title: Cerebellar vermis hypoplasia in CHARGE syndrome: clinical and molecular characterization of 18 unrelated Korean patients.
abstract: CHARGE syndrome (OMIM 214800) is a rare autosomal-dominant congenital malformation syndrome that results from haploinsufficiency of the chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 7 (CHD7). We performed a phenotypic characterization and genetic analysis of CHD7 in 18 Korean patients with CHARGE syndrome. Eighteen unrelated Korean patients (10 females and 8 males; age range 0.0-19.6 years) with CHARGE syndrome were enrolled. Clinical data were collected by retrospective review of medical records. A serial analysis via sequencing and multiple ligation-dependent probe amplification of CHD7 was performed to determine the molecular genetic spectrum of the patients. The prevalence of cardinal symptoms was as follows: coloboma (13/18, 72.2%), heart defects (13/18, 72.2%), choanal atresia/stenosis (4/18, 22.2%), retarded growth (10/18, 55.6%), genital anomalies (15/18, 83.3%) and ear abnormalities (18/18, 100%). Five patients had cerebellar vermis hypoplasia (5/17, 29.4%) with no clinical symptoms or signs of cerebellar dysfunction. Furthermore, we identified genetic alterations in all 18 patients, including 10 novel mutations. Considering its frequency among patients with CHD7 mutations, cerebellar vermis hypoplasia may be a clinical diagnostic clue of CHARGE syndrome, although it is not included in the diagnostic criteria. And, the identification of CHD7 mutations may help the confirmative diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, Ajou University Hospital, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea.
authors.forename: Young Bae
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Choong Ho
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sei Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Chae
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung-A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D058747:CHARGE Syndrome / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D065814:Cerebellar Vermis / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D056910:Republic of Korea; D055815:Young Adult