Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25722209›Full record

ArticleInvestigative ophthalmology & visual science2015

TCF4 Triplet Repeat Expansion and Nuclear RNA Foci in Fuchs' Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy.

V Vinod Mootha, Imran Hussain, Khrishen Cunnusamy, Eric Graham, Xin Gong, Sudha Neelam, Chao Xing, Ralf Kittler, W Matthew Petroll

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 71 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
71citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
8.1field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

71 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 108 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Article
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  10. Repeat expansion disorders.Practical neurology · 2025
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  19. Squishy matters - Corneal mechanobiology in health and disease.Progress in retinal and eye research · 2024
    Review
  20. Targeting the ExpandedACS omega · 2023
    Article

11 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

V Vinod MoothaDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development/Center for Human Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States.
Imran HussainDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States.
Khrishen CunnusamyDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States.
Eric GrahamDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States.
Xin GongDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States.
Sudha NeelamDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States.
Chao XingMcDermott Center for Human Growth and Development/Center for Human Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States.
Ralf KittlerMcDermott Center for Human Growth and Development/Center for Human Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States.
W Matthew PetrollDepartment of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States.
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center · USCenter for Human Genetics · USSouthwestern Medical Center · US

Funding

Laying a Foundation for Precision Medicine for Fuchs' DystrophyR01EY022161 · NEI · UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER · PI MOOTHA, VENKATESWARA VINOD · 2012 to 2024
$4.8M
Core Grant for Vision ResearchP30EY020799 · NEI · UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER · PI NIEDERKORN, JERRY · 2010 to 2016
$4.1M
NEI NIH HHS P30 EY020799NEI NIH HHS P30EY020799NEI NIH HHS R01 EY022161NEI NIH HHS R01EY022161
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeExpansion of the intronic CTG18.1 triplet repeat locus within TCF4 contributes significant risk to the development of Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) in Eurasian populations, but the mechanisms by which the expanded repeats result in degeneration of the endothelium have been hitherto unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine FECD endothelial samples for the presence of RNA nuclear foci, the hallmark of toxic RNA, as well as evidence of haploinsufficiency of TCF4.

methodsUsing fluorescence in situ hybridization, we examined for the presence of nuclear RNA foci containing expanded CUG transcripts in corneal endothelial samples from FECD subjects with CTG18.1 expansion. We also examined for any changes in expression levels of TCF4 by quantitative real-time PCR.

resultsNumerous discrete nuclear RNA foci were identified in endothelial samples of FECD subjects (n = 8) harboring the CTG18.1 expansion, but not in controls lacking the expansion (n = 5) (P = 7.8 × 10(-4)). Percentage of cells with foci in expansion-positive endothelial samples ranged from 33% to 88%. RNA foci were absent in endothelial samples from an FECD subject without CTG18.1 expansion and a subject with endothelial dysfunction without FECD. Expression of the constitutive TCF4 exon encoding the basic helix-loop-helix domain was unaltered with CTG18.1 expansion.

conclusionsOur findings suggest that the RNA nuclear foci are pathognomonic for CTG18.1 expansion-mediated endothelial disease. The RNA nuclear foci have been previously found only in rare neurodegenerative disorders caused by repeat expansions. Our detection of abundant ribonuclear foci in FECD implicates a role for toxic RNA in this common disease.

Indexed as

Genetic Predisposition to DiseaseTrinucleotide Repeat ExpansionAgedAged, 80 and overBasic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription FactorsEndothelium, CornealFemaleFuchs' Endothelial DystrophyGenotypeHumansIn Situ Hybridization, FluorescenceMaleMiddle AgedRNA, NuclearTranscription Factor 4Transcription FactorsBasic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription FactorsRNA, NuclearTCF4 protein, humanTranscription Factor 4Transcription FactorsCTG18.1Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophyRNA nuclear fociTCF4triplet repeat expansion

Identifiers

PMID25722209
PMCPMC4373545
OpenAlexW2095525625

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.