Search results for "Genetic testing"
showing 10 items of 193 documents
Survey of Italian Pediatricians on awareness, experiences and beliefs regarding direct-to-consumer genetic testing in minors
2022

 Background: Our study wanted to assess Italian pediatricians’ awareness, experience and beliefs regarding directto-consumer (DTC) genetic tests (GT) in minors, with a focus on those for predisposition to complex disease, lyfestyle, athletic ability and other inborn talents.
 Methods: A 28-item questionnaire was administered through the SurveyMonkey® web platform to the 9,086 members of the Italian Society of Pediatrics for which a valid email address was available. The survey was opened from April through November 2017. Statistical analyses were performed using the Graphpad software package.
 Results: 36.2% of the 442 respondents were aware of DTC-GT, but only 23.1% of them…
WHO HAS TO UNDERGO CANCER GENETIC TESTING? A PERSPECTIVE.
2017
Genetic testing is a medical tool employed to screen changes in genes linked to cancer and other genetic diseases. Genetic tests are available for breast, ovarian, colon, thyroid, and some other cancers and they represent the main tool for early identification of the “risk” subjects. The choice to undergo genetic testing by a healthy or affected cancer patient with family history of the cancer has to be the fruit of a careful and prudent assessment of the advantages and disadvantages discussed during oncogenetic counselling. The latter, in turn, in the case of a patient's positive and informed choice, must constantly affiliate the genetic testing, in order to preserve the prediction and inf…
Machine Learning for Early Diagnosis of ATTRv Amyloidosis in Non-Endemic Areas: A Multicenter Study from Italy
2023
Background: Hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis with polyneuropathy (ATTRv) is an adult-onset multisystemic disease, affecting the peripheral nerves, heart, gastrointestinal tract, eyes, and kidneys. Nowadays, several treatment options are available; thus, avoiding misdiagnosis is crucial to starting therapy in early disease stages. However, clinical diagnosis may be difficult, as the disease may present with unspecific symptoms and signs. We hypothesize that the diagnostic process may benefit from the use of machine learning (ML). Methods: 397 patients referring to neuromuscular clinics in 4 centers from the south of Italy with neuropathy and at least 1 more red flag, as well as undergoin…
Prevalence estimation of celiac disease in the general adult population of Latvia using serology and HLA genotyping
2015
Background: Prevalence estimates for celiac disease (CD) depend on the method used. The role of deamidated gliadin peptide (DGP) and genetic testing in epidemiological studies and diagnostic settings of celiac disease (CD) has still to be established. Objectives: The objective of this article is to assess the prevalence of CD in Latvia by combining serological tests with DQ2.5/ DQ8 testing. Methods: A total of 1444 adults from a randomly selected cross-sectional general population sample were tested by ELISA for tTG IgA, DGP IgA and IgG antibodies (QUANTA Lite, Inova Diagnostics Inc). Samples with tTG IgA 20U were tested for EMA IgA by indirect immunofluorescence assay, and all specimens wi…
The policy of public health genomics in Italy.
2013
Abstract Italy has a monitoring system for genetic testing, consisting in a periodic census of clinical and laboratory activities performed in the country. The experience is limited, however, concerning the translation of genomic testing for complex diseases into clinical practice. For the first time the Italian Ministry of Health has introduced a policy strategic plan on genomics and predictive medicine within the 2010–2012 National Prevention Plan. This achievement was supported by the Italian Network for Public Health Genomics (GENISAP) and will likely contribute to the integration of public health genomics into health care in the country. Our experience might be of interest not only in …
The impact of information given to patients' families: breast cancer risk notification
2012
ABSTRACT: A family history of breast cancer is a clear risk for developing the disease. Therefore, when a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer all her female first degree relatives become population at risk. This involve a number of important aspects to be taken into account by psychooncology professionals. (a) First, in addition to the stress associated with the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in a close relative, first degree relatives of breast cancer patients have the added stress of learning that they are at risk of this disease. (b) Second, these women become the main target of secondary breast cancer prevention strategies. However, various reports show that a considerable p…
Genetic counselling in ALS: facts, uncertainties and clinical suggestions
2013
The clinical approach to patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been largely modified by the identification of novel genes, the detection of gene mutations in apparently sporadic patients, and the discovery of the strict genetic and clinical relation between ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). As a consequence, clinicians are increasingly facing the dilemma on how to handle genetic counselling and testing both for ALS patients and their relatives. On the basis of existing literature on genetics of ALS and of other late-onset life-threatening disorders, we propose clinical suggestions to enable neurologists to provide optimal clinical and genetic counselling to patients and…
Systematic search for neutropenia should be part of the first screening in patients with poikiloderma.
2011
Poikiloderma occurs in a number of hereditary syndromes, the best known of which is Rothmund-Thomson syndrome (RTS). Differential diagnoses include Dyskeratosis Congenita (DC) with high genetic heterogeneity and Clericuzio-type Poikiloderma with Neutropenia (CPN) due to mutations in the C16orf57 gene. Mutations in the RECQL4 gene are only observed in two thirds of RTS patients. In this study, 10 patients referred for syndromic poikiloderma and negative for RECQL4 sequencing analysis were investigated for C16orf57 mutations. Two C16orf57 heterozygous nonsense mutations (p.W81X and p.Y89X) were identified in a 5-year-old female child presenting with generalized poikiloderma, dental dysplasia,…
Communal data work: Data sharing and re-use in clinical genetics
2019
In this article, we examine work with communal data in the context of clinical genetic testing. Drawing from prior research on digital research infrastructures and from the analysis of our empirical data on genetic testing, we describe how data generated in laboratories distributed all over the world are shared and re-used. Our research findings point to six different human-driven activities related to expanding, disambiguating, sanitizing and assessing the relevance, validity and combinability of data. We contribute to research within Health Informatics with a framework that foregrounds human-driven activities for data interoperability.
Descriptive study on subjective experience of genetic testing with respect to relationship, family planning and psychosocial wellbeing among women wi…
2021
AbstractBackgroundDue to increased risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer, women belonging to known Lynch Syndrome (LS) families are recommended to undergo germline testing. Current practice in Finland is to offer counselling to women with pathogenic variant and advocate risk-reducing surgery (RRS) after completion of childbirth. The present study aimed to clarify the impacts of positive germline testing on family planning and reproductive decisions of these women, which are relatively unknown.MethodsSeventy-nine carriers of germline MMR gene pathogenic variant (path_MMR)were identified from the Finnish LS Registry as having genetic testing performed before the age of 45 years and not havin…