1.Advances in Clinical Genetics of the Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes
Kexin XU ; Guozhuang LI ; Qing LI ; Xiangjie YIN ; Kun FANG ; Zhihong WU ; Jianguo ZHANG ; DISCO(Deciphering Disorders Involving Scoliosis & COmorbidities)Study Group ; Nan WU
JOURNAL OF RARE DISEASES 2024;3(3):295-303
The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes(EDS)are a group of rare hereditary connective tissue disorders characterized by joint hypermobility,skin hyperextensibility,and tissue fragility.The clinical and genetic hetero-geneity of EDS frequently leads to underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis.Genetic testing is an essential approach to clarify the underlying diagnosis.Recent research has preliminarily established genotype-phenotype correlations and introduced the novel concept of"disease spectrum"in some subtypes.These studies deepen our under-standing of EDS etiology and provide important insights into clinical management.Published in 2023,the Chinese Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of the Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes(the Guidelines)recommend performing genetic testing with deep phenotyping for patients who meet the clinical diagnostic criteria or are sus-pected of having EDS.However,it should be noted that the clinical diagnosis might differ from the molecular diagnosis.Furthermore,cutting-edge approaches such as periodic data reanalysis,integration of RNA sequen-cing into family-based whole-genome sequencing,and third-generation sequencing may facilitate the reclassifi-cation of variants of uncertain significance or resolve undiagnosed cases.This article summarizes recent progress in the genetics research of EDS,with the hope of offering a valuable resource for clinical diagnosis,treatment and scientific research to optimize the quality of life of patients with EDS.