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Appearance at birth and during the early years is normal but features become more prominent during later childhood prior to puberty. The main issues appear to be lipodystrophy (see below) and slow growth of cartilage and ligaments. The slow growth of cartilage and ligaments results in a small nose, small mandible (jaw), small ears and tightening of ligaments in the limbs. A small larynx (due to
the reduced growth of cartilage) can mean the voice is likely to remain high pitched (even in boys after puberty).
The diagnosis of MDP syndrome is suggested by the clinical features. It can be confirmed by finding a mutation in the POLD1 gene, a service offered by the molecular genetics team at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust / Exeter University who originally discovered the genetic cause.
The symptoms of Rabson–Mendenhall syndrome vary from case to case. Major symptoms of Rabson–Mendenhall syndrome include abnormalities of the teeth and nails, such as dental dysplasia, and deformities of the head and face, which include a coarse prematurely-aged facial appearance with a prominent jaw. A skin abnormality known as acanthosis nigricans, which involves a discoloration (hyperpigmentation) and “velvety” thickening (hyperkeratosis) of the skin around skin fold regions of the neck, groin and under arms is also a common symptom. Symptoms will negatively impact the daily life of the patient, and will persist until treated.
Minor symptoms may include an enlargement of the genitalia and precocious puberty and a deficiency or absence of fat tissue. Because individuals with Rabson–Mendenhall syndrome fail to use insulin properly, they may experience abnormally high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) after eating a meal, and abnormally low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia) when not eating.
Familial partial lipodystrophy (FPL), also known as Köbberling–Dunnigan syndrome, is a rare genetic metabolic condition characterized by the loss of subcutaneous fat.
FPL also refers to a rare metabolic condition in which there is a loss of subcutaneous fat in the arms, legs and lower torso. The upper section of the body, face, neck, shoulders, back and trunk carry an excess amount of fat.
As the body is unable to store fat correctly this leads to fat around all the vital organs and in the blood (triglycerides). This results in heart problems, cirrhosis of the liver, lipoatrophic diabetes, and pancreatitis, along with various other complications.
Rabson–Mendenhall syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by severe insulin resistance. The disorder is caused by mutations in the insulin receptor gene. Symptoms include growth abnormalities of the head, face and nails, along with the development of acanthosis nigricans. Treatment involves controlling blood glucose levels by using insulin and incorporating a strategically planned, controlled diet. Also, direct actions against other symptoms may be taken (e.g. surgery for facial abnormalities) This syndrome usually affects children and has a prognosis of 1–2 years.
Acquired generalized lipodystrophy (also known as "Lawrence syndrome," and "Lawrence–Seip syndrome", abbreviation: AGL) is a rare skin condition that appears during childhood or adolescence, characterized by fat loss affecting large areas of the body, particularly the face, arms, and legs. There are 4 types of lipodystrophy based on its onset and areas affected: acquired or inherited (congenital or familial), and generalized or partial. Both acquired or inherited lipodystrophy present as loss of adipose tissues. The near-total loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue is termed generalized lipodystrophy while the selective loss of adipose tissues is denoted as partial lipodystrophy. Thus, as the name suggests, AGL is a near-total deficiency of adipose tissues in the body that is developed later in life. It is an extremely rare disease that only about 100 cases are reported worldwide. There are three main etiologies of AGL suspected: autoimmune, panniculitis-associated, or idiopathic. After its onset, the disease progresses over a few days, weeks, months, or even in years. Clinical presentations of AGL are similar to other lipodystrophies, including metabolic complications and hypoleptinemia. Treatments are also similar and mainly supportive for symptomatic alleviation. Although HIV- or drug-induced lipodystrophy are a type of acquired lipodystrophy, its origin is very specific and distinct hence is usually not discussed with AGL (see HIV-Associated Lipodystrophy).
There is no known cause for this disease; however, three origins of AGL are generally suspected: panniculitis-associated, autoimmune-associated, and idiopathic AGLs. Triggers may include infections that aggravate the panniculitis, or any disease state that can induce autoimmunity. Overlap between panniculitis and autoimmune types also exists. Another theory suggest that AGL is an autoimmune disease itself, as panniculitis can be described as an autoimmune disease, however its triggering factors remains to be unknown. Underlying genetic factor may be associated; however neither confirmed nor rejected.
Dunnigan-type familial partial lipodystrophy, also known as FPLD Type II and abbreviated as (FPLD2), is a rare monogenic form of insulin resistance characterized by loss of subcutaneous fat from the extremities, trunk, and gluteal region. FPLD recapitulates the main metabolic attributes of the insulin resistance syndrome, including central obesity, hyperinsulinemia, glucose intolerance and diabetes usually type 2, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and early endpoints of atherosclerosis. It can also result in hepatic steatosis. FPLD results from mutations in LMNA gene, which is the gene that encodes nuclear lamins A and C.
A mutations in a number of genes have been associated with this condition. Mutations associated with FPL have been reported in "LMNA" (lamin A/C), "PPARG" (PPARγ), "AKT2" (AKT serine/threonine kinase 2), "PLIN1" (perilipin-1), and "CIDEC" (cell-death-inducing DFFA-like effector B).
Six types (1-6) have been described. Types 1-5 are inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion.
Type 1 (Kobberling variety, FPL1) is very rare and has only been reported in women to date. Fat loss is confined to the limbs and mostly in the distal parts. Central obesity may be present. Complications include hypertension, insulin resistance and hypertriglyceridemia. The gene causing this condition is not yet known. This form was first described in 1975.
Type 2 (Dunnigan Variety, FPL2) is the most common form and is due to mutations in the LMNA gene. Over 500 cases have been reported to date. Development up to puberty is normal. Fat is then gradually lost in is the limbs and trunk. Fat may accumulate around the face and between the shoulder blades. Insulin resistance is common. Other conditions associated with this condition include acanthosis nigricans, fatty liver, hypertriglyceridemia and polycystic ovary syndrome in women. There is an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Cardiomyopathy and muscular dystrophy may occur rarely. Xanthoma and nail changes may occur.
Type 3 is due to mutations in the PPARG gene. It is rare with approximately 30 cases reported to date. It is similar to type 2 but tends to be milder.
Type 4 is due to mutations in the PLIN1 gene. It is rare with only a small number of cases reported. Fat loss tends to affect the lower limbs and buttocks. Insulin resistance and hypertriglyceridemia occur. Calf muscular hypertrophy may occur.
Type 5 is due to mutations in the AKT2 gene. It has been reported in four patients all members of the same family. Fat loss affects the upper and lower limbs. The patients also suffered from hypertension, insulin resistance and hypertriglyceridemia.
Type 6 due to mutations in the CIDEC gene. It is inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion and has been reported in only one patient to date. Features included fat loss, severe insulin resistance, fatty liver, acanthosis nigricans and diabetes.
Vasoplegic syndrome is defined as low systemic vascular resistance (SVR index 2.5 l/min/m2) within the first 4 postoperative hours.
Vasoplegic syndrome (VPS) is a postperfusion syndrome characterized by low systemic vascular resistance and a high cardiac output.
Warfarin resistance is a rare condition in which people have varying degrees of tolerance to the anticoagulant drug warfarin. In incomplete warfarin resistance, people only respond to high doses of warfarin; in complete warfarin resistance, the drug has no effect. This can be because the drug is metabolized quickly or because the clotting cascade does not interact with warfarin as it should. One gene that has been identified in warfarin resistance is VKORC1, a gene responsible for warfarin metabolism. It is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern.
The prolonged muscle contractions, which occur most commonly in the leg muscles in recessive mutations, and more commonly in the hands, face, and eyelids in dominant mutations, are often enhanced by inactivity, and in some forms are relieved by repetitive movement known as "the warm-up effect". This effect often diminishes quickly with rest. Some individuals with myotonia congenita are prone to falling as a result of hasty movements or an inability to stabilize themselves after a loss of balance. During a fall, a person with myotonia congenita may experience partial or complete rigid paralysis that will quickly resolve once the event is over. However, a fall into cold water may render the person unable to move for the duration of submergence. As with myotonic goats, children are more prone to falling than adults, due to their impulsivity.
The two major types of myotonia congenita are distinguished by the severity of their symptoms and their patterns of inheritance. Becker disease usually appears later in childhood than Thomsen disease, and causes more severe myotonia, muscle stiffness and transient weakness. Although myotonia in itself is not normally associated with pain, cramps or myalgia may develop. People with Becker disease often experience temporary attacks of muscle weakness, particularly in the arms and hands, brought on by movement after periods of rest. They may also develop mild, permanent muscle weakness over time. This muscle weakness is not observed in people with Thomsen disease. However, in recent times, as more of the individual mutations that cause myotonia congenita are identified, these limited disease classifications are becoming less widely used.
Early symptoms in a child may include:
- Difficulty swallowing
- Gagging
- Stiff movements that improve when they are repeated
- Frequent falling
- Difficulties opening eyelids after strenuous contraction or crying (von Graefe's sign)
Possible complications may include:
- Aspiration pneumonia (caused by swallowing difficulties)
- Frequent choking or gagging in infants (also caused by swallowing difficulties)
- Abdominal muscle weakness
- Chronic joint problems
- Injury due to falls
Southeast Asian ovalocytosis is a blood disorder that is similar to, but distinct from hereditary elliptocytosis. It is common in some communities in Malaysia and Papua New Guinea, as it confers some resistance to cerebral Falciparum Malaria.
Congenital myotonia, also called myotonia congenita, is a congenital neuromuscular channelopathy that affects skeletal muscles (muscles used for movement). It is a genetic disorder. The hallmark of the disease is the failure of initiated contraction to terminate, often referred to as delayed relaxation of the muscles (myotonia) and rigidity. Symptoms include delayed relaxation of the muscles after voluntary contraction (myotonia), and may also include stiffness, hypertrophy (enlargement), transient weakness in some forms of the disorder (from certain genetic mutations), and cramping. The condition is sometimes referred to as fainting goat syndrome, as it is responsible for the eponymous 'fainting' seen in fainting goats when presented with a sudden stimulus.
Many signs are associated with PPID, but only a subset of these are displayed in any single horse. Some horses may present with chronic laminitis without other overt signs of the disease.
- Hypertrichosis (hirsutisim) produces a long, thick, wavy coat that often has delayed shedding or fails to shed completely, and may lighten in color. Hirsutism has been suggested to be pathognomonic for PPID, with up to 95% of horses having PPID.
- Laminitis
- Increased drinking and increased urination
- Pot-bellied appearance
- Weight loss
- Redistribution of fat, leading to bulging supraorbital fat pad, a "cresty" neck, and fat over the tail head or in the sheath of males
- Lethargy
- Behavioral changes, often an increased docility
- Muscle wasting, especially along the top line
- Increased sweating, or less commonly, decreased sweating
- Increased appetite
- Decreased sensitivity to pain
- Recurrent infections due to immune impairment
- Rarely neurologic signs such as narcolepsy, blindness, or seizures
- Suspensary ligament degeneration
A small proportion of humans show partial or apparently complete inborn resistance to HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The main mechanism is a mutation of the gene encoding CCR5, which acts as a co-receptor for HIV. It is estimated that the proportion of people with some form of resistance to HIV is under 1%.
Complete blood counts and serum chemistry profiles may be normal in affected horses. Persistent hyperglycemia and glucosuria are very commonly seen. Hyperlipidemia may be present, especially in ponies. Other abnormalities associated with the disease include mild anemia, neurophilia, lymphopenia, eosinopenia, and increased liver enzymes.
HIV drug resistance occurs when microevolution causes virions to become tolerant to antiretroviral treatments.
In 1994, Stephen Crohn became the first person discovered to be completely resistant to HIV in all tests performed. In early 2000, researchers discovered a small group of sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya who were estimated to have sexual contact with 60 to 70 HIV positive clients a year without signs of infection. Researchers from Public Health Agency of Canada have identified 15 proteins unique to those virus-free sex workers. Later, however some sex workers were discovered to have contracted the virus, leading Oxford University researcher Sarah Rowland-Jones to believe continual exposure is a requirement for maintaining immunity.
Acanthosis nigricans may present with thickened, velvety, relatively darker areas of skin on the neck, armpit and in skin folds.
Endocrine syndromes associated with acanthosis nigricans can develop in many conditions, particularly:
- starts with insulin resistance, such as diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome
- excess circulating androgens, particularly Cushing's disease, acromegaly, polycystic ovarian disease
- Addison's disease and hypothyroidism
- Rare diseases, including pinealoma, leprechaunism, lipoatrophic diabetes, pineal hyperplasia syndrome, pituitary basophilism, ovarian hyperthecosis, stromal luteoma, ovarian dermoid cysts, Prader-Willi syndrome, and Alstrom syndrome.
Acanthosis nigricans associated with endocrine dysfunction is more insidious in its onset, is less widespread, and the patients are often concurrently obese.
Activated protein C resistance (APCR) is a hemostatic disorder characterized by a poor anticoagulant response to activated protein C (APC). This results in an increased risk of venous thrombosis, which can cause problems with circulation, such as pulmonary embolism.
The disorder can be acquired or inherited, the hereditary form having an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern.
Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) or carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) are Gram-negative bacteria that are resistant to the carbapenem class of antibiotics, considered the drugs of last resort for such infections. They are resistant because they produce an enzyme called a carbapenemase that disables the drug molecule. The resistance can vary from moderate to severe. Enterobacteriaceae are common commensals and infectious agents. Experts fear CRE as the new "superbug". The bacteria can kill up to half of patients who get bloodstream infections. Tom Frieden, former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has referred to CRE as "nightmare bacteria". Types of CRE are sometimes known as KPC (Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase) and NDM (New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase). KPC and NDM are enzymes that break down carbapenems and make them ineffective. Both of these enzymes, as well as the enzyme VIM (Verona Integron-Mediated Metallo-β-lactamase) have also been reported in Pseudomonas.
Antineoplastic resistance, often used interchangeably with chemotherapy resistance, is the multiple drug resistance of neoplastic (cancerous) cells, or the ability of cancer cells to survive and grow despite anti-cancer therapies.
There are two general causes of antineoplastic therapy failure: Inherent genetic characteristics, giving cancer cells their resistance, which is rooted in the concept of cancer cell heterogeneity and acquired resistance after drug exposure. Altered membrane transport, enhanced DNA repair, apoptotic pathway defects, alteration of target molecules, protein and pathway mechanisms, such as enzymatic deactivation.
Since cancer is a genetic disease, two genomic events underlie acquired drug resistance: Genome alterations (e.g. gene amplification and deletion) and epigenetic modifications.
Cancer cells are constantly using a variety of tools, involving genes, proteins and altered pathways, to ensure their survival against antineoplastic drugs.