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While the efficacy of GpIIb–IIIa-inhibitors during primary PCI (pPCI) for ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) has previously been demonstrated, its ongoing role and safety in combination with newer P2Y12-inhibitors is unclear. We therefore sought to compare outcomes between two centers with divergent approaches to the use of GpIIbIIIa antagonists in pPCI. We performed a retrospective chart review of all-comer STEMI patients treated with pPCI at two high-volume Montreal academic tertiary care centers. One center tended to use GpIIb–IIIa-inhibitors up-front in a large proportion of patients (liberal strategy) and the other preferring a bail-out approach (conservative strategy). Baseline patient characteristics and procedural data were compared between the two groups. The main efficacy outcome was rate of no-reflow/slow-reflow and the main safety outcome was BARC ≥ 2 bleeding events. A total of 459 patients were included, of whom 167 (36.5%) were exposed to a GpIIb–IIIa-antagonist. There was a significant overall difference in use of GpIIb–IIIa-antagonist between the two centers (60.5% vs. 16.1%, p  < 0.01). Rate of no-reflow/slow-reflow was similar between groups (2.6% vs. 1.4%, p  = 0.22). In-hospital rates of unplanned revascularization, stroke and death were also not different between groups. Use of a liberal GpIIb-–IIIa-antagonist strategy was however associated with a higher risk of bleeding (OR 3.16, 95% CI 1.57–6.37, p  < 0.01), which persisted after adjustment for covariables (adjusted OR 2.85, 95% CI 1.40–5.81, p  < 0.01). In this contemporary retrospective cohort, a conservative, bail-out only GpIIb-–IIIa-antagonist strategy was associated with a lower incidence of clinically relevant bleeding without any signal for an increase in no-reflow/slow-reflow or ischemic clinical events.

Background Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) refers to a heterogeneous group of genetic disorders with more than 90 causative genes. Clinically, HSP is classified into pure and complicated forms. Pure forms are characterized primarily by lower-limb spasticity and weakness, whereas complicated forms include additional neurological or non-neurological symptoms alongside spasticity and weakness. We aimed to characterize the clinical and genetic landscapes of HSP in an Iranian cohort. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on 103 unrelated clinically suspected HSP probands. Multiple ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) was performed to validate identified copy number variants (CNVs) in two probands. Results 71 pathogenic/likely pathogenic and VUS variants were identified in 81 probands; total genetically solved probands: 78.6%. Among these solved cases, 64 probands harbored variants in known HSP genes, 14 had variants in other neuromuscular/neurodegenerative-related genes, and the remaining 3 probands carried variants in four novel candidate genes including NMNAT1, SEMA3A, KCNJ14 , and EMP3 . Among all 71 identified genomic variants, two were CNVs and one was a trinucleotide repeat expansion. Taken together, these variants were located in 37 genes; 21 of these genes have been previously implicated in HSP, and four common HSP subtypes (SPG11, SPG4, SPG7, and SPG15) accounted for ~40% of our cohort. Conclusions This study demonstrates significant clinical and genetic heterogeneity of HSP within our cohort. In addition to variants in 21 known HSP-related genes, we identified variants in 14 genes related to other neurological disorders -highlighting shared biological pathways- as well as variants in four novel candidate genes. Notably, a genetic diagnosis could not be established in 22 probands, underscoring that additional, as yet unidentified genes likely contribute to HSP pathogenesis.

Hereditary neuromuscular disorders (NMDs) are clinically and genetically heterogeneous, with variable severity and onset from birth to adulthood. This study retrospectively analyzes genetic findings in 2009 Iranian individuals with suspected NMDs over 11 years to highlight gene involvement and mutational patterns. Patients underwent gene panel sequencing (GPS), whole exome sequencing (WES), or MLPA for PMP22 in cases with suspected Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1 A (CMT1A). The diagnostic yield of GPS/WES was 46%. Dystrophies were the most prevalent, followed by neuropathies and myopathies. The key implicated genes were CAPN3 and DMD for dystrophies; GDAP1 and MME for neuropathies; GNE and ETFDH for myopathies. The most common phenotype group was dystrophies among both individuals with childhood-onset and adulthood-onset, but the most frequent mutated gene was CAPN3 in children and DYSF in adults. Identified variants include 761 (97%) single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and 24 (3%) copy number variations (CNVs). Notably, 26% of SNVs were novel. Among individuals tested with MLPA, 28% had confirmed PMP22 gene deletions or duplications, with 73% being duplications linked to CMT1A. This large-scale analysis provides insight into the genetic landscape of NMDs in Iran. Understanding gene distribution and mutation types can improve diagnosis and inform management strategies for affected individuals.

Mutations in the CDC14A (Cell Division-Cycle 14A) gene, which encodes a conserved dual-specificity protein tyrosine phosphatase, have been identified as a cause of autosomal recessive non-syndromic hearing loss (DFNB32) and hearing impairment infertility male syndrome (HIIMS). We used next-generation sequencing to screen six deaf probands from six families segregating sensorineural moderate-to-profound hearing loss. Data analysis and variant prioritization were completed using a custom bioinformatics pipeline. We identified three homozygous loss of function variants (p.Arg345Ter, p.Arg376Ter, and p.Ala451Thrfs*43) in the CDC14A gene, segregating with deafness in each family. Of the six families, four segregated the p.Arg376Ter mutation, one family segregated the p.Arg345Ter mutation and one family segregated a novel frameshift (p.Ala451Thrfs*43) mutation. In-depth phenotyping of affected individuals ruled out secondary syndromic findings. This study implicates the p.Arg376Ter mutation might be as a founder mutation in the Iranian population. It also provides the first semen analysis for deaf males carrying mutations in exon 11 of CDC14A and reveals a genotype–phenotype correlation that delineates between DFNB32 and HIIMS. The clinical results from affected males suggest the NM_033313.2 transcript alone is sufficient for proper male fertility, but not for proper auditory function. We conclude that DFNB32 is a distinct phenotypic entity in males.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been proven to be one of the most powerful diagnostic tools for rare Mendelian disorders. Several studies on the clinical application of NGS in unselected cohorts of Middle Eastern patients have reported a high diagnostic yield of up to 48%, correlated with a high level of consanguinity in these populations. We evaluated the diagnostic utility of NGS-based testing across different clinical indications in 1436 patients from Iran, representing the first study of its kind in this highly consanguineous population. A total of 1075 exome sequencing and 361 targeted gene panel sequencing were performed over 8 years at a single clinical genetics laboratory, with the majority of cases tested as proband-only (91.6%). The overall diagnostic rate was 46.7%, ranging from 24% in patients with an abnormality of prenatal development to over 67% in patients with an abnormality of the skin. We identified 660 pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants, including 241 novel variants, associated with over 342 known genetic conditions. The highly consanguineous nature of this cohort led to the diagnosis of autosomal recessive disorders in the majority of patients (79.1%) and allowed us to determine the shared carrier status of couples for suspected recessive phenotypes in their deceased child(ren) when direct testing was not possible. We also highlight the observations of recessive inheritance of genes previously associated only with dominant disorders and provide an expanded genotype–phenotype spectrum for multiple less-characterized genes. We present the largest mutational spectrum of known Mendelian disease, including possible founder variants, throughout the Iranian population, which can serve as a unique resource for clinical genomic studies locally and beyond.

Major birth defects are inborn structural or functional anomalies with long-term disability and adverse impacts on individuals, families, health-care systems, and societies. Approximately 20% of birth defects are due to chromosomal and genetic conditions. Inspired by the fact that neonatal deaths are caused by birth defects in about 20 and 10% of cases in Iran and worldwide respectively, we conducted the present study to unravel the role of chromosome abnormalities, including microdeletion/microduplication(s), in multiple congenital abnormalities in a number of Iranian patients. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 50 sporadic patients with Multiple Congenital Anomalies (MCA) were selected. The techniques employed included conventional karyotyping, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA), and array comparative genomic hybridisation (array-CGH), according to the clinical diagnosis for each patient. Chromosomal abnormalities and microdeletion/microduplication(s) were observed in eight out of fifty patients (16%). The abnormalities proved to result from the imbalances in chromosomes 1, 3, 12, and 18 in four of the patients. However, the other four patients were diagnosed to suffer from the known microdeletions of 22q11.21, 16p13.3, 5q35.3, and 7q11.23. In the present study, we report a patient with 46,XY, der(18)[12]/46,XY, der(18), +mar[8] dn presented with MCA associated with hypogammaglobulinemia. Given the patient's seemingly rare and highly complex chromosomal abnormality and the lack of any concise mechanism presented in the literature to justify the case, we hereby propose a novel mechanism for the formation of both derivative and ring chromosome 18. In addition, we introduce a new 12q abnormality and a novel association of an Xp22.33 duplication with 1q43q44 deletion syndrome. The phenotype analysis of the patients with chromosome abnormality would be beneficial for further phenotype-genotype correlation studies.

Background: Diagnosis of hereditary hearing loss (HHL) as a heterogeneous disorder is very important especially in countries with high rates of consanguinity where the autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance is prevalent. Techniques such as next-generation sequencing, a comprehensive genetic test using targeted genomic enrichment and massively parallel sequencing (TGE + MPS), have made the diagnosis more cost-effective. The aim of this study was to determine HHL variants with comprehensive genetic testing in our country. of this study was to determine HHL variants with comprehensive genetic testing in our country. Methods: Fifty GJB2 negative individuals with HHL were referred to the Kariminejad-Najmabadi Pathology and Genetics Center, Tehran, one of the reference diagnostic genetic laboratories in Iran, during a 3-year period between 2014 and 2017. They were screened with the OtoSCOPE test, the targeted genomic enrichment and massively parallel sequencing (TGE + MPS) platform after a detailed history had been taken along with clinical evaluation. Results: Among 32 out of 50 GJB2 negative patients (64%), 34 known pathogenic and novel variants were detected of which 16 (47%) were novel, identified in 10 genes of which the most prevalent were CDH23, MYO7A and MYO15A. Conclusion: These results provide a foundation from which to make appropriate recommendations for the use of comprehensive genetic testing in the evaluation of Iranian patients with hereditary hearing loss.

Autosomal recessive (AR) gene defects are the leading genetic cause of intellectual disability (ID) in countries with frequent parental consanguinity, which account for about 1/7th of the world population. Yet, compared to autosomal dominant de novo mutations, which are the predominant cause of ID in Western countries, the identification of AR-ID genes has lagged behind. Here, we report on whole exome and whole genome sequencing in 404 consanguineous predominantly Iranian families with two or more affected offspring. In 219 of these, we found likely causative variants, involving 77 known and 77 novel AR-ID (candidate) genes, 21 X-linked genes, as well as 9 genes previously implicated in diseases other than ID. This study, the largest of its kind published to date, illustrates that high-throughput DNA sequencing in consanguineous families is a superior strategy for elucidating the thousands of hitherto unknown gene defects underlying AR-ID, and it sheds light on their prevalence.

Common diseases are often complex because they are genetically heterogeneous, with many different genetic defects giving rise to clinically indistinguishable phenotypes. This has been amply documented for early-onset cognitive impairment, or intellectual disability, one of the most complex disorders known and a very important health care problem worldwide. More than 90 different gene defects have been identified for X-chromosome-linked intellectual disability alone, but research into the more frequent autosomal forms of intellectual disability is still in its infancy. To expedite the molecular elucidation of autosomal-recessive intellectual disability, we have now performed homozygosity mapping, exon enrichment and next-generation sequencing in 136 consanguineous families with autosomal-recessive intellectual disability from Iran and elsewhere. This study, the largest published so far, has revealed additional mutations in 23 genes previously implicated in intellectual disability or related neurological disorders, as well as single, probably disease-causing variants in 50 novel candidate genes. Proteins encoded by several of these genes interact directly with products of known intellectual disability genes, and many are involved in fundamental cellular processes such as transcription and translation, cell-cycle control, energy metabolism and fatty-acid synthesis, which seem to be pivotal for normal brain development and function. Genes in intellectual disability Although many gene defects have been identified for X-linked early-onset cognitive impairment, or intellectual disability, much less is known about genetic determinants of its autosomal recessive forms, which are more common. In a systematic attempt to shed more light on the molecular causes of the condition, homozygosity mapping, exon enrichment and next-generation sequencing were performed in 136 consanguineous families with the condition. Fifty novel candidate genes involved in intellectual disability were identified, as well as new mutations in several genes that had previously been implicated in neurological disorders. Many of the novel candidates interact with known intellectual-disability gene products and are predicted to act in processes that are vital for normal brain development and function.