No abstract

We conclude that the SDMI improved decision making in unaffected BRCA1/2 mutation carriers. Supporting decision making in a systematic way using trade-offs is beneficial for these women.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of a decision aid (DA) and its timing in women being tested for a BRCA1/2 mutation. Women with and without a previous history of cancer were included after blood sampling for genetic testing. The DA consisted of a brochure and video providing information on screening and prophylactic surgery. To evaluate the impact of the DA, women were randomised to the DA group (n ¼ 184), receiving the DA 2 weeks after blood sampling, or to the control group (n ¼ 184). To evaluate the impact of timing, mutation carriers who had received the DA before the test result (n ¼ 47) were compared to mutation carriers who received the DA after the test result (n ¼ 42). Data were collected on well-being, treatment choice, decision and information related outcomes. The impact of the DA was measured 4 weeks after blood sampling. The impact of timing was measured 2 weeks after a positive test result. The DA had no impact on well-being. Regarding decision related outcomes, the DA group more frequently considered prophylactic surgery (P ¼ 0.02) corroborated with higher valuations (P ¼ 0.04). No differences were found for the other decision related outcomes. Regarding information related outcomes, the DA group felt better informed (P ¼ 0.00), was more satisfied with the information (P ¼ 0.00), and showed more accurate risk perceptions. Timing of the DA had no effect on any of the outcomes. No interactions were found between the DA and history of cancer. In conclusion, women being tested for a BRCA1/2 mutation benefit from the DA on information related outcomes. Because timing had no effect, the DA is considered useful either before or after the test result.

Patients with ICF syndrome can be recognized by the presence of a variable immunodeficiency, instability of the pericentromeric heterochromatin of, in particular, chromosomes 1, 9, and 16 in cultured peripheral lymphocytes, and a number of facial anomalies. Recently, aberrations at the molecular level have been described, consisting of alterations in the methylation pattern of classical satellite DNA, in a number of patients. ICF syndrome is considered to be inherited in an autosomal recessive manner and may be rare, as only 14 patients have been described thus far. We present a new case, a boy with agammaglobulinemia, who was extensively studied by means of classical cytogenetics and fluorescent in situ hybridization. All patients previously reported in the literature are reviewed.

Macaranga (Euphorbiaceae) includes about 280 species with a palaeotropic distribution. The genus not only comprises some of the most prominent pioneer tree species in Southeast Asian lowland dipterocarp forests, it also exhibits a substantial radiation of ant-plants (myrmecophytes). Obligate ant-plant mutualisms are formed by about 30 Macaranga species and 13 ant species of the genera Crematogaster or Camponotus. To improve our understanding of the co-evolution of the ants and their host plants, we aim at reconstructing comparative organellar phylogeographies of both partners across their distributional range. Preliminary evidence indicated that chloroplast DNA introgression among closely related Macaranga species might occur. We therefore constructed a comprehensive chloroplast genealogy based on DNA sequence data from the noncoding ccmp2, ccmp6, and atpB-rbcL regions for 144 individuals from 41 Macaranga species, covering all major evolutionary lineages within the three sections that contain myrmecophytes. A total of 88 chloroplast haplotypes were identified, and grouped into a statistical parsimony network that clearly distinguished sections and well-defined subsectional groups. Within these groups, the arrangement of haplotypes followed geographical rather than taxonomical criteria. Thus, up to six chloroplast haplotypes were found within single species, and up to seven species shared a single haplotype. The spatial distribution of the chloroplast types revealed several dispersals between the Malay Peninsula and Borneo, and a deep split between Sabah and the remainder of Borneo. Our large-scale chloroplast genealogy highlights the complex history of migration, hybridization, and speciation in the myrmecophytes of the genus Macaranga. It will serve as a guideline for adequate sampling and data interpretation in phylogeographic studies of individual Macaranga species and species groups.