H3Africa is developing capacity for health-related genomics research in Africa

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Our current results are in agreement with the results previously reported by other groups showing that the number of fetal cells in maternal blood in trisomic 21 pregnancies is higher than in normal pregnancies. This high number of fetal cells is regarded as an advantage for the development of a noninvasive prenatal diagnostic test.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a neoplasia characterized by proliferation of a myeloid cell lineage and chromosome translocation t(9;22) (q34;q11.2). As in the case of most cancers, the average telomere length in CML cells is shorter than that in normal blood cells. However, there are currently no data available concerning specific individual telomere length in CML. Here, we studied telomere length on each chromosome arm of CML cells. In situ hybridization with peptide nucleic acid probes was performed on CML cells in metaphase. The fluorescence intensity of each specific telomere was converted into kilobases according to the telomere restriction fragment results for each sample. We found differences in telomere length between short arm ends and long arm ends. We observed recurrent telomere length changes as well as telomere length maintenance and elongation in some individual telomeres. We propose a possible involvement of individual telomere length changes to some chromosomal abnormalities in CML. We suggest that individual telomere length maintenance is chromosome arm-specific associated with leukemia cells.

Background Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth (CMT) disease is a very heterogeneous neurological condition with more than 90 reported genetic entities. It is the most common inherited peripheral neuropathy; however, cases are rarely reported in sub‐Saharan Africa. In addition, only few families, mostly of Caucasian ancestry, have been reported to have Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease type 2D (CMT2D) mutations. To date no case of CMT2D was reported in Africa. We present here a consanguineous family with CMT phenotype in which a novel mutation in the GARS (glycyl‐tRNA synthetase) gene was identified. Methods Patients were examined thoroughly and nerve conduction studies (NCS) were performed. DNA from the proband was used for CMT gene panel testing (including 50 genes, PMP22 duplication and mtDNA ). Putative mutations were verified in all available family members to check for segregation. Results Two individuals, a male and a female, were found to be affected. Symptoms started in their teenage years with muscle weakness and atrophy in hands. Later, distal involvement of the lower limbs was noticed. Patients complained of minor sensory impairment. NCS showed no response in the upper as well as the lower limbs. Genetic testing surprisingly identified a novel heterozygous missense mutation c.794C>A (p.Ser265Tyr) in the GARS gene associated with CMT2D. This variant segregated with the disease in the family and was also seen in the mother who presented no symptoms. Conclusion This is the first report of a genetically confirmed CMT2D case in Africa, expanding its genetic epidemiology. Increasing access to genetic testing may reveal more novel CMT variants or genes in the African population that could be relevant to other populations and further our understanding of their mechanism.