Susana Léonard

Publications (2)3.43 Total impact

• Article: Four-year follow-up of diagnostic service in USH1 patients.

  Anne-Françoise Roux, Valérie Faugère, Christel Vaché, David Baux, Thomas Besnard, Susana Léonard, Catherine Blanchet, Christian Hamel, Michel Mondain, Brigitte Gilbert-Dussardier, Patrick Edery, Didier Lacombe, Dominique Bonneau, Muriel Holder-Espinasse, Umberto Ambrosetti, Hubert Journel, Albert David, Geneviève Lina-Granade, Sue Malcolm, Mireille Claustres
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  ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to establish the mutation spectrum of an Usher type I cohort of 61 patients from France and to describe a diagnostic strategy, including a strategy for estimating the pathogenicity of sequence changes. To optimize the identification of Usher (USH)-causative mutations, taking into account the genetic heterogeneity, preliminary haplotyping at the five USH1 loci was performed to prioritize the gene to be sequenced, as previously described. Coding exons and flanking intronic sequences were sequenced and, where necessary, semiquantitative PCR and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) were performed to detect large genomic rearrangements. Four years ' experience confirms that the chosen approach provides an efficient diagnostic service. Sixty-one patients showed an abnormal genotype in one of the five USH1 genes. Genetic heterogeneity was confirmed, and, although MYO7A remains the major gene, involvement of other genes is considerable. Distribution of missense, splicing, premature termination codons (PTCs; due to point substitution and small deletions/ or insertions), and large genomic alterations was determined among the USH genes and clearly highlights the need to pay special attention to the diagnostic approach and interpretation, depending on the mutated gene. Over the 4 years of a diagnostic service offering USH1 patient testing, pathogenic genotypes were identified in most cases (>90%). The complexity and heterogeneity of mutations reinforces the need for a comprehensive approach. Because 32% of the mutations are newly described, the results show that a screening strategy based on known mutations would have solved less than 55% of the cases.
  Investigative ophthalmology & visual science 03/2011; 52(7):4063-71. · 3.43 Impact Factor
• Article: Molecular screening of deafness in Algeria: High genetic heterogeneity involving DFNB1 and the Usher loci, DFNB2/USH1B, DFNB12/USH1D and DFNB23/USH1F

  Fatima Ammar-Khodja, Valérie Faugère, David Baux, Claire Giannesini, Susana Léonard, Mohamed Makrelouf, Rahia Malek, Djamel Djennaoui, Akila Zenati, Mireille Claustres, Anne-Françoise Roux
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  ABSTRACT: A systematic approach, involving haplotyping and genotyping, to the molecular diagnosis of non-syndromic deafness within 50 families and 9 sporadic cases from Algeria is described.Mutations at the DFNB1 locus (encompassing the GJB2 and GJB6 genes) are responsible for more than half of autosomal recessive prelingual non-syndromic deafness in various populations. A c.35delG mutation can account for up to 85% of GJB2 mutations and two large deletions del(GJB6-D13S1830) and del(GJB6-D13S1854) have also been reported in several population groups.In view of the genetic heterogeneity a strategy was developed which involved direct analysis of DFNB1. In negative familial cases, haplotype analysis was carried out, where possible, to exclude DFNB1 mutations. Following this, haplotype analysis of five Usher syndrome loci, sometimes involved in autosomal non-syndromic hearing loss, was carried out to identify cases in which Usher gene sequencing was indicated. When homozygosity was observed at a locus in a consanguineous family, the corresponding gene was exhaustively sequenced.Pathogenic DFNB1 genotypes were identified in 40% of the cases. Of the 21 cases identified with 2 pathogenic mutations, c.35delG represented 76% of the mutated alleles. The additional mutations were one nonsense, two missense and one splicing mutation. Four additional patients were identified with a single DFNB1 mutation. None carried the large deletions.Three families with non-syndromic deafness carried novel unclassified variants (UVs) in MYO7A (1 family) and CDH23 (2 families) of unknown pathogenic effect.Additionally, molecular diagnosis was carried out on two Usher type I families and pathogenic mutations in MYO7A and PCDH15 were found.
  European Journal of Medical Genetics.