COL1A1 mutation in an Indian child with Caffey disease

Keratin 17 and Collagen type 1 genes: Esophageal cancer molecular marker discovery and evaluation

One hundred eighty pairs of tissues of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) were tested by the transcriptome sequencing in order to explore etiology factors. The chi-square test and correlation analysis demonstrated that the relative expression levels of keratin 17 (KRT17) and collagen type I α1 chain (COL1A1) were significantly higher in EC with diabetes. Expression of KRT17 was correlated with blood glucose (r = 0.204, p = 0.001) and tumor size (r = -0.177, p = 0.038) in patients. COL1A1 correlated with age (r = -0.170, p = 0.029) and blood glucose levels (r = 0.190, p = 0.015). Experimental results of qRT-PCR: KRT17 and COL1A1 genes were highly expressed in ESCC (p < 0.05). When the two genes were used as a combination test, the positive detection rate of EC was 90.6%, and the ROC curve had greater power. The KRT17 and COL1A1 genes had the potential to be biomarkers for the diagnosis of ESCC.

Systems biology approach: identification of hub genes, signaling pathways, and molecular docking of COL1A1 gene in cervical insufficiency

The collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1A1, OMIM #120,150) gene, encoding the alpha-1 chain of type I collagen (UniProt #P02452), plays a key role in life-homeostasis due to its remarkable involvement in collagen synthesis. It is a promising candidate gene implicated in the pathogenesis of cervical insufficiency (CI). This study aimed to identify genetic variations within the COL1A1 gene that contribute to the development of CI. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and amplicon sequencing were implemented for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detection (+ 1245G/T, SP1 rs1800012), which revealed wild-type sequence for targeted SNPs in enrolled proband indicated negative results regarding COL1A1 gene involvement for current form of CI. It allows further investigation of other closely connected genes probed in this study. Computational approaches viz. Protein-protein interaction (PPI), gene ontology (GO), and pathway participation were used to identify the crucial hub genes and signaling pathways for COL1A1 and CI. Using the Yet Another Scientific Artificial Reality Application (YASARA) software, molecular docking, and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation with the oxytocin (CID 439,302), estradiol (CID 129,728,744), progesterone (CID 5994) and hydroxyprogesterone (CID 150,788) were done. Interactive bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that the COL1A1 and more than 10 collagen sister genes had a strong connection with CI. In sum, the findings of this study provide insights into a modus operandi that can be utilized to illuminate the path toward studying sister genes and smooth diagnosis of CI. These findings have implications for understanding the foundational process of the condition and potentially developing screening, diagnostic, and therapeutic interventions.

Graphical Abstract

A review of skeletal dysplasia research in India

We aimed to review the contributions by Indian researchers to the subspecialty of skeletal dysplasias (SDs). Literature search using specific keywords in PubMed was performed to retrieve all the published literature on SDs as on July 6, 2017. All published literature on SDs wherein at least one author was from an Indian institute was included. Publications were grouped into different categories based on the major emphasis of the research paper. Five hundred and forty publications in English language were retrieved and categorized into five different groups. The publications were categorized as reports based on: (i) phenotypes (n = 437), (ii) mutations (n = 51), (iii) novel genes (n = 9), (iv) therapeutic interventions (n = 31), and (v) reviews (n = 12). Most of the publications were single-patient case reports describing the clinical and radiological features of the patients affected with SDs (n = 352). We enlisted all the significant Indian contributions. We have also highlighted the reports in which Indians have contributed to discovery of new genes and phenotypes. This review highlights the substantial Indian contributions to SD research, which is poised to reach even greater heights given the size and structure of our population, technological advances, and expanding national and international collaborations.

Fetuin-A deficiency is associated with infantile cortical hyperostosis (Caffey disease)

BACKGROUND

Infantile cortical hyperostosis (ICH)/Caffey disease is an inflammatory collagenopathy of infancy, manifested by subperiosteal bone hyperplasia. Genetically, ICH was linked with heterozygosity for an R836C mutation in the COL1A1 gene. Although an autosomal-recessive trait is also suspected, it has not been proven thus far.

METHODS

A case of an infant male born to consanguineous parents is reported, presenting with classical findings, course, and clinical outcome of ICH. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed in order to identify a possible underlying genetic defect.

RESULTS

WES analysis revealed a novel homozygous nonsense mutation in lysine 2 of fetuin-A, encoded by the ALPHA-2-HS-GLYCOPROTEIN (AHSG) gene (c.A4T; p.K2X). Fetuin-A is an important regulator of bone remodeling and an inhibitor of ectopic mineralization. By enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we show a complete deficiency of this protein in the patient's serum, compared to controls.

CONCLUSION

A novel homozygous nonsense mutation in AHSG gene has been found in ICH patient with a typical phenotype, resulting in fetuin-A deficiency. This finding postulates an autosomal-recessive mode of inheritance in ICH, which, unlike the autosomal-dominant inheritance associated with COL1A1, is associated with AHSG and fetuin-A deficiency.

Two Japanese familial cases of Caffey disease with and without the common COL1A1 mutation and normal bone density, and review of the literature

Caffey disease, also known as infantile cortical hyperostosis, is a rare bone disease characterized by acute inflammation with swelling of soft tissues and hyperostosis of the outer cortical surface in early infancy. The common heterozygous mutation of the COL1A1 gene, p.Arg1014Cys, has been reported in patients with Caffey disease. However, its pathogenesis remains to be elucidated, and the reason for the incomplete penetrance and transient course of the disease is still unclear. In the present study, we performed mutation analysis of the COL1A1 and COL1A2 genes and measured bone mineral density in two Japanese familial cases of Caffey disease. The index case and two clinically healthy members of one family carry the common heterozygous mutation; in contrast, no mutation in COL1A1 or COL1A2 was identified in the affected members of the second family. In addition, we found normal bone mineral density in adult patients of both families who have had an episode of cortical hyperostosis regardless of the presence or absence of the common p.Arg1014Cys mutation.

CONCLUSION

The results reveal that Caffey disease is genetically heterogeneous and that affected and unaffected adult patients with or without the common COL1A1 mutation have normal bone mineral density.

Caffey disease: new perspectives on old questions

The autosomal dominant form of Caffey disease is a largely self-limiting infantile bone disorder characterized by acute inflammation of soft tissues and localized thickening of the underlying bone cortex. It is caused by a recurrent arginine-to-cysteine substitution (R836C) in the α1(I) chain of type I collagen. However, the functional link between this mutation and the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms still remains elusive. Importantly, it remains to be established as to how a point-mutation in type I collagen leads to a cascade of inflammatory events and spatio-temporally limited hyperostotic bone lesions, and how structural and inflammatory components contribute to the different organ-specific manifestations in Caffey disease. In this review we attempt to shed light on these questions based on the current understanding of other mutations in type I collagen, their role in perturbing collagen biogenesis, and consequent effects on cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions.