Marfan Syndrome Essay

Week five I wrote about a sperm bank that lost a deceased man's vials of sperm. Grief, sorrow, and suffering were all feelings felt by Sarah Robertson after the loss of her 29 year-old husband, Aaron Robertson. Aaron had passed away from a rare genetic disorder known as Marfan Syndrome. Sarah mourned the death of her husband, but had somewhat comfort in knowing that six vials of her deceased husbands sperm were safely stored at the Reproductive Fertility Center in Los Angeles. As time went on since Aaron passed, Sarah felt she was ready to put his vials of sperm to use. Devastating news awaited Sarah as she was told that all six vials had been reported missing. Sarah and her in-laws are suing the LA clinic and Dr. Peyman Saadat, the owner.

Congenital heart disease is a cardiovascular condition resulting from an abnormality in the structure of the heart. The exact time this defect forms is unknown but it is during the fetal development in the womb. Researchers think the defect could be case partially by genetics and medical conditions of the fetus and the parents. If the baby’s mother had rubella, while pregnant or other conditions such as diabetes could have caused the defect. Some medications that were taken by a pregnant mother could also have caused birth defects. An error on chromosome 22 could also have caused the heart defect. Some symptoms that a person may have a congenital heart may not show up until later in life but many children also have the symptoms. Symptoms of a congenital heart defect are abnormal heartbeat, bluish tint to skin, shortness of breath, dizziness or fainting, and swelling of body tissues and organs.

Autosomal recessive inheritance is the third type known to cause muscular dystrophy, whereas both parents are carriers of the defective gene. For this reason the offspring have a 25% chance of being affected with both malformed genes, resulting in them being affected. The chance increases with cousin marriages.

This syndrome is not very common, because it is a rare condition. Its prevalence is not certain, but the proximate amount is 5 to 10 individuals per million newborns. Research workers appraise that there are approximately 200 to 300 individuals around the world who have this disorder. It is observed with equivalent recurrence in both males and females over all ethnic groups.

What do Michael Phelps, Abraham Lincoln, Osama Bin Laden all have in common? They are all diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome which is a disorder of the connective tissues in the body. It is estimated that about 1 in every 3000-5000 people in the world is diagnosed with this disorder (Frey, 2005), that means about 140 000 000 to 233 333 333 people around the world’s population live with the struggles brought by Marfan syndrome. It may not seem like a big deal since so little of the world is diagnosed, but Marfan syndrome can cause some serious life-threatening symptoms. This report will explore the ins and outs of Marfan syndrome, from what it actually is to diagnostic and treatment techniques.

This syndrome is from a mutation of a gene on chromosome 15 and this causes problems in the production of fibrillin-1 which is a protein that is an important part of connective tissue. The name for the gene is FBN1. Basically, it is the “glue” that helps to support the tissues in the human body. A child born to a parent with this syndrome has a 50% of having it. However, in the remaining 25%, neither parent has the disease which gives them a 1 in 10,000 chance of having a child with this disorder. When a child of two unaffected parents is born with it then the genetic mutation occurs in either the egg or sperm cell at the time of conception.

Marfan syndrome is a genetic mutation of the FBN1 gene which codes for a protein that contributes to the connective tissue in the body and releases certain growth hormones (Callewaert et al., 2007). A mutation in this gene contributes to a variety of signs and symptoms usually involving skeletal deformations like long bone overgrowth, causing elongated limbs and spinal conditions like scoliosis and kyphosis (Callewaert et al., 2007). Retina detachment is common in those with Marfan syndrome and cardiovascular complications may include aortic dilation, dissection and rupture and up two thirds of patients develop mitral valve dysfunction (Callewaert et al., 2007). R.C. has experienced detached retinas,

Noonan Syndrome is the result of a chromosomal abnormality. This specific type of abnormality can only be detected by deep molecular testing of the parents and the offspring who has been affected by Noonan syndrome. Detection then becomes a tricky process as the signs and symptoms of the defect can be misdiagnosed as their individual appearances. A short stature can be seen as just a physical abnormality, the same for eye spacing and other physically noticeable attributes. The heart diseases can be seen as completely separate problems as well. For this reason cases of Noonan syndrome can persist into a person 's adult life completely undiagnosed. Detection therefore relies on the parents being genetically tested before ever conceiving.

A permanent change in a gene that can be passed on to children. The rare, early-onset familial

This syndrome is inherited in families in an autosomal dominant manner. Since Marfan syndrome is autosomal dominant, people with this disorder can be either homozygous dominant or heterozygous. This means that people carrying even one copy of the altered gene will have the disorder. Mutations of the FBN1 gene has been linked to the Marfan syndrome, although not everyone who has this mutation develops the disorder.

hereditary disorder of Caucasians in the United States and is the most common cause of chronic

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is defined as a rare genetic disorder that causes soft tissues to transform permanently into bone. These bones grow abnormally in the muscles, tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues, forming bridges of extra bone across the joints. As a result of the abnormal bone growth, movement in those areas affected by FOP is greatly limited and sometimes impossible. The condition affects many areas of the body, commonly the neck, spine, chest, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles and jaw. Similarly to Marfan Syndrome, FOP is an autosomal dominant condition, meaning that a person needs only to get the gene for FOP from one parent to inherit the disease. However, in a lot of cases, FOP occurs as a mutation and then has a 50 percent chance of passing it on to his

Noonan syndrome is an autosomal dominant genetic disease that affects facial characteristics, heart, skeletal formation, stature, and may other areas of the body. Approximately 1 in 1,000 to 2,500 people are affected by Noonan syndrome. Those affected by this disease have deep grooves around their mouth and nose area, low ears, and wide eyes. Other distinct features of Noonan Syndrome include shorter necks, excess skin around the neck, and low hairlines. A common heart defect associated with this disease is the narrowing of the value that controls blood flow from the heart to the lungs. Although an individual may be affected by this syndrome, most still have a normal intelligence. A mutation occurs on the PTPN11, SOS1, RAF1, KRAS, NRAS,

Marfan syndrome is a genetic illness with significant morbidity and death (1). Prevalence appears to be similar across the world, regardless of gender, and the estimate in the European countries is 1 in 10,000 (2). The average expectancy used to be 32 years, but improved surgery increase life expectancy to approach that of the entire population (3). The level to which individuals are affected differs and those with the syndrome tend to be tall, thin and with long legs, arms, fingers as well as toes (4). It is important to discuss the symptoms, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of the syndrome.

Congenital heart diseases (CHDs) are the most prevalent of all birth defects and the leading cause of death in the first year of life, (1) with an annual prevalence ranging from six to twelve affected infants per 1,000 live births. (2)