Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a recessive genetic disorder of motile cilia with substantial genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity. Clinical features of PCD vary from one patient to another, and no single test has the sensitivity and specificity to accurately diagnose PCD. Genetic testing combined with other auxiliary tests can facilitate the confirmatory diagnosis of PCD. So far more than 40 genes have been associated with PCD, but most research have focused on common genes, which hinders our understanding of other rare PCD-genes. This review has summarized the PCD-associated genes and the corresponding characteristics of dysfunctional cilia, with an aim to provide a basis for early identification of such diseases.
Cilia/genetics* ; Genetic Testing ; Humans ; Kartagener Syndrome/genetics* ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a hereditary disease characterized by airway mucociliary clearance dysfunction. The estimated prevalence of PCD is 1꞉10 000 to 1꞉20 000. The main respiratory manifestations in children are cough, expectoration, chronic rhinitis, sinusitis, and chronic otitis media, while the most common symptoms in adults are chronic sinusitis, bronchiectasis, and infertility. About 50% of patients with certain PCD-related gene variants are combined with situs inversus, and the incidence of congenital heart disease is also high. The pathogenesis behind PCD is that gene variants cause structural or functional disorders of respiratory cilia and motile cilia of other organs, leading to a series of heterogeneous clinical manifestations, which makes it difficult to identify and diagnose PCD. Combining different disease screening tools and understanding the relationship between genotypes and phenotypes may facilitate early diagnosis and treatment for PCD.
Chronic Disease ; Cilia/pathology* ; Humans ; Kartagener Syndrome/genetics* ; Phenotype ; Sinusitis

Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a genetic disease in which the lungs are rarely involved. However, in NF cases with lung involvement, chest computed tomography may show bilateral basal reticulations, apical bullae, and cysts without bronchiectasis. Herein, we report a patient diagnosed with NF on the basis of the results of genetic testing who presented with early-onset wet cough and bronchiectasis. Considering the differential diagnosis of bronchiectasis combined with his early-onset wet cough, sinusitis, and sperm quality decline, we considered the possibility of primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). Further electron microscopy analysis of cilia and identification of homozygous mutations in the RSPH4A gene confirmed the diagnosis of PCD. Therefore, for patients with NF, when an image change exists in the lungs that does not correspond to NF, the possibility of other diagnoses, including PCD, must be considered.
Cilia ; Humans ; Kartagener Syndrome/genetics* ; Microscopy, Electron ; Mutation ; Neurofibromatosis 1/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics and genetic basis of a child with Kartagener syndrome (KTS). METHODS: Trio-whole exome sequencing was carried out for the child and his parents, and candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing. Changes in protein structure due to missense variants were simulated and analyzed, and the Human Splicing Finder 3.0 (HSF 3.0) online platform was used to predict the effect of the variant of the non-coding region. RESULTS: The child had featured bronchiectasis, sinusitis and visceral inversion. Genetic testing revealed that he has harbored compound heterozygous variants of the DNAH5 gene, namely c.5174T>C and c.7610-3T>G. Sanger sequencing confirmed the existence of the variants. The variants were not found in the dbSNP, 1000 Genomes, ExAC, ClinVar and HGMD databases. Protein structural analysis suggested that the c.5174T>C (p.Leu1725Pro) variant may affect the stability of local structure and its biological activity. The results of HSF 3.0 analysis suggested that the c.7610-3T>G variant has probably destroyed a splicing receptor to affect the transcription process. CONCLUSION The compound heterozygous variants of the DNAH5 gene probably underlay the pathogenesis in the child. Above finding may facilitate the understanding of the clinical characteristics and genetic basis of KTS, and further expand the spectrum of DNAH5 gene variants.
Male ; Humans ; Child ; Mutation ; Kartagener Syndrome/genetics* ; Genetic Testing ; Mutation, Missense ; Exome Sequencing ; Axonemal Dyneins/genetics*

A boy was admitted on day 3 after birth due to shortness of breath for 2 days and cyanosis for 1 day. He had clinical manifestations of dyspnea in the early postnatal period and situs inversus, and was finally diagnosed with Kartagener syndrome. His condition was improved after oxygen therapy, anti-infective therapy, and aerosol therapy. The genetic testing showed that there was a large-fragment loss of heterozygosity, exon 48_50, and a hemizygous mutation, c.7915C > T(p.R2639X), in the
China ; Dyspnea ; Exons ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Kartagener Syndrome/therapy* ; Male ; Situs Inversus/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical and genetic features of a child with primary ciliary dyskinesia. METHODS: Genomic DNA of the child and her parents was extracted and subjected to targeted gene capture and next generation sequencing. Suspected mutation was verified by Sanger sequencing, with its nature and impact predicted by Bioinformatic analysis. RESULTS: Clinical manifestations of the child mainly included severe pneumonia, bronchiectasia, nasosinusitis and pneumothorax. DNA sequencing showed that she has carried compound heterozygous mutations of the CCNO gene, namely c.848T>C (p.L283P) and c.262_263 insGGCCCGGCCC (p.Q88Rfs*51), which were respectively inherited from her mother and father. CONCLUSION The child was diagnosed with primary ciliary dyskinesia caused by the compound heterozygous mutations of the CCNO gene.
Base Sequence ; Female ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Kartagener Syndrome ; genetics ; Male ; Mutation ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare hereditary orphan condition that results in variable phenotypes, including infertility. About 50 gene variants are reported in the scientific literature to cause PCD, and among them, dynein axonemal assembly factor 4 ( DNAAF4 ) has been recently reported. DNAAF4 has been implicated in the preassembly of a multiunit dynein protein essential for the normal function of locomotory cilia as well as flagella. In the current study, a single patient belonging to a Chinese family was recruited, having been diagnosed with PCD and asthenoteratozoospermia. The affected individual was a 32-year-old male from a nonconsanguineous family. He also had abnormal spine structure and spinal cord bends at angles diagnosed with scoliosis. Medical reports, laboratory results, and imaging data were investigated. Whole-exome sequencing, Sanger sequencing, immunofluorescence analysis, hematoxylin-eosin staining, and in silico functional analysis, including protein modeling and docking studies, were used. The results identified DNAAF4 disease-related variants and confirmed their pathogenicity. Genetic analysis through whole-exome sequencing identified two pathogenic biallelic variants in the affected individual. The identified variants were a hemizygous splice site c.784-1G>A and heterozygous 20.1 Kb deletion at the DNAAF4 locus, resulting in a truncated and functionless DNAAF4 protein. Immunofluorescence analysis indicated that the inner dynein arm was not present in the sperm flagellum, and sperm morphological analysis revealed small sperm with twisted and curved flagella or lacking flagella. The current study found novel biallelic variants causing PCD and asthenoteratozoospermia, extending the range of DNAAF4 pathogenic variants in PCD and associated with the etiology of asthenoteratozoospermia. These findings will improve our understanding of the etiology of PCD.
Adult ; Humans ; Male ; Asthenozoospermia/genetics* ; Dyneins/genetics* ; East Asian People ; Kartagener Syndrome/genetics* ; Mutation ; Proteins/genetics* ; Semen/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic basis for a patient with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). METHODS: High-throughput sequencing and bioinformatic analysis were carried out to identify pathogenic variant in the patient. Suspected variant was verified by Sanger sequencing among the family members, and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was used to achieve the pregnancy. RESULTS: The patient had obstructive azoospermia, measurement of nasal NO exhalation at 84 ppb, and typical symptoms of PCD in nasal sinuses and lungs. DNA sequencing showed that he had carried biallelic variants of the DNAH5 gene, namely c.1489C>T (p.Q497X) in exon 11 and c.6304C>T (p.R2102C) in exon 38. His wife achieved clinical pregnancy with the assistance of ICSI. CONCLUSION Above finding has enriched the spectrum of DNAH5 gene variants, though the latters did not affect the outcome of pregnancy by ICSI.
Axonemal Dyneins/genetics* ; Exons ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Kartagener Syndrome/genetics* ; Male ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD).

METHODSThree cases of PCD received endoscopic sinus surgery and were followed up for life quality and recovery. Among these 3 cases, two were twin brothers and the other girl was twin born with a healthy brother. The mucosa of inferior turbinate was extracted prior to the operation without narcotic and decongestant. The ultrastructure of mucosal cilia was detected with electron microscope. Nine exons of gene DNAH5 and chromosome in one case and her fraternal twin were evaluated.

RESULTSNasal and sinus CT imaging of the 3 cases showed chronic pansinusitis (1 case accompanied with situs inversus according with the diagnosis of Kartagener syndrome). The nasal polyp was resected, and the sinuses were opened. The twin brothers received the adenoidectomy. All patients felt nasal ventilation improved while the surgical field still covered with thick discharges during follow-up for 2 - 4 years. Ciliary ultrastructures of the three cases showed lateral dynein absent, the sequence of 9 exons of DNAH5 and chromosome presented no change in the fraternal twins.

CONCLUSIONSSurgery could improve the symptoms of sinusitis in PCD. Change of ciliary ultrastructure was an important indication of its pathological changes and molecular biology evaluation needs further study.

Axonemal Dyneins ; metabolism ; Child ; Cilia ; ultrastructure ; Exons ; Female ; Humans ; Kartagener Syndrome ; diagnosis ; genetics ; pathology ; Male ; Sinusitis ; diagnosis ; etiology ; genetics ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo analyze the clinical characteristics of primary ciliary dyskinesia(PCD) so as to improve the diagnostic level of this rarely seen disease.

METHODSTen patients with PCD were retrospectively reviewed, the medical history, symptoms, signs, lung CT or chest X-ray, rhino-sinus CT scan, nasal nitric oxide (NO) levels, nasal ciliary ultrastructure, DNAH5 and DNAH11 genetic mutation, as well as treatment outcome were analyzed.

RESULTSAll 10 patients had recurrent chronic sinusitis, otitis media, bronchitis/bronchiectasis since childhood. Nine cases with translocation of heart and big vessels were diagnosed as Kartagener syndrome. One woman was suffering from barrenness and one man sterility after marriage for long time without birth control. Nasal NO levels were significantly lower in 2 patients with PCD but it was almost normal in one patient. Ciliary ultrastructure investigated by transmission electron microscope were almost normal in 4 cases without missing of inner or outer dynein arms. Two cases taking exome capture sequencing showed that mutations happened in DNAH5 and DNAH11. Five subjects underwenting sanger sequencing on 6 common exon fragments of DNAH5 and DNAH11 did not show any abnormality. Ten cases took medication therapy, while 5 patients once underwent functional endoscope sinus surgery. All of the 10 patients had improvement of their symptoms and signs after treatment.

CONCLUSIONSThe PCD is so rare in clinic that it is easily misdiagnosed. Clinical characteristics, nasal NO levels, ciliary ultrastructure and genetic testing are significant for clinical diagnosis.

Adult ; Axonemal Dyneins ; genetics ; Child ; Cilia ; ultrastructure ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Kartagener Syndrome ; diagnosis ; genetics ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasal Cavity ; chemistry ; Nitric Oxide ; analysis ; Retrospective Studies