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Developmental disorders of the lens and anterior segment of the eye
Jedličková, Jana ; Ďuďáková, Ľubica (advisor) ; Šafka Brožková, Dana (referee) ; Cvekl, Ales (referee)
The anterior segment of the eye includes the eyelids, eyelashes, tear film, cornea, conjunctiva, iris, pupil, ciliary body, chamber angle, and lens. Cataracts and anterior segment dysgenesis are a highly heterogeneous group of diseases exhibiting all types of Mendelian inheritance. The aim of this thesis was molecular genetic analysis of 51 patients from 23 families with congenital and early onset cataracts and/or anterior segment dysgenesis, using a modern as well as conventional methods, such as next-generation sequencing, direct sequencing, bioinformatic and functional analyses including the use of artificial splicing vectors. We identified 24 causal variants in the coding, non-coding and regulatory regions of the PAX6, FTL, FOXC1, PITX2, FOXE3, and CHRDL1 genes. We confirmed the role of the n.37C>T variant in MIR204 in the development of chorioretinal dystrophy variably associated with iris coloboma, early-onset cataracts and congenital glaucoma. Splicing assay confirmed pathogenic effect of two mutations on pre-mRNA splicing of the PAX6 gene. Establishing molecular genetics diagnosis improves patient counselling and their relatives in terms of the prognosis and risk of developing secondary glaucoma Key words: molecular-genetic diagnosis, anterior segment dysgenesis, next-generation sequencing,...
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Glaucoma - family-based genetic analysis in relation to autoimmunity
Buchtelová, Aneta ; Daňková, Pavlína (advisor) ; Ďuďáková, Ľubica (referee)
Introduction: Recent findings about the pathogenesis of glaucoma have already demonstrated the presence of some specific autoimmune mechanisms. It has also been shown that autoimmune diseases often manifest in co-occurrence, such as celiac disease and type 1 diabetes mellitus or psoriasis. This association can be explained by sharing some of the risk variants of HLA molecules class II. Considering glaucoma an autoimmune disease, the question raises how the glaucoma genetic risk factors affect the phenotype of another autoimmune disease or vice versa, whether genetic risk variants associated for example with celiac disease can affect the glaucoma phenotype. Aims: The aims of this study were to i) identify possible genetic risk markers associated with the development of glaucoma, based on the available literature, and to map their occurrence among members of a three-generation family suffering from glaucoma and multiple autoimmune diseases, ii) find carriers of HLA-DQ2/DQ8 among the members of the same family, iii) verify whether an individual's genotype correlates with his/her phenotype, and iv) determine the potential effect of specific HLA alleles on the glaucoma phenotype. Material and methods: This study used DNA samples derived from 34 members of a three-generation family, in which coeliac...
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The role and function of stromal enzymes in keratoconus pathogenesis
Ďuďáková, Ľubica ; Jirsová, Kateřina (advisor) ; Svozílková, Petra (referee) ; Ardan, Taras (referee)
Lubica Dudakova Doctoral Thesis ABSTRACT Keratoconus (KC) is a non-inflammatory disease of the cornea, in which ectasia and thinning occur probably due to defects in the collagen fibers binding. It is one of the most common indications for corneal transplantation. KC is a complex disorder with the involvement of both genetic and environmental factors; however the exact pathogenic mechanisms leading to the disease development have not been elucidated. The main aim of our work was to compare the presence and enzyme activity of cross- linking enzymes lysyl oxidases (LOX and LOX-like enzymes), in control human cornea samples and explanted cornea gained from patients with KC. We also focused on diseases previously described to be associated with KC with the aim to identify common signs among them. Furthermore, we replicated association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in LOX and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) with KC risk. We attempted to link all pathophysiological disturbances observed in KC into one common pathway. We have used a wide spectrum of methods (cell culturing, immunohisto- and immunocytochemistry, microscopy, fluorimetric enzyme activity measurement, genotyping and direct sequencing, statistical analysis). We demonstrated the presence of entire family of LOX enzymes in control and in KC...
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Molecular genetic analysis of patients with Usher syndrome
Průšová, Kateřina ; Ďuďáková, Ľubica (advisor) ; Kousal, Bohdan (referee)
The work focuses on molecular genetic testing of patients with Usher syndrome to confirm the diagnosis, to determine the causal cause of the disease and describe new mutations causing Usher syndrome in Czech patients. Usher syndrome is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disease that is the most common cause of hereditary deafblindness. Based on responsible genes and disease onset is classified into three clinical subtypes. Given the fact that there is currently no specific treatment, there is a need to understand the pathophysiology of this disease and to broaden the spectrum of causal mutations. The theoretical part of the thesis deals with the anatomy of the eye, especially the structure of the retina. Attention is also paid to retinal diseases, such as the progressive loss of vision characteristic for retinitis pigmentosa (RP). RP may occur either as an isolated disorder or also affecting other organs, so-called syndromic RP. Classic syndromic RP includes Usher's syndrome, which the work mainly deals with. The theoretical part of the thesis describes mainly the mechanism of the disease, the functions of individual Usher proteins and the genes that encode these proteins. The haplotype analysis has been previously done for the most common mutations causing Usher's syndrome in Europe Based...
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Glaucoma - family-based genetic analysis in relation to autoimmunity
Buchtelová, Aneta ; Daňková, Pavlína (advisor) ; Ďuďáková, Ľubica (referee)
Introduction: Recent findings about the pathogenesis of glaucoma have already demonstrated the presence of some specific autoimmune mechanisms. It has also been shown that autoimmune diseases often manifest in co-occurrence, such as celiac disease and type 1 diabetes mellitus or psoriasis. This association can be explained by sharing some of the risk variants of HLA molecules class II. Considering glaucoma an autoimmune disease, the question raises how the glaucoma genetic risk factors affect the phenotype of another autoimmune disease or vice versa, whether genetic risk variants associated for example with celiac disease can affect the glaucoma phenotype. Aims: The aims of this study were to i) identify possible genetic risk markers associated with the development of glaucoma, based on the available literature, and to map their occurrence among members of a three-generation family suffering from glaucoma and multiple autoimmune diseases, ii) find carriers of HLA-DQ2/DQ8 among the members of the same family, iii) verify whether an individual's genotype correlates with his/her phenotype, and iv) determine the potential effect of specific HLA alleles on the glaucoma phenotype. Material and methods: This study used DNA samples derived from 34 members of a three-generation family, in which coeliac...
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The role and function of stromal enzymes in keratoconus pathogenesis
Ďuďáková, Ľubica ; Jirsová, Kateřina (advisor) ; Svozílková, Petra (referee) ; Ardan, Taras (referee)
Lubica Dudakova Doctoral Thesis ABSTRACT Keratoconus (KC) is a non-inflammatory disease of the cornea, in which ectasia and thinning occur probably due to defects in the collagen fibers binding. It is one of the most common indications for corneal transplantation. KC is a complex disorder with the involvement of both genetic and environmental factors; however the exact pathogenic mechanisms leading to the disease development have not been elucidated. The main aim of our work was to compare the presence and enzyme activity of cross- linking enzymes lysyl oxidases (LOX and LOX-like enzymes), in control human cornea samples and explanted cornea gained from patients with KC. We also focused on diseases previously described to be associated with KC with the aim to identify common signs among them. Furthermore, we replicated association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in LOX and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) with KC risk. We attempted to link all pathophysiological disturbances observed in KC into one common pathway. We have used a wide spectrum of methods (cell culturing, immunohisto- and immunocytochemistry, microscopy, fluorimetric enzyme activity measurement, genotyping and direct sequencing, statistical analysis). We demonstrated the presence of entire family of LOX enzymes in control and in KC...
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