Browsing by Author "Brás, JM"
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- Analysis of Parkinson disease patients from Portugal for mutations in SNCA, PRKN, PINK1 and LRRK2.Publication . Brás, JM; Guerreiro, RJ; Morgadinho, A; Januário, C; Dias, M; Calado, A; Semedo, C; Oliveira, CR; Hardy, J; Singleton, ABACKGROUND: Mutations in the genes PRKN and LRRK2 are the most frequent known genetic lesions among Parkinson's disease patients. We have previously reported that in the Portuguese population the LRRK2 c.6055G > A; p.G2019S mutation has one of the highest frequencies in Europe. METHODS: Here, we follow up on those results, screening not only LRRK2, but also PRKN, SNCA and PINK1 in a cohort of early-onset and late-onset familial Portuguese Parkinson disease patients. This series comprises 66 patients selected from a consecutive series of 132 patients. This selection was made in order to include only early onset patients (age at onset below 50 years) or late-onset patients with a positive family history (at least one affected relative). All genes were sequenced bi-directionally, and, additionally, SNCA, PRKN and PINK1 were subjected to gene dosage analysis. RESULTS: We found mutations both in LRRK2 and PRKN, while the remaining genes yielded no mutations. Seven of the studied patients showed pathogenic mutations, in homozygosity or compound heterozygosity for PRKN, and heterozygosity for LRRK2. CONCLUSION: Mutations are common in Portuguese patients with Parkinson's disease, and these results clearly have implications not only for the genetic diagnosis, but also for the genetic counseling of these patients.
- Association of HFE common mutations with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment in a Portuguese cohort.Publication . Guerreiro, RJ; Brás, JM; Santana, I; Januário, C; Morgadinho, A; Ribeiro, MH; Hardy, J; Singleton, A; Oliveira, CRBACKGROUND: Pathological brain iron deposition has been implicated as a source of neurotoxic reactive oxygen species in Alzheimer (AD) and Parkinson diseases (PD). Iron metabolism is associated with the gene hemochromatosis (HFE Human genome nomenclature committee ID:4886), and mutations in HFE are a cause of the iron mismetabolism disease, hemochromatosis. Several reports have tested the association of HFE variants with neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD and PD with conflicting results. METHODS: Genotypes were analysed for the two most common variants of HFE in a series of 130 AD, 55 Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and 132 PD patients. Additionally, a series of 115 healthy age-matched controls was also screened. RESULTS: A statistically significant association was found in the PD group when compared to controls, showing that the presence of the C282Y variant allele may confer higher risk for developing the disease. CONCLUSION: Taken together these results suggest that the common variants in HFE may be a risk factor for PD, but not for AD in the Portuguese population.
- Complete screening for glucocerebrosidase mutations in Parkinson disease patients from PortugalPublication . Brás, JM; Paisan-Ruiz, C; Guerreiro, C; Ribeiro, MH; Morgadinho, A; Januário, C; Sidransky, E; Oliveira, CR; Singleton, AMutations in the gene encoding beta-glucocerebrosidase, a lysosomal degrading enzyme, have recently been associated with the development of Parkinson disease. Here we report the results found in a cohort of Portuguese Parkinson disease patients and healthy age-matched controls for mutations in the aforementioned gene. This screening was accomplished by sequencing the complete open-reading frame, as well as intron/exon boundaries, of the glucocerebrosidase gene, in a total of 230 patients and 430 controls. We have found an increased number of Parkinson disease patients presenting mutations in GBA when compared to controls. These results, together with recent literature, clearly suggest a role of glucocerebrosidase in the development of Parkinson disease.
- G2019S dardarin substitution is a common cause of Parkinson's disease in a Portuguese cohort.Publication . Brás, JM; Guerreiro, RJ; Ribeiro, MH; Januário, C; Morgadinho, A; Oliveira, CR; Hardy, J; Singleton, ALRRK2 mutations have recently been described in families with Parkinson's disease. Here we show that one of them (G2019S) is present in 6% (7 of 124) unrelated cases of disease in a clinic-based sample series from central Portugal, but not present in 126 controls from the same population. Thus, LRRK2 mutations appear to be a common cause of typical Parkinson's disease and as such will alter clinical practice.