Genomic rearrangements can cause both Mendelian and complex disorders. Currently, several major mechanisms causing genomic rearrangements, such as non-allelic homologous recombination (NAHR), non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), fork stalling and template switching (FoSTeS), and microhomology-mediated break-induced replication (MMBIR), have been proposed. However, to what extent these mechanisms contribute to gene-specific pathogenic copy-number variations (CNVs) remains understudied. Furthermore, few studies have resolved these pathogenic alterations at the nucleotide-level. Accordingly, our aim was to explore which mechanisms contribute to a large, unique set of locus-specific non-recurrent genomic rearrangements causing the genetic neurocutaneous disorder neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Through breakpoint-spanning PCR as well as array comparative genomic hybridization, we have identified the breakpoints in 85 unrelated individuals carrying an NF1 intragenic CNV. Furthermore, we characterized the likely rearrangement mechanisms of these 85 CNVs, along with those of two additional previously published NF1 intragenic CNVs. Unlike the most typical recurrent rearrangements mediated by flanking low-copy repeats (LCRs), NF1 intragenic rearrangements vary in size, location, and rearrangement mechanisms. We propose the DNA-replication-based mechanisms comprising both FoSTeS and/or MMBIR and serial replication stalling to be the predominant mechanisms leading to NF1 intragenic CNVs. In addition to the loop within a 197-bp palindrome located in intron 40, four Alu elements located in introns 1, 2, 3, and 50 were also identified as intragenic-rearrangement hotspots within NF1.

Introduction. Severe sepsis and septic shock are associated with substantial mortality. However, few studies have assessed the risk of septic shock among patients who suffered from urinary tract infection (UTI). Materials and Methods. This retrospective study recruited UTI cases from an acute care hospital between January 2006 and October 2012 with prospective data collection. Results. Of the 710 participants admitted for UTI, 80 patients (11.3%) had septic shock. The rate of bacteremia is 27.9%; acute kidney injury is 12.7%, and the mortality rate is 0.28%. Multivariable logistic regression analyses indicated that coronary artery disease (CAD) (OR: 2.521, 95% CI: 1.129–5.628, P = 0.024), congestive heart failure (CHF) (OR: 4.638, 95% CI: 1.908–11.273, P = 0.001), and acute kidney injury (AKI) (OR: 2.992, 95% CI: 1.610–5.561, P = 0.001) were independently associated with septic shock in patients admitted with UTI. In addition, congestive heart failure (female, OR: 4.076, 95% CI: 1.355–12.262, P = 0.012; male, OR: 5.676, 95% CI: 1.103–29.220, P = 0.038, resp.) and AKI (female, OR: 2.995, 95% CI: 1.355–6.621, P = 0.007; male, OR: 3.359, 95% CI: 1.158–9.747, P = 0.026, resp.) were significantly associated with risk of septic shock in both gender groups. Conclusion. This study showed that patients with a medical history of CAD or CHF have a higher risk of shock when admitted for UTI treatment. AKI, a complication of UTI, was also associated with septic shock. Therefore, prompt and aggressive management is recommended for those with higher risks to prevent subsequent treatment failure in UTI patients.

Palindromic sequences can form hairpin structures or cruciform extrusions, which render them susceptible to genomic rearrangements. A 197-bp long palindromic AT-rich repeat (PATRR17) is located within intron 40 of the neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) gene (17q11.2). Through comprehensive NF1 analysis, we identified six unrelated patients with a rearrangement involving intron 40 (five deletions and one reciprocal translocation t(14;17)(q32;q11.2)). We hypothesized that PATRR17 may be involved in these rearrangements thereby causing NF1. Breakpoint cloning revealed that PATRR17 was indeed involved in all of the rearrangements. As microhomology was present at all breakpoint junctions of the deletions identified, and PATRR17 partner breakpoints were located within 7.1 kb upstream of PATRR17, fork stalling and template switching/microhomology-mediated break-induced replication was the most likely rearrangement mechanism. For the reciprocal translocation case, a 51 bp insertion at the translocation breakpoints mapped to a short sequence within PATRR17, proximal to the breakpoint, suggesting a multiple stalling and rereplication process, in contrast to previous studies indicating a purely replication-independent mechanism for PATRR-mediated translocations. In conclusion, we show evidence that PATRR17 is a hotspot for pathogenic intragenic deletions within the NF1 gene and suggest a novel replication-dependent mechanism for PATRR-mediated translocation.

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Congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) is an inherited retinal disease (IRD) that causes night blindness in childhood with heterogeneous genetic, electrophysical, and clinical characteristics. The development of sequencing technologies and gene therapy have increased the ease and urgency of diagnosing IRDs. This study describes seven Taiwanese patients from six unrelated families examined at a tertiary referral center, diagnosed with CSNB, and confirmed by genetic testing. Complete ophthalmic exams included best corrected visual acuity, retinal imaging, and an electroretinogram. The effects of identified novel variants were predicted using clinical details, protein prediction tools, and conservation scores. One patient had an autosomal dominant CSNB with a RHO variant; five patients had complete CSNB with variants in GRM6, TRPM1, and NYX; and one patient had incomplete CSNB with variants in CACNA1F. The patients had Riggs and Schubert–Bornschein types of CSNB with autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, and X-linked inheritance patterns. This is the first report of CSNB patients in Taiwan with confirmed genetic testing, providing novel perspectives on molecular etiology and genotype–phenotype correlation of CSNB. Particularly, variants in TRPM1, NYX, and CACNA1F in our patient cohort have not previously been described, although their clinical significance needs further study. Additional study is needed for the genotype–phenotype correlation of different mutations causing CSNB. In addition to genetic etiology, the future of gene therapy for CSNB patients is reviewed and discussed.

Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) play important roles in gene regulation and genome evolution. Although there exist several online resources for SSR mining, most of them only extract general SSR patterns without providing functional information. Here, an online search tool, CG-SSR (Comparative Genomics SSR discovery), has been developed for discovering potential functional SSRs from vertebrate genomes through cross-species comparison. In addition to revealing SSR candidates in conserved regions among various species, it also combines accurate coordinate and functional genomics information. CG-SSR is the first comprehensive and efficient online tool for conserved SSR discovery.

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This study aimed to compare the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of diabetic and non-diabetic individuals with urinary tract infection (UTI) and determine whether glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels <6. 5% leads to uroseptic shock in diabetic individuals. We retrospectively collected and analyzed the clinical data of 1,363 individuals with UTIs in Taiwan from January 2006 to January 2018. Of the 345 diabetic individuals, 61 (17.7%) developed uroseptic shock. Diabetic patients who developed uroseptic shock tended to be older and males and, had a history of congestive heart failure, urolithiasis, higher serum creatinine level during hospitalization, lower serum HbA1c level, bacteremia, and acute kidney injury. Backward stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that male gender [odds ratio (OR), 1.861; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.009–3.433; P = 0.047], congestive heart failure (OR, 4.036; 95% CI, 1.542–10.565; P = 0.004), bacteremia (OR, 2.875; 95% CI, 1.539–5.370; P = 0.001), and HbA1c level <6.5% (OR, 2.923; 95% CI, 1.580–5.406; P = 0.001) were associated with an increased risk of developing uroseptic shock among diabetic patients during hospitalization due to UTI. HbA1c level <6.5% is independently associated with uroseptic shock in diabetic patients with UTI.