BackgroundPuberty can be considered the end point of a maturation process which is defined by the dynamic interactions of genes and environmental factors during prenatal and postnatal development. Kisspeptin/G protein-coupled receptor-54, is as an essential gatekeeper and regulator of GnRH neurons, and a key factor in initiation of puberty. Loss and gain of functional mutations in the GPR54 gene are associated with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and precocious puberty, respectively. This study was designed to evaluate variations of GPR54 in familial precocious puberty.MethodsGenomic DNA was extracted from peripheral whole blood of 25 subjects with familial precocious puberty. Coding exons 1–5 of the GPR54 gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the PCR products were purified and sequenced. DNA sequences were compared to the human GenBank GPR54 sequence using Sequencher sequence alignment software.ResultsWe detected three different Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in GPR54: rs10407968 (24A > T) in 13 subjects (52%); rs3050132 (1091 T > A) in 16 subjects (64%), and a novel polymorphism (492C > G) in one subject (4%), while three subjects (12%) had no SNPs. No mutations were found in the GPR54 gene.ConclusionsRegarding the presence of SNPs in 88% of the subjects in this study, it is likely a relationship exists between the SNPs of the GPR54 gene and familial precocious puberty. Further research is needed to investigate this possibility, and potential functional effects of these polymorphisms.

Background Phenylketonuria (PKU) is one of the most common types of inborn error of metabolism. The mainstay of therapy for PKU has been dietary phenylalanine (Phe) restriction. Sapropterin dihydrochloride has been shown to be effective in reducing Phe levels in PKU patients. Methods This study was a clinical trial performed in the pediatric endocrine clinic of Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad, Iran. Results All children between 1 and 10 years of age with a diagnosis of PKU whose serum Phe levels were between 120 and 360 μmol/L, in Khorasan Razavi province in the north-east of Iran, were enrolled. Twenty-four patients were enrolled in the study. Intervention: A free diet for 72 h was allowed and then a 20-mg/kg/day dose of Kuvan® was administered. More than 30% reduction in blood Phe levels was described as responsive. Eight patients responded to the loading test and were eligible for the second stage of the study. In this stage, Phe powder in combination with Kuvan was provided. Patients’ serum Phe was measured weekly for 3 months. All eight patients showed Phe tolerance in 3 months, and their serum Phe levels remained within the range. Conclusions Treatment with Kuvan can help reduce blood Phe levels in our pediatric PKU population and allows patients to follow a more liberal diet.

Biallelic pathogenic variants in the genes encoding the dolichol-phosphate mannose synthase subunits (DPM) which produce mannosyl donors for glycosylphosphatidylinositols, N-glycan and protein Oand C-mannosylation, are rare causes of congenital disorders of glycosylation. Pathogenic variants in DPM1 and DPM2 are associated with muscle-eye-brain (MEB) disease, whereas DPM3 variants have mostly been reported in patients with isolated muscle disease-dystroglycanopathy. Thus far, only one affected individual with compound heterozygous DPM3 variants presenting with myopathy, mild intellectual disability, seizures, and nonspecific white matter abnormalities (WMA) around the lateral ventricles has been described. Here we present five affected individuals from four unrelated families with global developmental delay/intellectual disability ranging from mild to severe, microcephaly, seizures,

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DiGeorge syndrome was described for the first time in 1968 as a defect affecting structures derived from the third and fourth embryonic pharyngeal arches along with absent parathyroid glands. According to the low incidence of this disease as well as a wide spectrum of symptoms, it is essential to report cases with less prevalent features. In this case report, a child was introduced with a diagnosis of DiGeorge syndrome presenting with seizures. The patient was a 27-day-old baby girl due to seizures admitted to Hospital Imam Reza (AS), Mashhad, Iran. Hypocalcemia was observed in early clinical trials requested. The patient underwent echocardiography according to holosystolic murmur grade 3/6 auscultation, which showed a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), ventricular septal defect (VSD), atrial septal defect (ASD), and pulmonary atresia (PA). No thymus was found on chest X-ray, and evidence of previous conflicts was observed in the heart. Finally, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed to check out Tuple gene deletion on chromosome 22q11.2, and the diagnosis was confirmed for DiGeorge syndrome. Although the incidences of neurological symptoms associated with hypocalcemia suggest a wide range of diseases as a differential diagnosis, pediatrics should consider the heart disorders for DiGeorge syndrome through clinical examinations and imaging, if necessary.