Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37081442›Full record

ArticleBMC medicine2023

MECP2 germline mosaicism plays an important part in the inheritance of Rett syndrome: a study of MECP2 germline mosaicism in males.

Yongxin Wen, Jiaping Wang, Qingping Zhang, Xiaoxu Yang, Liping Wei, Xinhua Bao

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
3.1field-weighted citation impact, top 8% 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

8 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Atypical case of Rett syndrome with concurrentWorld journal of clinical pediatrics · 2025
    Article
  2. Observational
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Broadening the Phenotype Spectrum of MECP2 Variants in Men.Molecular genetics & genomic medicine · 2025
    Article
  6. Rett syndrome.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2024
    Review
  7. Case Report of Suspected Gonadal Mosaicism inInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2024
    Article
  8. [Sperm Mosaic Variants and Their Influence on the Offspring].Sichuan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Sichuan University. Medical science edition · 2024
    Review
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

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Yongxin Wen *Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China.
Jiaping Wang *Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China.
Qingping ZhangDepartment of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China.
Xiaoxu YangCenter for Bioinformatics, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
Liping WeiCenter for Bioinformatics, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
Xinhua BaoDepartment of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China. zwhang@pku.edu.cn.
Peking University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGermline mosaicisms could be inherited to offspring, which considered as "de novo" in most cases. Paternal germline MECP2 mosaicism has been reported in fathers of girls with Rett syndrome (RTT) previously. For further study, we focused on MECP2 germline mosaicism in males, not only RTT fathers.

methodsThirty-two fathers of RTT girls with MECP2 pathogenic mutations and twenty-five healthy adult males without history and family history of RTT or other genetic disorders were recruited. Sperm samples were collected and ten MECP2 hotspot mutations were detected by micro-droplet digital PCR (mDDPCR). And routine semen test was performed at the same time if the sample was sufficient. Additionally, blood samples were also detected for those with sperm MECP2 mosaicisms.

resultsNine fathers with RTT daughters (28.1%, 9/32) were found to have MECP2 mosaicism in their sperm samples, with the mutant allele fractions (MAFs) ranging from 0.05% to 7.55%. Only one father with MECP2 c.806delG germline mosaicism (MAF 7.55%) was found to have mosaicism in the blood sample, with the MAF was 0.28%. In the group of healthy adult males, MECP2 mosaicism was found in 7 sperm samples (28.0%, 7/25), with the MAFs ranging from 0.05% to 0.18%. None of the healthy adult males with MECP2 germline mosaicisms were found with MECP2 mosaicism in blood samples. There were no statistical differences in age, or the incidence of asthenospermia between fathers with RTT daughters and healthy adult males with MECP2 germline mosaicisms. Additionally, there was no linear correlation between MAFs of MECP2 mosaicisms and the age of males with germline MECP2 mosaicisms.

conclusionsGermline MECP2 mosaicism could be found not only in fathers with RTT daughters but also in healthy adult males without family history of RTT. As germline mosaic mutations may be passed on to offspring which commonly known as "de novo", more attention should be paid to germline mosaicism, especially in families with a proband diagnosed with genetic disorders.

Indexed as

Rett SyndromeAdultFathersFemaleGerm CellsHumansMaleMethyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2MosaicismMutationPhenotypeSemenMECP2 protein, humanMethyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2De novoGermlineMECP2MosaicismRett syndrome

Identifiers

PMID37081442
PMCPMC10120091
OpenAlexW4366548496

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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.