title: Utero-vaginal aplasia (Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome) associated with deletions in known DiGeorge or DiGeorge-like loci.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome is characterized by congenital aplasia of the uterus and the upper part of the vagina in women showing normal development of secondary sexual characteristics and a normal 46, XX karyotype. The uterovaginal aplasia is either isolated (type I) or more frequently associated with other malformations (type II or Müllerian Renal Cervico-thoracic Somite (MURCS) association), some of which belong to the malformation spectrum of DiGeorge phenotype (DGS). Its etiology remains poorly understood. Thus the phenotypic manifestations of MRKH and DGS overlap suggesting a possible genetic link. This would potentially have clinical consequences.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched DiGeorge critical chromosomal regions for chromosomal anomalies in a cohort of 57 subjects with uterovaginal aplasia (55 women and 2 aborted fetuses). For this candidate locus approach, we used a multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) assay based on a kit designed for investigation of the chromosomal regions known to be involved in DGS.The deletions detected were validated by Duplex PCR/liquid chromatography (DP/LC) and/or array-CGH analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found deletions in four probands within the four chromosomal loci 4q34-qter, 8p23.1, 10p14 and 22q11.2 implicated in almost all cases of DGS syndrome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Uterovaginal aplasia appears to be an additional feature of the broad spectrum of the DGS phenotype. The DiGeorge critical chromosomal regions may be candidate loci for a subset of MRKH syndrome (MURCS association) individuals. However, the genes mapping at the sites of these deletions involved in uterovaginal anomalies remain to be determined. These findings have consequences for clinical investigations, the care of patients and their relatives, and genetic counseling.
authors.affiliation: CNRS UMR 6061, Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes, IFR 140 GFAS, Faculté de Médecine, 2 avenue du Professeur Léon Bernard CS 34317, 35043 Rennes Cedex, France. karine.morcel@chu-rennes.fr
authors.forename: Karine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morcel
authors.forename: Tanguy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watrin
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pasquier
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rochard
authors.forename: Cédric
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Le Caignec
authors.forename: Christèle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dubourg
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Loget
authors.forename: Bernard-Jean
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Paniel
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Odent
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: David
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pellerin
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bendavid
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guerrier
mesh_terms: D058489:46, XX Disorders of Sex Development / Q000235:genetics; D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000235:genetics; D037881:Aborted Fetus; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D015331:Cohort Studies; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004062:DiGeorge Syndrome / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000002:abnormalities; D009095:Mullerian Ducts / Q000002:abnormalities; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D019170:Somites / Q000002:abnormalities; D013131:Spine / Q000002:abnormalities; D014599:Uterus / Q000002:abnormalities; D014621:Vagina / Q000002:abnormalities; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004247:DNA