Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41300725›Full record

ArticleGenes2025

Cardiac Genetic Variants in Sudden, Unexpected Death in Epilepsy: From Challenging DNA Extraction Methods to Updated NGS Panels for Improved Genetic Analysis.

Alessia Bernini Di Michele, Valerio Onofri, Filomena Melchionda, Lucia Fiordelmondo, Eleonora Ciarimboli, Marco Palpacelli, Sara Sablone, Chiara Turchi, Mauro Pesaresi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Genes, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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4 · The record

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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.

Alessia Bernini Di MicheleSection of Legal Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Tronto, 60126 Ancona, Italy.ORCID 0009-0008-9412-9572
Valerio OnofriLegal Medicine Unit, A.O.U. Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria delle Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy.
Filomena MelchiondaSection of Legal Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Tronto, 60126 Ancona, Italy.
Lucia FiordelmondoLegal Medicine Unit, A.O.U. Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria delle Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy.
Eleonora CiarimboliLegal Medicine Unit, A.O.U. Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria delle Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy.
Marco PalpacelliLegal Medicine Unit, A.O.U. Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria delle Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0295-7909
Sara SabloneSection of Legal Medicine, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro"-Bari Policlinico Hospital Giulio Cesare Square, 11, 70124 Bari, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-2864-3521
Chiara TurchiSection of Legal Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Tronto, 60126 Ancona, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-9211-810X
Mauro PesaresiSection of Legal Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Tronto, 60126 Ancona, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-5721-0912

Funding

Heal Italia - Project Code PE00000019 - National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) CUP I33C22006900006
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesSUDEP is the sudden, unexpected death of someone with epilepsy, and occurs mainly during sleep or at rest, or when the individual does not seem to have experienced a convulsive seizure. The cause of death in SUDEP is still unknown, and it may differ between cases. Cardiac factors are among the most prevalent causes observed in SUDEP. Therefore, within the forensic medicine framework, identifying well-known DNA markers involved in cardiac sudden and unexpected death would aid in understanding the cause of SUDEP, as well as in finding cardiac risk markers in patients with epilepsy. The purpose of this study was to identify any genetic variants by analyzing blood and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples, utilizing next-generation sequencing techniques.

methodsWe investigated five cases of SUDEP that were examined at the Legal Medicine department of Ancona (Italy). Peripheral blood or FFPE cardiac tissues were collected, and different DNA extraction methods were performed. In particular, this study underlines a new extraction method from FFPE tissue, adapting the Casework kit for forensic application to our purpose. Later, about one hundred genes correlated to inherited cardiac diseases were sequenced through the Ion PGM System and Ion GeneStudio S5 Systems.

resultsBioinformatic analysis showed some genetic variants of unknown significance (VUS) on genes involved in SUDEP: RYR2, SCN8A, and AKAP9.

conclusionsAs expected, very low coverage of the target base was observed for FFPE tissue samples because of the complexity of the biological material. Therefore, the presence of any significant variants in unamplified regions cannot be excluded in the FFPE samples. As suggested by the literature, the variants found in the blood samples are potentially associated with SUDEP.

Indexed as

DNAEpilepsySudden Unexpected Death in EpilepsyAdultFemaleGenetic TestingGenetic VariationHigh-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingHumansMaleMiddle AgedRyanodine Receptor Calcium Release ChannelDNARyanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channelcardiac genesmolecular autopsynext generation sequencingSUDEP

Identifiers

PMID41300725
PMCPMC12652396

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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.