SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND

ADGRV1, CPA6, GABRD, GABRG2, HCN1, PCDH19, PRRT2, SCN1A, SCN1B, SCN2A, SCN9A, STX1B

Scientific background

Generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+) is an autosomal dominant epilepsy syndrome with wide phenotypic variability within the same family. It is characterized by febrile seizures that continue after the age of six and fever-independent generalized tonic-clonic epilepsy that may be associated with absences, myoclonic, atonic, or focal seizures.

 

Pathogenic variants in the SCN1A gene are the most common cause of GEFS+ accounting for 10-20%. SCN1A encodes the alpha1 subunit of a neuronal sodium channel. Variants are usually the result of amino acid exchanges in the SCN1A gene which can cause both severe myoclonic epilepsy of early infancy (SMEI) and GEFS+. However, missense variants in the pore region of the sodium channel are more commonly associated with severe SMEI. In addition, variants in other genes have also been described in GEFS+. These include genes for neuronal voltage-gated sodium channels (SCN1B, SCN2A, SCN9A) or for subunits of the GABA receptor (GABRG2 and GABRD).

 

References

Gerosa et al. 2019, Dev Neurobiol 79:75 / Liu et al. 2019, J Med Genet 56:81 / Smith et al. 2018, Epilepsia 59:679 / de Lange et al. 2017, Neurogenetics 18:147 / Duszyc et al. 2015, J Appl Genet 56:49 / Depienne et al. 2011, Hum Mutat 32:E1959 / Scheffer et al. 2009, Brain Dev 31:394 / Sun et al. 2008, J Hum Genet 53:769 / Wallace et al. 2001, Nat Genet 28:49 / Wallace et al. 1998, Nat Genet 19:366 / Scheffer and Bercovic 1997, Brain 120:479

GENES

ADGRV1, CPA6, GABRD, GABRG2, HCN1, PCDH19, PRRT2, SCN1A, SCN1B, SCN2A, SCN9A, STX1B

ASSOCIATED TESTS

How to order

LATEST ARTICLES

A recent study tracked molecular changes in 108 people over time, revealing that aging involves critical shifts around ages 44 and 60. These changes ...

Read more

In May 2024, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) published new guidelines for germline genetic testing in patients with cancer (1). ...

Read more

Genetics as we know and understand it today has been shaped, over decades, by the work of many dedicated scientists around the world, and they all de...

Read more

A comprehensive single-cell transcriptomic atlas of 1.3 million cells from aged human brains reveals cellular pathways linked to Alzheimer’s diseas...

Read more

Infertility is a struggle for many individuals nowadays. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 6 people experience infertility, show...

Read more

A recent study highlights promising outcomes for BRCA variant carriers with breast cancer undergoing breast-conserving therapy. Analyzing 172 women, ...

Read more

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB), sometimes called butterfly skin, is a group of rare skin diseases with a common symptom: fragile skin that tears and blis...

Read more

In the rapidly evolving field of human genetics diagnostics, laboratories face the challenge of keeping up with the latest advancements in technology...

Read more

Medicine as we know it has been around for just over 100 years. Before this, alcohol and opium were the main forms of pain relief in Europe. The deve...

Read more

Below you can read the two winning essays from the second annual DNA essay competition. The subject of the essay was “Family history is one of the ...

Read more