100% satisfaction guarantee Immediately available after payment Both online and in PDF No strings attached
logo-home
Lecture notes Year 1 MBChB: Introduction to Medical Sciences (IMS) $9.67   Add to cart

Class notes

Lecture notes Year 1 MBChB: Introduction to Medical Sciences (IMS)

 34 views  1 purchase
  • Course
  • Institution
  • Book

Concise lecture notes from the clinical genetics strand of the IMS module taught in the first year of the MBChB course at the University of Leeds!

Preview 2 out of 10  pages

  • January 2, 2021
  • 10
  • 2017/2018
  • Class notes
  • Year 1 mbchb: introduction to medical science (ims)
  • All classes
avatar-seller
C LINICAL GENETICS

INTRODUCTION


Classification of genetic disorders
 Multifactorial (gene and environment)
 Single gene - Mutations in single genes often causing loss of function
 Chromosomal - Imbalance causes alteration in gene dosage
 Mitochondrial
 Somatic mutations (cancer)

Continuum of penetrance – proportion of people carrying a particular allele
 Fully penetrant conditions - other genes and environmental factors have no effect
 Low-penetrance genes - play a small part, with other genetic/environmental factors
 If a single gene – fully penetrant (only contributing factor)
 As it gets more multifactorial, penetrance is reduced e.g. MS

Multifactorial (common)
 Environmental influences (e.g. drugs/infections) + genetic predisposition = susceptibility of disease
 One organ system affected
 Polygenic Modern investigations
 Person affected if liability above a threshold  Multiple genetic influences
 Variants in genes - alteration of function  Each of small effect
 Important in population terms
Single gene (1% live-born)  Describe pathways which may be of
 Dominant/recessive pedigree patterns (Mendelian inheritance) therapeutic interest
 Mutations in single genes (often cause loss of function)
 Can affect structural proteins, enzymes, receptors, transcription factors

Chromosomal (0.6% live-born, but much more common in spontaneous abortions)
 Thousands of genes may be involved (genes located on chromosome)
 Chromosomal imbalance causes alteration in gene dosage
 Multiple organ systems affected at multiple stages in gestation
 Usually de novo (trisomies, deletions, duplications)
 In rare cases it can be inherited (translocations)

Anatomy of a chromosome Ultrasound features of Chromosome +21
 Ends – telomeres, centre - Centromere  Short femurs, sandal gap, single palmar crease
 P section short section  Nuchal translucency (back of neck), Choroid Plexus cyst
 Q section longer section (in brain)
 Echogenic bowel (fetal bowel bright)




Down’s Syndrome - autosomal
 Round face, protruding tongue, up-slanting palpebral fissures, epicanthic folds, developmental delay
 ‘Syndrome’ – collection of features

Three patterns of chromosomes can cause Down’s
 95% - three copies of chromosome 21 – Trisomy 21
 4% - extra copy of chromosome 21 because of Robertsonian translocation
 1% - mosaicism with normal and trisomy 21 cell lines (usually much milder features because presence of the normal
cells); occurs post-zygotically

Monosomy: 1 missing chromosome, Trisomy – one extra chromosome




Two other important autosomal trisomies

,  Poor prognosis: majority of babies dying in first few weeks of life. If a baby survives - severe mental retardation
 Edwards syndrome (trisomy 18)
o 1 in 3000 births
o Multiple malformations (especially heart, kidneys)
o Clenched hands – overlapping fingers
 Patau syndrome (trisomy 13)
o 1 in 5000 births
o Multiple malformations
o Affects midline structures particularly; incomplete lobation of brain; cleft lip; congenital heart disease

Conditions caused by anomalies of sex chromosome number
 Klinefelter syndrome
o 47,XXY
o Infertility (atrophic testes do not produce sperm)
o Poorly developed 2nd sexual characteristics in some (lack of testosterone)
o Features: Tall, Gynaecomastia (benign enlargement of breast tissue) and osteoporosis
 Turner syndrome
o 45,X
o 99% are lost spontaneously in pregnancy
o Features: short stature, puffy feet, skin at back of neck, primary amenorrhoea (no menstrual bleeding)
o Congenital heart disease (coarctation of aorta) 20%
o Histology of gonads: ovarian cortical stromal devoid of germ cell elements

Numerical chromosome abnormalities
 Gain/loss of complete chromosomes
 Common cause: non-disjunction (usually in germ cells at meiosis)
 Occasionally in somatic cells - mosaicism
 Serious, often lethal consequences (particularly autosomal anomalies)
o Multiple congenital anomalies/mental retardation (MCA/MR) syndromes
 Autosomal monosomies catastrophic
 Fewer serious effects from sex chromosome anomalies

Microdeletions
 Bit of chromosome missing (too small to be seen down the microscope)
 Identified by use of specific molecular cytogenetic techniques
 Appearance: small mouth, prominent nose, heart defects

Fluorescence In Situ Hybridisation (FISH)
 Probe contents is labeled/denatured to the target - then hybridized and visualized fluorescently
 Detects microdeletions

Williams-Beuren syndrome
 Bright eyes, stellate irides, wide mouth, upturned nose, heart defect
 Deletion of about 26 genes from the long arm of chromosome 7

Single Gene Disorders – Mendelian genetics
 Dominant – heterozygotes with one copy of the altered gene are affected
 Recessive – homozygous with two copies of the altered gene are affected
 X-linked Recessive – males with one copy of the altered gene on the X-chromosome are affected
o High risks to relatives
o Some isolated cases due to new dominant mutations
o Structural proteins, enzymes, receptors, transcription factors

Familial hypercholesterolaemia
 Cholesterol deposition in patients heterozygous, high levels of LDL
 Can be homozygous – more rare and severe
 Tendon xanthomata (fat deposits under skin), Corneal arcud (white/pale blue ring), high risk of CV disease

The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.

Quick and easy check-out

Quick and easy check-out

You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.

Focus on what matters

Focus on what matters

Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!

Frequently asked questions

What do I get when I buy this document?

You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.

Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?

Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.

Who am I buying these notes from?

Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller azreenafzal. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.

Will I be stuck with a subscription?

No, you only buy these notes for $9.67. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.

Can Stuvia be trusted?

4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)

67474 documents were sold in the last 30 days

Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now

Start selling
$9.67  1x  sold
  • (0)
  Add to cart