Our results confirm the impact of the CYP3A4*22 allele on TAC pharmacokinetics, as a second significant genetic factor (in addition to the CYP3A5*1 allele) influencing TAC dose-adjusted blood concentrations in kidney transplant recipients.

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Objective The etiology of non‐syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (nsCL/P) is multifactorial, heterogeneous, and still not completely understood. The aim of the present study was to examine the associations between common and rare PAX7 nucleotide variants and the risk of this common congenital anomaly in a Polish population. Subjects and methods Eight top nsCL/P‐associated PAX7 variants identified in our cleft genome‐wide association study (GWAS) were selected for replication analysis in an independent group of patients and controls (n = 247 and n = 445, respectively). In addition, mutation screening of the PAX7 protein‐coding region was conducted. Results Analysis of the pooled data from the GWAS and replication study confirmed that common PAX7 nucleotide variants are significantly associated with the increased risk of nsCL/P. The strongest individual variant was rs1339062 (c.586 + 15617T > C) with a p‐value = 2.47E−05 (OR = 1.4, 95%CI: 1.20–1.64). Sequencing analysis identified a novel synonymous PAX7 substitution (c.87G > A, p.Val29Val) in a single patient with nsCLP. This transition located in the early exonic position was predicted to disrupt potential splice enhancer elements. Conclusion Our study confirmed that PAX7 is a strong candidate gene for nsCL/P. Nucleotide variants of this gene contribute to the etiology of nsCL/P in the homogenous Polish population.

Non-syndromic tooth agenesis (ns-TA) is one of the most common dental anomalies characterized by the congenital absence of at least one permanent tooth (excluding third molars). Regarding the essential role of genetic factors in ns-TA aetiology, the present study aimed to identify novel pathogenic variants underlying hypodontia and oligodontia. In a group of 65 ns-TA patients and 127 healthy individuals from the genetically homogenous Polish population, the coding sequences of 423 candidate genes were screened using targeted next-generation sequencing. Pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants were identified in 37 (56.92%) patients, including eight nucleotide alternations of genes not previously implicated in ns-TA (CHD7, CREBBP, EVC, LEF1, ROR2, TBX22 and TP63). However, since only single variants were detected, future research is required to confirm and fully understand their role in the aetiology of ns-TA. Additionally, our results support the importance of already known ns-TA candidate genes (AXIN2, EDA, EDAR, IRF6, LAMA3, LRP6, MSX1, PAX9 and WNT10A) and provide additional evidence that ns-TA might be an oligogenic condition involving the cumulative effect of rare variants in two or more distinct genes.

Non-syndromic cleft palate (ns-CP) has a genetically heterogeneous aetiology. Numerous studies have suggested a crucial role of rare coding variants in characterizing the unrevealed component of genetic variation in ns-CP called the “missing heritability”. Therefore, this study aimed to detect low-frequency variants that are implicated in ns-CP aetiology in the Polish population. For this purpose, coding regions of 423 genes associated with orofacial cleft anomalies and/or involved with facial development were screened in 38 ns-CP patients using the next-generation sequencing technology. After multistage selection and prioritisation, eight novel and four known rare variants that may influence an individual’s risk of ns-CP were identified. Among detected alternations, seven were located in novel candidate genes for ns-CP, including COL17A1 (c.2435-1G>A), DLG1 (c.1586G>C, p.Glu562Asp), NHS (c.568G>C, p.Val190Leu—de novo variant), NOTCH2 (c.1997A>G, p.Tyr666Cys), TBX18 (c.647A>T, p.His225Leu), VAX1 (c.400G>A, p.Ala134Thr) and WNT5B (c.716G>T, p.Arg239Leu). The remaining risk variants were identified within genes previously linked to ns-CP, confirming their contribution to this anomaly. This list included ARHGAP29 (c.1706G>A, p.Arg569Gln), FLNB (c.3605A>G, Tyr1202Cys), IRF6 (224A>G, p.Asp75Gly—de novo variant), LRP6 (c.481C>A, p.Pro161Thr) and TP63 (c.353A>T, p.Asn118Ile). In summary, this study provides further insights into the genetic components contributing to ns-CP aetiology and identifies novel susceptibility genes for this craniofacial anomaly.

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Aim. Non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (nsCL/P) is a common birth defect of complex and heterogeneous aetiology. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of nsCL/P have identified an association for the 1p22.1 chromosomal region, in which ARHGAP29 was suggested as a candidate gene. Thus, the current study aimed to determine the contribution of the common and rare ARHGAP29 nucleotide variants to the risk of nsCL/P in the Polish population. Material and Methods. In total,197 common nucleotide variants (SNVs) and 22 missense variants located within the ARHGAP29 locus at chromosome 1p22.1 were genotyped by SNV microarray. The study was conducted in 269 individuals with nsCL/P and 569 healthy individuals. Results. Statistical analysis revealed that 31 common nucleotide variants located at the ARHGAP29 locus were significantly associated with the increased risk of nsCL/P. The strongest individual SNV was rs2391467 with a p-value = 2.49E-06 (OR = 1.64, 95%CI: 1.34–2.02). Besides, one potentially deleterious missense variant (rs140877322, p. Arg348Leu) was identified in a single patient with nsCLP. Conclusion. These findings confirm ARHGAP29 as a strong candidate gene for nsCL/P, with both common and rare nucleotide variants of this gene involved in the aetiology of nsCL/P in the Polish population.

Many unbalanced large copy number variants reviewed in the paper are associated with syndromic orofacial clefts, including a 1.6 Mb deletion on chromosome 3q29. The current report presents a new family with this recurrent deletion identified via whole‐exome sequencing and confirmed by array comparative genomic hybridization. The proband exhibited a more severe clinical phenotype than his affected mother, comprising right‐sided cleft lip/alveolus and cleft palate, advanced dental caries, heart defect, hypospadias, psychomotor, and speech delay, and an intellectual disability. Data analysis from the 3q29 registry revealed that the 3q29 deletion increases the risk of clefting by nearly 30‐fold. No additional rare and pathogenic nucleotide variants were identified that could explain the clefting phenotype and observed intrafamilial phenotypic heterogeneity. These data suggest that the 3q29 deletion may be the primary risk factor for clefting, with additional genomic variants located outside the coding sequences, methylation changes, or environmental exposure serving as modifiers of this risk. Additional studies, including whole‐genome sequencing or methylation analyses, should be performed to identify genetic factors underlying the phenotypic variation associated with the recurrent 3q29 deletion.