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Fulltext Growth hormone therapy for people with thalassaemia

Ngim CF, Lai NM, Hong JY, Tan SL, Ramadas A, Muthukumarasamy P, et al.

Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2020 05 28;5:CD012284.
PMID: 32463488 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD012284.pub3

BACKGROUND: Thalassaemia is a recessively-inherited blood disorder that leads to anaemia of varying severity. In those affected by the more severe forms, regular blood transfusions are required which may lead to iron overload. Accumulated iron from blood transfusions may be deposited in vital organs including the heart, liver and endocrine organs such as the pituitary glands which can affect growth hormone production. Growth hormone deficiency is one of the factors that can lead to short stature, a common complication in people with thalassaemia. Growth hormone replacement therapy has been used in children with thalassaemia who have short stature and growth hormone deficiency. This review on the role of growth hormone was originally published in September 2017 and updated in April 2020.
OBJECTIVES: To assess the benefits and safety of growth hormone therapy in people with thalassaemia.
SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Haemoglobinopathies Trials Register, compiled from electronic database searches and handsearching of journals and conference abstract books. Date of latest search: 14 November 2019. We also searched the reference lists of relevant articles, reviews and clinical trial registries. Date of latest search: 06 January 2020.
SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials comparing the use of growth hormone therapy to placebo or standard care in people with thalassaemia of any type or severity.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors independently selected trials for inclusion. Data extraction and assessment of risk of bias were also conducted independently by two authors. The certainty of the evidence was assessed using GRADE criteria.
MAIN RESULTS: We included one parallel trial conducted in Turkey. The trial recruited 20 children with homozygous beta thalassaemia who had short stature; 10 children received growth hormone therapy administered subcutaneously on a daily basis at a dose of 0.7 IU/kg per week and 10 children received standard care. The overall risk of bias in this trial was low except for the selection criteria and attrition bias which were unclear. The certainty of the evidence for all major outcomes was moderate, the main concern was imprecision of the estimates due to the small sample size leading to wide confidence intervals. Final height (cm) (the review's pre-specified primary outcome) and change in height were not assessed in the included trial. The trial reported no clear difference between groups in height standard deviation (SD) score after one year, mean difference (MD) -0.09 (95% confidence interval (CI) -0.33 to 0.15 (moderate-certainty evidence). However, modest improvements appeared to be observed in the following key outcomes in children receiving growth hormone therapy compared to control (moderate-certainty evidence): change between baseline and final visit in height SD score, MD 0.26 (95% CI 0.13 to 0.39); height velocity, MD 2.28 cm/year (95% CI 1.76 to 2.80); height velocity SD score, MD 3.31 (95% CI 2.43 to 4.19); and change in height velocity SD score between baseline and final visit, MD 3.41 (95% CI 2.45 to 4.37). No adverse effects of treatment were reported in either group; however, while there was no clear difference between groups in the oral glucose tolerance test at one year, fasting blood glucose was significantly higher in the growth hormone therapy group compared to control, although both results were still within the normal range, MD 6.67 mg/dL (95% CI 2.66 to 10.68). There were no data beyond the one-year trial period.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: A small single trial contributed evidence of moderate certainty that the use of growth hormone for a year may improve height velocity of children with thalassaemia although height SD score in the treatment group was similar to the control group. There are no randomised controlled trials in adults or trials that address the use of growth hormone therapy over a longer period and assess its effect on final height and quality of life. The optimal dosage of growth hormone and the ideal time to start this therapy remain uncertain. Large well-designed randomised controlled trials over a longer period with sufficient duration of follow up are needed.
Fulltext Growth hormone therapy for people with thalassaemia

Ngim CF, Lai NM, Hong JY, Tan SL, Ramadas A, Muthukumarasamy P, et al.

Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2017 09 18;9:CD012284.
PMID: 28921500 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD012284.pub2

BACKGROUND: Thalassaemia is a recessively-inherited blood disorder that leads to anaemia of varying severity. In those affected by the more severe forms, regular blood transfusions are required which may lead to iron overload. Accumulated iron from blood transfusions may be deposited in vital organs including the heart, liver and endocrine organs such as the pituitary glands which can affect growth hormone production. Growth hormone deficiency is one of the factors that can lead to short stature, a common complication in people with thalassaemia. Growth hormone replacement therapy has been used in children with thalassaemia who have short stature and growth hormone deficiency.
OBJECTIVES: To assess the benefits and safety of growth hormone therapy in people with thalassaemia.
SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Haemoglobinopathies Trials Register, compiled from electronic database searches and handsearching of journals and conference abstract books. We also searched the reference lists of relevant articles, reviews and clinical trial registries. Our database and trial registry searches are current to 10 August 2017 and 08 August 2017, respectively.
SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials comparing the use of growth hormone therapy to placebo or standard care in people with thalassaemia of any type or severity.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors independently selected trials for inclusion. Data extraction and assessment of risk of bias were also conducted independently by two authors. The quality of the evidence was assessed using GRADE criteria.
MAIN RESULTS: One parallel trial conducted in Turkey was included. The trial recruited 20 children with homozygous beta thalassaemia who had short stature; 10 children received growth hormone therapy administered subcutaneously on a daily basis at a dose of 0.7 IU/kg per week and 10 children received standard care. The overall risk of bias in this trial was low except for the selection criteria and attrition bias which were unclear. The quality of the evidence for all major outcomes was moderate, the main concern was imprecision of the estimates due to the small sample size leading to wide confidence intervals. Final height (cm) (the review's pre-specified primary outcome) and change in height were not assessed in the included trial. The trial reported no clear difference between groups in height standard deviation (SD) score after one year, mean difference (MD) -0.09 (95% confidence interval (CI) -0.33 to 0.15 (moderate quality evidence). However, modest improvements appeared to be observed in the following key outcomes in children receiving growth hormone therapy compared to control (moderate quality evidence): change between baseline and final visit in height SD score, MD 0.26 (95% CI 0.13 to 0.39); height velocity, MD 2.28 cm/year (95% CI 1.76 to 2.80); height velocity SD score, MD 3.31 (95% CI 2.43 to 4.19); and change in height velocity SD score between baseline and final visit, MD 3.41 (95% CI 2.45 to 4.37). No adverse effects of treatment were reported in either group; however, while there was no clear difference between groups in the oral glucose tolerance test at one year, fasting blood glucose was significantly higher in the growth hormone therapy group compared to control, although both results were still within the normal range, MD 6.67 mg/dL (95% CI 2.66 to 10.68). There were no data beyond the one-year trial period.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: A small single trial contributed evidence of moderate quality that the use of growth hormone for a year may improve height velocity of children with thalassaemia although height SD score in the treatment group was similar to the control group. There are no randomised controlled trials in adults or trials that address the use of growth hormone therapy over a longer period and assess its effect on final height and quality of life. The optimal dosage of growth hormone and the ideal time to start this therapy remain uncertain. Large well-designed randomised controlled trials over a longer period with sufficient duration of follow up are needed.
Fulltext GWAS signals revisited using human knockouts

Maddirevula S, AlZahrani F, Anazi S, Almureikhi M, Ben-Omran T, Abdel-Salam GMH, et al.

Genet Med, 2018 01;20(1):64-68.
PMID: 28640246 DOI: 10.1038/gim.2017.78

PurposeGenome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been instrumental to our understanding of the genetic risk determinants of complex traits. A common challenge in GWAS is the interpretation of signals, which are usually attributed to the genes closest to the polymorphic markers that display the strongest statistical association. Naturally occurring complete loss of function (knockout) of these genes in humans can inform GWAS interpretation by unmasking their deficiency state in a clinical context.MethodsWe exploited the unique population structure of Saudi Arabia to identify novel knockout events in genes previously highlighted in GWAS using combined autozygome/exome analysis.ResultsWe report five families with homozygous truncating mutations in genes that had only been linked to human disease through GWAS. The phenotypes observed in the natural knockouts for these genes (TRAF3IP2, FRMD3, RSRC1, BTBD9, and PXDNL) range from consistent with, to unrelated to, the previously reported GWAS phenotype.ConclusionWe expand the role of human knockouts in the medical annotation of the human genome, and show their potential value in informing the interpretation of GWAS of complex traits.
3-Methylglutaconic aciduria, a frequent but underrecognized finding in carbamoyl phosphate synthetase I deficiency

Rokicki D, Pajdowska M, Trubicka J, Thong MK, Ciara E, Piekutowska-Abramczuk D, et al.

Clin Chim Acta, 2017 Aug;471:95-100.
PMID: 28526534 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2017.05.023

The urea cycle disorder carbamoyl phosphate synthetase I deficiency is an important differential diagnosis in the encephalopathic neonate. This intoxication type inborn error of metabolism often leads to neonatal death or severe and irreversible damage of the central nervous system, even despite appropriate treatment. Timely diagnosis is crucial, but can be difficult on routine metabolite level. Here, we report ten neonates from eight families (finally) diagnosed with CPS1 deficiency at three tertiary metabolic centres. In seven of them the laboratory findings were dominated by significantly elevated urinary 3-methylglutaconic acid levels which complicated the diagnostic process. Our findings are both important for the differential diagnosis of patients with urea cycle disorders and also broaden the differential diagnosis of hyperammonemia associated with 3-methylglutaconic aciduria, which was earlier only reported in TMEM70 and SERAC1 defect.
Cover Image, Volume 173A, Number 4, April 2017

Kruszka P, Addissie YA, McGinn DE, Porras AR, Biggs E, Share M, et al.

Am J Med Genet A, 2017 Apr;173(4):i.
PMID: 28328119 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.38224

The cover image, by Paul Kruszka et al., is based on the Original Article 22q11.2 deletion syndrome in diverse populations, DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.38199. Individual images are property of the National Human Genome Research Institute and are in the public domain.
Fulltext 22q11.2 deletion syndrome in diverse populations

Kruszka P, Addissie YA, McGinn DE, Porras AR, Biggs E, Share M, et al.

Am J Med Genet A, 2017 Apr;173(4):879-888.
PMID: 28328118 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.38199

22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2 DS) is the most common microdeletion syndrome and is underdiagnosed in diverse populations. This syndrome has a variable phenotype and affects multiple systems, making early recognition imperative. In this study, individuals from diverse populations with 22q11.2 DS were evaluated clinically and by facial analysis technology. Clinical information from 106 individuals and images from 101 were collected from individuals with 22q11.2 DS from 11 countries; average age was 11.7 and 47% were male. Individuals were grouped into categories of African descent (African), Asian, and Latin American. We found that the phenotype of 22q11.2 DS varied across population groups. Only two findings, congenital heart disease and learning problems, were found in greater than 50% of participants. When comparing the clinical features of 22q11.2 DS in each population, the proportion of individuals within each clinical category was statistically different except for learning problems and ear anomalies (P P ≥ 0.05). Using facial analysis technology, we compared 156 Caucasians, Africans, Asians, and Latin American individuals with 22q11.2 DS with 156 age and gender matched controls and found that sensitivity and specificity were greater than 96% for all populations. In summary, we present the varied findings from global populations with 22q11.2 DS and demonstrate how facial analysis technology can assist clinicians in making accurate 22q11.2 DS diagnoses. This work will assist in earlier detection and in increasing recognition of 22q11.2 DS throughout the world.
Down syndrome in diverse populations

Kruszka P, Porras AR, Sobering AK, Ikolo FA, La Qua S, Shotelersuk V, et al.

Am J Med Genet A, 2017 Jan;173(1):42-53.
PMID: 27991738 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.38043

Down syndrome is the most common cause of cognitive impairment and presents clinically with universally recognizable signs and symptoms. In this study, we focus on exam findings and digital facial analysis technology in individuals with Down syndrome in diverse populations. Photos and clinical information were collected on 65 individuals from 13 countries, 56.9% were male and the average age was 6.6 years (range 1 month to 26 years; SD = 6.6 years). Subjective findings showed that clinical features were different across ethnicities (Africans, Asians, and Latin Americans), including brachycephaly, ear anomalies, clinodactyly, sandal gap, and abundant neck skin, which were all significantly less frequent in Africans (P P P P P
Fulltext Williams-Beuren syndrome in diverse populations

Kruszka P, Porras AR, de Souza DH, Moresco A, Huckstadt V, Gill AD, et al.

Am J Med Genet A, 2018 05;176(5):1128-1136.
PMID: 29681090 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.38672

Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) is a common microdeletion syndrome characterized by a 1.5Mb deletion in 7q11.23. The phenotype of WBS has been well described in populations of European descent with not as much attention given to other ethnicities. In this study, individuals with WBS from diverse populations were assessed clinically and by facial analysis technology. Clinical data and images from 137 individuals with WBS were found in 19 countries with an average age of 11 years and female gender of 45%. The most common clinical phenotype elements were periorbital fullness and intellectual disability which were present in greater than 90% of our cohort. Additionally, 75% or greater of all individuals with WBS had malar flattening, long philtrum, wide mouth, and small jaw. Using facial analysis technology, we compared 286 Asian, African, Caucasian, and Latin American individuals with WBS with 286 gender and age matched controls and found that the accuracy to discriminate between WBS and controls was 0.90 when the entire cohort was evaluated concurrently. The test accuracy of the facial recognition technology increased significantly when the cohort was analyzed by specific ethnic population (P-value
Fulltext Noonan syndrome in diverse populations

Kruszka P, Porras AR, Addissie YA, Moresco A, Medrano S, Mok GTK, et al.

Am J Med Genet A, 2017 Sep;173(9):2323-2334.
PMID: 28748642 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.38362

Noonan syndrome (NS) is a common genetic syndrome associated with gain of function variants in genes in the Ras/MAPK pathway. The phenotype of NS has been well characterized in populations of European descent with less attention given to other groups. In this study, individuals from diverse populations with NS were evaluated clinically and by facial analysis technology. Clinical data and images from 125 individuals with NS were obtained from 20 countries with an average age of 8 years and female composition of 46%. Individuals were grouped into categories of African descent (African), Asian, Latin American, and additional/other. Across these different population groups, NS was phenotypically similar with only 2 of 21 clinical elements showing a statistically significant difference. The most common clinical characteristics found in all population groups included widely spaced eyes and low-set ears in 80% or greater of participants, short stature in more than 70%, and pulmonary stenosis in roughly half of study individuals. Using facial analysis technology, we compared 161 Caucasian, African, Asian, and Latin American individuals with NS with 161 gender and age matched controls and found that sensitivity was equal to or greater than 94% for all groups, and specificity was equal to or greater than 90%. In summary, we present consistent clinical findings from global populations with NS and additionally demonstrate how facial analysis technology can support clinicians in making accurate NS diagnoses. This work will assist in earlier detection and in increasing recognition of NS throughout the world.
Cover Image, Volume 173A, Number 9, September 2017

Kruszka P, Porras AR, Addissie YA, Moresco A, Medrano S, Mok GTK, et al.

Am J Med Genet A, 2017 Sep;173(9):i.
PMID: 28816424 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.38408

The cover image, by Paul Kruszka et al., is based on the Original Article Noonan Syndrome in Diverse Populations, DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.38362. Design Credit: Darryl Leja.