Esteban
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom; Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sanjay Sharma
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom; Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Arthur A M Wilde
- Heart Centre, Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Princess Al-Jawhara Al-Brahim Centre of Excellence in Research of Hereditary Disorders, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Stuart A Cook
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Sydney Street, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; National Heart Centre Singapore, Singapore; Duke-National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Connie R Bezzina
- Heart Centre, Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mary N Sheppard
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom; Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elijah R Behr
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Research Institute, St. George's, University of London, London, United Kingdom; Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
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35
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Ferrara SD, Cecchetto G, Cecchi R, Favretto D, Grabherr S, Ishikawa T, Kondo T, Montisci M, Pfeiffer H, Bonati MR, Shokry D, Vennemann M, Bajanowski T. Back to the Future - Part 2. Post-mortem assessment and evolutionary role of the bio-medicolegal sciences. Int J Legal Med 2017; 131:1085-1101. [PMID: 28444439 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-017-1585-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Part 2 of the review "Back to the Future" is dedicated to the evolutionary role of the bio-medicolegal sciences, reporting the historical profiles, the state of the art, and prospects for future development of the main related techniques and methods of the ancillary disciplines that have risen to the role of "autonomous" sciences, namely, Genetics and Genomics, Toxicology, Radiology, and Imaging, involved in historic synergy in the "post-mortem assessment," together with the mother discipline Legal Medicine, by way of its primary fundament, universally denominated as Forensic Pathology. The evolution of the scientific research and the increased accuracy of the various disciplines will be oriented towards the elaboration of an "algorithm," able to weigh the value of "evidence" placed at the disposal of the "justice system" as real truth and proof.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santo Davide Ferrara
- Department of Legal and Occupational Medicine, Toxicology and Public Health, University-Hospital of Padova, Padua, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Cecchetto
- Department of Legal and Occupational Medicine, Toxicology and Public Health, University-Hospital of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Rossana Cecchi
- Department of Biomedical, Biotechnological and Translational Medicine, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Donata Favretto
- Department of Legal and Occupational Medicine, Toxicology and Public Health, University-Hospital of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Silke Grabherr
- University Center of Legal Medicine Lausanne-Geneva, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Takaki Ishikawa
- Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Osaka, Japan
| | - Toshikazu Kondo
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Massimo Montisci
- Department of Legal and Occupational Medicine, Toxicology and Public Health, University-Hospital of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Heidi Pfeiffer
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University-Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Maurizio Rippa Bonati
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, Section of Medical Humanities, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Dina Shokry
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, University of Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Marielle Vennemann
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University-Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Thomas Bajanowski
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University-Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
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Sanchez O, Campuzano O, Fernández-Falgueras A, Sarquella-Brugada G, Cesar S, Mademont I, Mates J, Pérez-Serra A, Coll M, Pico F, Iglesias A, Tirón C, Allegue C, Carro E, Gallego MÁ, Ferrer-Costa C, Hospital A, Bardalet N, Borondo JC, Vingut A, Arbelo E, Brugada J, Castellà J, Medallo J, Brugada R. Natural and Undetermined Sudden Death: Value of Post-Mortem Genetic Investigation. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167358. [PMID: 27930701 PMCID: PMC5145162 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sudden unexplained death may be the first manifestation of an unknown inherited cardiac disease. Current genetic technologies may enable the unraveling of an etiology and the identification of relatives at risk. The aim of our study was to define the etiology of natural deaths, younger than 50 years of age, and to investigate whether genetic defects associated with cardiac diseases could provide a potential etiology for the unexplained cases. Methods and Findings Our cohort included a total of 789 consecutive cases (77.19% males) <50 years old (average 38.6±12.2 years old) who died suddenly from non-violent causes. A comprehensive autopsy was performed according to current forensic guidelines. During autopsy a cause of death was identified in most cases (81.1%), mainly due to cardiac alterations (56.87%). In unexplained cases, genetic analysis of the main genes associated with sudden cardiac death was performed using Next Generation Sequencing technology. Genetic analysis was performed in suspected inherited diseases (cardiomyopathy) and in unexplained death, with identification of potentially pathogenic variants in nearly 50% and 40% of samples, respectively. Conclusions Cardiac disease is the most important cause of sudden death, especially after the age of 40. Close to 10% of cases may remain unexplained after a complete autopsy investigation. Molecular autopsy may provide an explanation for a significant part of these unexplained cases. Identification of genetic variations enables genetic counseling and undertaking of preventive measures in relatives at risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olallo Sanchez
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, University of Girona-IDIBGI, Girona (Spain)
| | - Oscar Campuzano
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, University of Girona-IDIBGI, Girona (Spain)
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona (Spain)
| | - Anna Fernández-Falgueras
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, University of Girona-IDIBGI, Girona (Spain)
- Cardiovascular Genetics Unit, Hospital Josep Trueta, Girona (Spain)
| | | | - Sergi Cesar
- Arrhythmia Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, Barcelona (Spain)
| | - Irene Mademont
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, University of Girona-IDIBGI, Girona (Spain)
| | - Jesus Mates
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, University of Girona-IDIBGI, Girona (Spain)
| | | | - Monica Coll
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, University of Girona-IDIBGI, Girona (Spain)
| | - Ferran Pico
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, University of Girona-IDIBGI, Girona (Spain)
| | - Anna Iglesias
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, University of Girona-IDIBGI, Girona (Spain)
| | - Coloma Tirón
- Cardiovascular Genetics Unit, Hospital Josep Trueta, Girona (Spain)
| | - Catarina Allegue
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, University of Girona-IDIBGI, Girona (Spain)
| | - Esther Carro
- Arrhythmia Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, Barcelona (Spain)
| | - María Ángeles Gallego
- Forensic Pathology Service, Institut Medicina Legal Ciències Mèdiques Catalunya, Barcelona (Spain)
| | | | - Anna Hospital
- Forensic Pathology Service, Institut Medicina Legal i Ciències Forenses de Catalunya, Girona (Spain)
| | - Narcís Bardalet
- Forensic Pathology Service, Institut Medicina Legal i Ciències Forenses de Catalunya, Girona (Spain)
| | - Juan Carlos Borondo
- Histopathology Unit, Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses, Barcelona (Spain)
| | - Albert Vingut
- Histopathology Unit, Instituto Nacional de Toxicología y Ciencias Forenses, Barcelona (Spain)
| | - Elena Arbelo
- Arrhythmia Unit, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, University of Barcelona, Barcelona (Spain)
| | - Josep Brugada
- Arrhythmia Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, Barcelona (Spain)
- Arrhythmia Unit, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, University of Barcelona, Barcelona (Spain)
| | - Josep Castellà
- Forensic Pathology Service, Institut Medicina Legal Ciències Mèdiques Catalunya, Barcelona (Spain)
| | - Jordi Medallo
- Forensic Pathology Service, Institut Medicina Legal Ciències Mèdiques Catalunya, Barcelona (Spain)
| | - Ramon Brugada
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, University of Girona-IDIBGI, Girona (Spain)
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona, Girona (Spain)
- Cardiovascular Genetics Unit, Hospital Josep Trueta, Girona (Spain)
- * E-mail:
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37
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Hellenthal N, Gaertner-Rommel A, Klauke B, Paluszkiewicz L, Stuhr M, Kerner T, Farr M, Püschel K, Milting H. Molecular autopsy of sudden unexplained deaths reveals genetic predispositions for cardiac diseases among young forensic cases. Europace 2016; 19:1881-1890. [DOI: 10.1093/europace/euw247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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Christiansen SL, Hertz CL, Ferrero-Miliani L, Dahl M, Weeke PE, LuCamp, Ottesen GL, Frank-Hansen R, Bundgaard H, Morling N. Genetic investigation of 100 heart genes in sudden unexplained death victims in a forensic setting. Eur J Hum Genet 2016; 24:1797-1802. [PMID: 27650965 DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2016.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Revised: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In forensic medicine, one-third of the sudden deaths remain unexplained after medico-legal autopsy. A major proportion of these sudden unexplained deaths (SUD) are considered to be caused by inherited cardiac diseases. Sudden cardiac death (SCD) may be the first manifestation of these diseases. The purpose of this study was to explore the yield of next-generation sequencing of genes associated with SCD in a cohort of SUD victims. We investigated 100 genes associated with cardiac diseases in 61 young (1-50 years) SUD cases. DNA was captured with the Haloplex target enrichment system and sequenced using an Illumina MiSeq. The identified genetic variants were evaluated and classified as likely, unknown or unlikely to have a functional effect. The criteria for this classification were based on the literature, databases, conservation and prediction of the effect of the variant. We found that 21 (34%) individuals carried variants with a likely functional effect. Ten (40%) of these variants were located in genes associated with cardiomyopathies and 15 (60%) of the variants in genes associated with cardiac channelopathies. Nineteen individuals carried variants with unknown functional effect. Our findings indicate that broad genetic investigation of SUD victims increases the diagnostic outcome, and the investigation should comprise genes involved in both cardiomyopathies and cardiac channelopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofie Lindgren Christiansen
- Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christin Løth Hertz
- Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Laura Ferrero-Miliani
- Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morten Dahl
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter Ejvin Weeke
- The Department of Cardiology, Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - LuCamp
- LuCamp, The Lundbeck Foundation Centre for Applied Medical Genomics in Personalized Disease Prediction, Prevention and Care, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gyda Lolk Ottesen
- Section of Forensic Pathology, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rune Frank-Hansen
- Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Henning Bundgaard
- The Unit for Inherited Cardiac Diseases, The Heart Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Niels Morling
- Section of Forensic Genetics, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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39
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Medico-legal perspectives on sudden cardiac death in young athletes. Int J Legal Med 2016; 131:393-409. [PMID: 27654714 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-016-1452-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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40
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Ottaviani G, Buja LM. Anatomopathological changes of the cardiac conduction system in sudden cardiac death, particularly in infants: advances over the last 25 years. Cardiovasc Pathol 2016; 25:489-499. [PMID: 27616614 DOI: 10.1016/j.carpath.2016.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Revised: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is defined as the unexpected death without an obvious noncardiac cause that occurs within 1 h of witnessed symptom onset (established SCD) or within 24 h of unwitnessed symptom onset (probable SCD). In the United States, its incidence is 69/100,000 per year. Dysfunctions of the cardiac conduction and autonomic nervous systems are known to contribute to SCD pathogenesis, even if most clinicians and cardiovascular pathologists lack experience with detailed examination of the cardiac conduction system and fail to recognize lesions that are crucial to explain the SCD itself. In this review, we sought to describe the advances over the last 25 years in the study of the anatomopathological changes of the conducting tissue, in SCD, in mature hearts and particularly in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and sudden intrauterine unexpected death syndrome (SIUDS), through the articles published in our journal Cardiovascular Pathology (CVP). We carried out an extensive Medline search to retrieve and review all articles published in CVP in which the sudden unexpected death of one or more subjects believed healthy was reported, especially if associated with lesions of the conducting tissue in settings that revealed no other explained causes of death, particularly in infants and fetuses. The cardiac conduction findings of resorptive degeneration, His bundle dispersion, Mahaim fibers, cartilaginous meta-hyperplasia, persistent fetal dispersion, left-sided His bundle, septation of the bifurcation, atrioventricular node dispersion, sinus node hypoplasia, Zahn node, His bundle hypoplasia, atrioventricular node, and His bundle dualism were similarly detected in SIDS and SIUDS victims.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Ottaviani
- "Lino Rossi" Research Center for the Study and Prevention of Unexpected Perinatal Death and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), Department of Biomedical, Surgical, and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - L Maximilian Buja
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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41
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Lahrouchi N, Behr ER, Bezzina CR. Next-Generation Sequencing in Post-mortem Genetic Testing of Young Sudden Cardiac Death Cases. Front Cardiovasc Med 2016; 3:13. [PMID: 27303672 PMCID: PMC4885007 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2016.00013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the young (<40 years) occurs in the setting of a variety of rare inherited cardiac disorders and is a disastrous event for family members. Establishing the cause of SCD is important as it permits the pre-symptomatic identification of relatives at risk of SCD. Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) is defined as SCD in the setting of negative autopsy findings and toxicological analysis. In such cases, reaching a diagnosis is even more challenging and post-mortem genetic testing can crucially contribute to the identification of the underlying cause of death. In this review, we will discuss the current achievements of “the molecular autopsy” in young SADS cases and provide an overview of key challenges in assessing pathogenicity (i.e., causality) of genetic variants identified through next-generation sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Najim Lahrouchi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Heart Center, AMC , Amsterdam , Netherlands
| | - Elijah R Behr
- Cardiology Clinical Academic Group, St George's University of London , London , UK
| | - Connie R Bezzina
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Heart Center, AMC , Amsterdam , Netherlands
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42
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Zhao Q, Chen Y, Peng L, Gao R, Liu N, Jiang P, Liu C, Tang S, Quan L, Makielski JC, Cheng J. Identification of rare variants of DSP gene in sudden unexplained nocturnal death syndrome in the southern Chinese Han population. Int J Legal Med 2016; 130:317-22. [PMID: 26585738 PMCID: PMC4951159 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-015-1275-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Sudden unexplained nocturnal death syndrome (SUNDS) is a perplexing disorder to both forensic pathologists and clinic physicians. Desmoplakin (DSP) gene was the first desmosomal gene linked to arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) which was associated with sudden death. To identify the genetic variants of the DSP gene in SUNDS in the southern Chinese Han population, we genetically screened the DSP gene in 40 sporadic SUNDS victims, 16 Brugada syndrome (BrS) patients, and 2 early repolarization syndrome (ERS) patients using next generation sequencing (NSG) and direct Sanger sequencing. A total of 10 genetic variants of the DSP gene were detected in 11 cases, comprised of two novel missense mutations (p.I125F and p.D521A) and eight previously reported rare variants. Of eight reported variants, two were previously considered pathogenic (p.Q90R and p.R2639Q), three were predicted in silico to be pathogenic (p.R315C, p.E1357D and p.D2579H), and the rest three were predicted to be benign (p.N1234S, p.R1308Q, and p.T2267S). This is the first report of DSP genetic screening in Chinese SUNDS and Brugada syndrome. Our results imply that DSP mutations contribute to the genetic cause of some SUNDS victims and maybe a new susceptible gene for Brugada syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianhao Zhao
- Department of Forensic Pathology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China
| | - Yili Chen
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Longlun Peng
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Rui Gao
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Nian Liu
- Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100029, China
| | | | - Chao Liu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
| | - Shuangbo Tang
- Department of Forensic Pathology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China
| | - Li Quan
- Department of Forensic Pathology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China.
| | - Jonathan C Makielski
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53792, USA.
| | - Jianding Cheng
- Department of Forensic Pathology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 74, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China.
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