Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40970488›Full record

ArticleMolecular genetics & genomic medicine2025

Frequency and Spectrum of Actionable Secondary Findings in the Maltese Population.

Laura Grech, Celine Ann Grech, Jasmine Spiteri, Dillon Mintoff, Nikolai Paul Pace

Abstract read
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Article in Molecular genetics & genomic medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Laura GrechDepartment of Applied Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1661-7158
Celine Ann GrechDepartment of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.
Jasmine SpiteriCentre for Molecular Medicine and Biobanking, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.
Dillon MintoffDepartment of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3705-0119
Nikolai Paul PaceCentre for Molecular Medicine and Biobanking, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7332-874X

Funding

Università ta' Malta
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe identification of actionable secondary findings (SFs) through clinical exome sequencing has become increasingly relevant with the integration of genomics into routine healthcare. The frequency and spectrum of these findings vary across populations.

methodsWe analyzed exome sequencing data from 350 unrelated Maltese individuals, comprising 320 pseudonymised controls and 30 participants from the pilot sequencing phase of the national biobank DwarnaBio, to assess the prevalence of pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants in the ACMG SF v3.2 gene list. All samples underwent uniform sequencing, rigorous quality control, and variant interpretation according to ACMG/AMP guidelines.

resultsActionable P/LP variants were identified in 12 individuals (3.4%) across autosomal dominant genes, predominantly associated with inherited cardiac conditions and cancer predisposition syndromes. These findings highlight the importance of including underrepresented populations in genomic research and emphasize the need to establish provisions for the return of clinically actionable results to biobank participants, supported by access to genetic counseling.

conclusionOur results advocate for the integration of population-specific genomic data into national precision medicine frameworks, particularly for small or isolated populations where tailored approaches to variant curation and clinical translation are required. This study provides the first baseline estimate of actionable SFs in the Maltese population and offers insights for advancing precision medicine frameworks.

Indexed as

Incidental FindingsAdultAgedExome SequencingFemaleHumansMaleMaltaMiddle AgedACMG SF v3.2exome sequencinggenomic medicinesecondary findings

Identifiers

PMID40970488
PMCPMC12447238

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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.