Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38439578›Full record

ReviewMolecular genetics & genomic medicine2024

Clinical report and genetic analysis of rare premature infant nephronophthisis caused by biallelic TTC21B variants.

Yingying Li, Liying Dai, Hong Xu, Jin Huang, Jinqiu Zhang, Zhenzhu Mei, Rui Zhang

Open access · goldAbstract readCase ReportsReview
In one paragraph

Review in Molecular genetics & genomic medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
2.2field-weighted citation impact, top 13% 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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Genes & diseases · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Molecular mechanisms ofFrontiers in genetics · 2025
    Article
  4. 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

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Yingying LiDepartment of Neonatology, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University (Suzhou Municipal Hospital of Anhui Province), Suzhou, Anhui, China.
Liying DaiDepartment of Neonatology, Anhui Province Children's Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7133-1013
Hong XuDepartment of Neonatology, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University (Suzhou Municipal Hospital of Anhui Province), Suzhou, Anhui, China.
Jin HuangDepartment of Neonatology, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University (Suzhou Municipal Hospital of Anhui Province), Suzhou, Anhui, China.
Jinqiu ZhangDepartment of Neonatology, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University (Suzhou Municipal Hospital of Anhui Province), Suzhou, Anhui, China.
Zhenzhu MeiDepartment of Neonatology, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University (Suzhou Municipal Hospital of Anhui Province), Suzhou, Anhui, China.
Rui ZhangDepartment of Neonatology, Suzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University (Suzhou Municipal Hospital of Anhui Province), Suzhou, Anhui, China.
Anhui Medical University · CNAnhui Provincial Children's Hospital · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNephronophthisis (NPHP) is a genetically heterogeneous disease that can lead to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in children. The TTC21B variant is associated with NPHP12 and mainly characterized by cystic kidney disease, skeletal malformation, liver fibrosis, and retinopathy. Affected patients range from children to adults. Some patients experience ESRD in infancy or early childhood, but clinical reports on neonatal patients are rare. We report a case of NPHP12 in a premature infant and analyze its genetic etiology.

methodsTrio-whole exome sequencing analysis was performed on the patient and her parents; bioinformatics software was used to predict and analyze the hazards of the variants. Sanger sequencing was performed to verify variants. We calculated the free energy between mutant IFT139 and the IFT121-IFT122-IFT43 complex structure using molecular dynamics (MD). Finally, the clinical and genetic characteristics of patients with hotspot variant Cys518Arg were reviewed.

resultsGenetic analysis revealed compound-heterozyous TTC21B variants in the patient, c.497delA (p.Lys166fs*36) and c.1552T>C (p.Cys518Arg). Her father and mother had heterozygous c.497delA (p.Lys166fs*36) and heterozygous c.1552T>C (p.Cys518Arg), respectively. Cys518Arg represents a hotspot variant, and the MD calculation results show that this can reduce the structural stability of the IFT121-IFT122-IFT139-IFT43 complex structure. A literature review showed that Cys518Arg might lead to the early occurrence of ESRD.

conclusionsCompound-heterozygous TTC21B variants underlie the phenotype in this patient. Thus, Cys518Arg may be a hotspot variant in the Chinese population. Genetic testing should be recommended for NPHP in neonates and early infants.

Indexed as

Kidney Failure, ChronicPolycystic Kidney DiseasesAdultAsian PeopleFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornInfant, PrematureLiver CirrhosisMicrotubule-Associated ProteinsMicrotubule-Associated ProteinsTTC21B protein, humanciliopathyend-stage renal diseaseIFT139nephronophthisisTTC21B

Identifiers

PMID38439578
PMCPMC10912793
OpenAlexW4392469305

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

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.