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The primary hyperoxalurias are rare disorders of glyoxylate metabolism. Accurate diagnosis is essential for therapeutic and management strategies. We conducted a molecular study on patients suffering from recurrent calcium‐oxalate stones and nephrocalcinosis and screened primary hyperoxaluria causing genes in a large cohort of early‐onset cases. Disease‐associated pathogenic‐variants were defined as missense, nonsense, frameshift‐indels, and splice‐site variants with a reported minor allele frequency <1% in controls. We found pathogenic‐variants in 34% of the cases. Variants in the AGXT gene causing PH‐I were identified in 81% of the mutation positive cases. PH‐II‐associated variants in the GRHPR gene are found in 15% of the pediatric PH‐positive population. Only 3% of the PH‐positive cases have pathogenic‐variants in the HOGA1 gene, responsible to cause PH‐III. A population‐specific AGXT gene variant c.1049G>A; p.Gly350Asp accounts for 22% of the PH‐I‐positive patients. Pathogenicity of the identified variants was evaluated by in‐silico tools and ACMG guidelines. We have devised a rapid and low‐cost approach for the screening of PH by using targeted‐NGS highlighting the importance of an accurate and cost‐effective screening platform. This is the largest study in Pakistani pediatric patients from South‐Asian region that also expands the mutation spectrum of the three known genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: CCL2 is a chemoattractant for monocytes/macrophages, T cells, and natural killer cells. It is shown to be involved in the immunological responses against renal allograft. This study was conducted to access the role of urinary CCL2 expression in predicting the rejection episodes in renal transplant patients. Method: A total of 409 urine samples included in this study. The samples were consisted of (a) biopsy-proven graft rejection (n= 165); (b) non-rejection (n= 93); (c) non-biopsy stable-graft (n= 42), and (d) healthy renal donors (n= 109). The samples were quantified for the CCL2 using the MCP-1/CCL2 ELISA kit. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS®) and MedCalc®statistical software. Results: Results showed that the CCL2 levels were significantly increased in rejection group when compared with the non-rejection, stable-graft, and control,P< 0.05. The receiver operating curve’s characteristics illustrated that the urinary CCL2 level is a good predictor for graft rejection, with an area under the curve of 0.81 ± 0.03 with optimum sensitivity and specificity of 87% and 62%, respectively, at a cut-off value of 198 pg/mL. Kaplan–Meier curve also showed better cumulative rejection-free graft survival time in group with less than 198 pg/mL of CCL2 as compared to those with expression levels of more than 198 pg/mL (30 weeks vs. 3 weeks; log-rank test,P< 0.001). Conclusion: In our study, noninvasive investigation of CCL2 levels in urine has showed potential to predict rejection episodes. It is suggested that the CCL2, with others markers, may help in early detection and monitoring of graft rejection episodes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: To identify the disease causing gene in a four generation consanguineous family in which eleven family members were suffering from Woolly hair/hypotrichosis phenotype., Methods: Linkage analysis was carried out to identify the disease-causing gene in this family. Genomic DNA of all the available family members was genotyped for the microsatellite markers for all the known woolly hair/hypotrichosis loci.Automated DNA sequencing of the candidate gene was performed to identify the disease-causing mutation., Results: By using homozygosity linkage analysis we have mapped the family on chromosome 3q27.3 with a two point LOD score of 4.04, Mutation screening of the LIPH gene revealed a homozygous c.659&#95;660delTA deletion mutation segregating with the disease phenotype., Conclusion: The results indicate that the c.659&#95;660delTA mutation in the LIPH gene cause autosomal recessive WH/hypotrichosis phenotype in this family. This mutation has been reported in several Pakistani and Guyanese families suggesting a founder mutation in the LIPH gene in Indo-Pak sub-continent.

Objective: To identify the gene causing inherited hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in a Pakistani family., Study Design: Cross-sectional, observational study., Place and Duration of Study: Department of Cardiology, Shifa International Hospital and Biomedical and Genetic Engineering Laboratories, Islamabad, from 2005 to 2007., Methodology: A large family of 17 individuals was included in this study. In the family 6 members were suffering from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Linkage analysis was carried out to map the disease-causing gene. Genomic DNA from each individual of the whole family was genotyped for microsatellite markers for all the known HCM loci followed by a whole genome search. Automated DNA sequencing was done for mutation identification in the candidate genes., Results: Linkage analysis of 17 family members showed a maximum two point Lod score of 3.97 with marker D1S1660 at chromosome 1q 32.2. A disease region of 4.16cM was defined by proximal and distal cross-overs with markers GATA135F02 and D1S3715 respectively. This region contained the candidate genes TNNT2 (cardiac troponin T) and TNNI1 (troponin I 1). Direct sequencing of these genes for the whole family containing 17 members showed no diseaseassociated mutation in either of these genes., Conclusion: Through linkage analysis, a disease locus for HCM family was mapped within a region of 4.16cM at chromosome 1q31.3-q32.1. So far no disease-associated mutation has been found in the candidate genes.