BACKGROUND: Limited evidence suggests that variants in TNFRSF11A gene, encoding RANK, may contribute to systemic autoinflammatory disease (SAID).
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of TNFRSF11A variants in a cohort of patients with SAIDs screened for 26 related genes and describe the disease phenotypic expression.
RESULTS: A total of 12 out of 167 patients, 7 males, aged (median) 38 years at disease onset, yielded at least one TNFRSF11A rare variant. All patients carried a coexisting variant in at least one other SAID-related gene, most frequently MEFV (6 patients), but also TNFRSF1A, NOD2, NLRP3, NLRP7, MVK, IL36RN, RBCK1, PLCG2 and PSMB8. SAID episodes lasting (median) 9 days manifested with high grade fever (91%), myalgias (75%), malaise (67%), serositis (58%), arthralgias/arthritis (58%), gastrointestinal involvement (33%), and rash (25%), and responded to corticosteroids. The most common initial clinical diagnosis was TNF-associated periodic fever syndrome (TRAPS), which was, however, confirmed, in only one patient. The emergence of MEFV variations supported the diagnosis of atypical Familial Mediterranean Fever in two cases, whereas the diagnosis of Yao syndrome was speculated in two patients with NOD2 variants. The presence of atypical disease and the inability of defining diagnosis in the remaining 7 patients, supported the possible involvement of TNFRSF11A variants in the phenotypic expression of SAIDs.
CONCLUSIONS: TNFRSF11A variants, occurring in 7% of SAID patients always in combination with other SAID-related gene variants, contribute to the development of an autoinflammatory syndrome resembling to TRAPS. Additional studies to confirm novel pathogenic SAID pathways are clearly warranted.

Nephrolithiasis is a highly prevalent disease worldwide that is associated with significant suffering, renal failure, and cost for the healthcare system. A patient with nephrolithiasis was found to have SLC6A20 variation. SLC6A20 gene in human is located on chromosome 3p21.3, which is a member of SLC6 family of membrane transporters and the product of this gene expression is transporter protein of sub-amino acid transporter system. The previous studies have reported that the mutation of SLC6A20 may cause hyperglycinuria or iminoglycinuria which may lead to nephrolithiasis. The object was to investigate the relationship between nephrolithiasis and SLC6A20 through pedigree genetic analysis. To explore whether the SLC6A20 mutation can cause hereditary nephrolithiasis, and provide evidence for further research. The urine and blood were collected from the patients for compositional analysis. DNA sequencing was applied to analyze the gene mutation. Labial gland and kidney biopsy were conducted for pathological analysis. As a result we reported a rare family case of nephrolithiasis accompanied by primary Sjogren\'s syndrome and investigated it by examining the family members with whole exome gene sequencing technology and detecting 20 different amino acids and 132 kinds of organic acids in the urine with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We discovered that the proband and her mother had hyperglycinuria and the proband (Ⅱ2), her sister (Ⅱ3), and mother (Ⅰ1) were found to carry the SLC6A20 gene exon NM_020208.3 sequence c.1072T > C heterozygous mutation, and the other family members (Ⅰ2, Ⅱ1, Ⅱ4, Ⅲ1, Ⅲ2) did not carry the genetic mutation. As a conclusion, the heterozygous mutation of SLC6A20 (c.1072T > C) might be contributed to hyperglycinuria and the formation of nephrolithiasis.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is a common problem faced by pediatricians. The role of genetic factors in neonatal jaundice has been gradually recognized. This study aims to identify genetic variants that influence the bilirubin level in five patients using next-generation sequencing (NGS).
METHODS: Five neonates with severe hyperbilirubinemia were retrospectively studied. They exhibited bilirubin encephalopathy, hypothyroidism, ABO blood type incompatibility hemolysis, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency and premature birth, respectively. A customized 22-gene panel was designed, and NGS was carried out for these neonates. Eight variations (G6PD c.G1388A, HBA2 c.C369G, ABCC2 c.C3825G, UGT1A1 c.G211A, SPTB c.A1729G, EPB41 c.G520A, c.1213-4T>G and c.A1474G) were identified in these five neonates. Genetic mutations of these genes are associated with G6PD deficiency, thalassemia, Dubin-Johnson syndrome, Gilbert syndrome, hereditary spherocytosis, and hereditary elliptocytosis. One of the neonates was found to have compound variants of the EPB41 splice site c.1213-4T>G and c.G520A (p.E174K), but no elliptocyte was seen on his blood smear of 4 years old.
CONCLUSIONS: Pathological factors of severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia are complicated. Genetic variants may play an important role in an increased risk of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, and severe jaundice in neonates may be related to a cumulative effect of genetic variants.

Variations in the activity, up to absolute deficiency, of the enzyme dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), result in the occurrence of adverse reactions to chemotherapy, and have been included among the pharmacogenetic factors underlying inter-individual variability in response to fluoropyrimidines. The study of single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the DPYD gene, which encodes the DPD enzyme, is one of the main parameters capable of predicting reduced enzymatic activity and the consequent influence on fluoropyrimidine treatment, in terms of reduction of both adverse reactions and therapeutic efficacy in disease control. In this paper, we describe a patient with metastatic breast cancer showing signs of increased toxicity following capecitabine therapy. The DPD enzyme activity analysis revealed a partial deficiency. The study of the most frequent polymorphisms of the DPYD gene suggested a wild-type genotype but indicated a novel variant c.1903A>G (p.Asn635Asp), not previously described, proximal to the splice donor site of exon 14. After excluding the potential pathogenic feature of the newly-identified variant, we performed cDNA sequencing of the entire DPYD coding sequence. This analysis identified the variants c.85T>C and c.496A>G, which were previously described as pivotal components of the haplotype associated with decreased enzyme activity and suggested that both variant alleles are related to DPD deficiency. The clinical case findings described in this study emphasize the importance of performing complete genetic analysis of the DPYD gene in order to identify rare and low frequency variants potentially responsible for toxic reactions to fluoropyrimidine treatment.