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  • Participation in a national diagnostic research study: assessing the patient experience. Orphanet journal of rare diseases Rosenfeld, L. E., LeBlanc, K., Nagy, A., Ego, B. K., Undiagnosed Diseases Network, McCray, A. T., Acosta, M. T., Adam, M., Adams, D. R., Alvarez, R. L., Alvey, J., Amendola, L., Andrews, A., Ashley, E. A., Bacino, C. A., Bademci, G., Balasubramanyam, A., Baldridge, D., Bale, J., Bamshad, M., Barbouth, D., Bayrak-Toydemir, P., Beck, A., Beggs, A. H., Behrens, E., Bejerano, G., Bellen, H. J., Bennett, J., Berg-Rood, B., Bernstein, J. A., Berry, G. T., Bican, A., Bivona, S., Blue, E., Bohnsack, J., Bonner, D., Botto, L., Boyd, B., Briere, L. C., Brokamp, E., Brown, G., Burke, E. A., Burrage, L. C., Butte, M. J., Byers, P., Byrd, W. E., Carey, J., Carrasquillo, O., Cassini, T., Chang, T. C., Chanprasert, S., Chao, H., Clark, G. D., Coakley, T. R., Cobban, L. A., Cogan, J. D., Coggins, M., Cole, F. S., Colley, H. A., Cooper, C. M., Cope, H., Corona, R., Craigen, W. J., Crouse, A. B., Cunningham, M., D'Souza, P., Dai, H., Dasari, S., Davis, J., Dayal, J. G., Dell'Angelica, E. C., Dipple, K., Doherty, D., Dorrani, N., Doss, A. L., Douine, E. D., Duncan, L., Earl, D., Eckstein, D. J., Emrick, L. T., Eng, C. M., Falk, M., Fieg, E. L., Fisher, P. G., Fogel, B. L., Forghani, I., Gahl, W. A., Glass, I., Gochuico, B., Goddard, P. C., Godfrey, R. A., Golden-Grant, K., Grajewski, A., Hadley, D., Hahn, S., Halley, M. C., Hamid, R., Hassey, K., Hayes, N., High, F., Hing, A., Hisama, F. M., Holm, I. A., Hom, J., Horike-Pyne, M., Huang, A., Hutchison, S., Introne, W., Isasi, R., Izumi, K., Jamal, F., Jarvik, G. P., Jarvik, J., Jayadev, S., Jean-Marie, O., Jobanputra, V., Karaviti, L., Kennedy, J., Ketkar, S., Kiley, D., Kilich, G., Kobren, S. N., Kohane, I. S., Kohler, J. N., Korrick, S., Kozuira, M., Krakow, D., Krasnewich, D. M., Kravets, E., Lalani, S. R., Lam, B., Lam, C., Lanpher, B. C., Lanza, I. R., Lee, B. H., Levitt, R., Lewis, R. A., Liu, P., Liu, X. Z., Longo, N., Loo, S. K., Loscalzo, J., Maas, R. L., Macnamara, E. F., MacRae, C. A., Maduro, V. V., Mahoney, R., Malicdan, M. C., Mamounas, L. A., Manolio, T. A., Mao, R., Maravilla, K., Marom, R., Marth, G., Martin, B. A., Martin, M. G., Martinez-Agosto, J. A., Marwaha, S., McCauley, J., McConkie-Rosell, A., McGee, E., Mefford, H., Merritt, J. L., Might, M., Mirzaa, G., Morava, E., Moretti, P., Mulvihill, J., Nakano-Okuno, M., Nelson, S. F., Newman, J. H., Nicholas, S. K., Nickerson, D., Nieves-Rodriguez, S., Novacic, D., Oglesbee, D., Orengo, J. P., Pace, L., Pak, S., Pallais, J. C., Palmer, C. G., Papp, J. C., Parker, N. H., Phillips, J. A., Posey, J. E., Potocki, L., Swerdzewski, B. N., Quinlan, A., Rao, D. A., Raper, A., Raskind, W., Renteria, G., Reuter, C. M., Rives, L., Robertson, A. K., Rodan, L. H., Rosenfeld, J. A., Rosenwasser, N., Rossignol, F., Ruzhnikov, M., Sacco, R., Sampson, J. B., Saporta, M., Schaechter, J., Schedl, T., Schoch, K., Scott, D. A., Scott, C. R., Shashi, V., Shin, J., Silverman, E. K., Sinsheimer, J. S., Sisco, K., Smith, E. C., Smith, K. S., Solem, E., Solnica-Krezel, L., Solomon, B., Spillmann, R. C., Stoler, J. M., Sullivan, K., Sullivan, J. A., Sun, A., Sutton, S., Sweetser, D. A., Sybert, V., Tabor, H. K., Tan, Q. K., Tan, A. L., Tekin, M., Telischi, F., Thorson, W., Tifft, C. J., Toro, C., Tran, A. A., Ungar, R. A., Urv, T. K., Vanderver, A., Velinder, M., Viskochil, D., Vogel, T. P., Wahl, C. E., Walker, M., Wallace, S., Walley, N. M., Wambach, J., Wan, J., Wang, L., Wangler, M. F., Ward, P. A., Wegner, D., Hubshman, M. W., Wener, M., Wenger, T., Westerfield, M., Wheeler, M. T., Whitlock, J., Wolfe, L. A., Worley, K., Xiao, C., Yamamoto, S., Yang, J., Zhang, Z., Zuchner, S. 2023; 18 (1): 73

    Abstract

    INTRODUCTION: The Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN), a clinical research study funded by the National Institutes of Health, aims to provide answers for patients with undiagnosed conditions and generate knowledge about underlying disease mechanisms. UDN evaluations involve collaboration between clinicians and researchers and go beyond what is possible in clinical settings. While medical and research outcomes of UDN evaluations have been explored, this is the first formal assessment of the patient and caregiver experience.METHODS: We invited UDN participants and caregivers to participate in focus groups via email, newsletter, and a private participant Facebook group. We developed focus group questions based on research team expertise, literature focused on patients with rare and undiagnosed conditions, and UDN participant and family member feedback. In March 2021, we conducted, recorded, and transcribed four 60-min focus groups via Zoom. Transcripts were evaluated using a thematic analysis approach.RESULTS: The adult undiagnosed focus group described the UDN evaluation as validating and an avenue for access to medical providers. They also noted that the experience impacted professional choices and helped them rely on others for support. The adult diagnosed focus group described the healthcare system as not set up for rare disease. In the pediatric undiagnosed focus group, caregivers discussed a continued desire for information and gratitude for the UDN evaluation. They also described an ability to rule out information and coming to terms with not having answers. The pediatric diagnosed focus group discussed how the experience helped them focus on management and improved communication. Across focus groups, adults (undiagnosed/diagnosed) noted the comprehensiveness of the evaluation. Undiagnosed focus groups (adult/pediatric) discussed a desire for ongoing communication and care with the UDN. Diagnosed focus groups (adult/pediatric) highlighted the importance of the diagnosis they received in the UDN. The majority of the focus groups noted a positive future orientation after participation.CONCLUSION: Our findings are consistent with prior literature focused on the patient experience of rare and undiagnosed conditions and highlight benefits from comprehensive evaluations, regardless of whether a diagnosis is obtained. Focus group themes also suggest areas for improvement and future research related to the diagnostic odyssey.

    View details for DOI 10.1186/s13023-023-02695-5

    View details for PubMedID 37032333

  • Integrative genomic analysis in African American children with asthma finds three novel loci associated with lung function. Genetic epidemiology Goddard, P. C., Keys, K. L., Mak, A. C., Lee, E. Y., Liu, A. K., Samedy-Bates, L. A., Risse-Adams, O. n., Contreras, M. G., Elhawary, J. R., Hu, D. n., Huntsman, S. n., Oh, S. S., Salazar, S. n., Eng, C. n., Himes, B. E., White, M. J., Burchard, E. G. 2020

    Abstract

    Bronchodilator (BD) drugs are commonly prescribed for treatment and management of obstructive lung function present with diseases such as asthma. Administration of BD medication can partially or fully restore lung function as measured by pulmonary function tests. The genetics of baseline lung function measures taken before BD medication have been extensively studied, and the genetics of the BD response itself have received some attention. However, few studies have focused on the genetics of post-BD lung function. To address this gap, we analyzed lung function phenotypes in 1103 subjects from the Study of African Americans, Asthma, Genes, and Environment, a pediatric asthma case-control cohort, using an integrative genomic analysis approach that combined genotype, locus-specific genetic ancestry, and functional annotation information. We integrated genome-wide association study (GWAS) results with an admixture mapping scan of three pulmonary function tests (forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1 ], forced vital capacity [FVC], and FEV1 /FVC) taken before and after albuterol BD administration on the same subjects, yielding six traits. We identified 18 GWAS loci, and five additional loci from admixture mapping, spanning several known and novel lung function candidate genes. Most loci identified via admixture mapping exhibited wide variation in minor allele frequency across genotyped global populations. Functional fine-mapping revealed an enrichment of epigenetic annotations from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, fetal lung tissue, and lung fibroblasts. Our results point to three novel potential genetic drivers of pre- and post-BD lung function: ADAMTS1, RAD54B, and EGLN3.

    View details for DOI 10.1002/gepi.22365

    View details for PubMedID 32989782