J Pediatr Genet 2018; 07(04): 143-149
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1668079
Review Article
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

A Systematic Review of Molecular Autopsy Studies in Sudden Infant Death Cases

Laura Jane Heathfield
1   Division of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa
2   MRC/UCT Research Unit for Genomic and Precision Medicine, Division of Human Genetics, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
,
Lorna Jean Martin
1   Division of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa
,
Raj Ramesar
2   MRC/UCT Research Unit for Genomic and Precision Medicine, Division of Human Genetics, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
› Institutsangaben
Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf

30. März 2018

25. Juni 2018

Publikationsdatum:
18. August 2018 (online)

Abstract

Sudden unexpected death is an upsetting event, which can remain unexplained even after post-mortem investigation. Internationally, molecular autopsies have shown to resolve up to 44% of unexplained cases; however, it is currently unclear how many of these were infants. This systematic literature review showed that significantly fewer infant cases were resolved (median: 4%) compared with cohorts of 1 to 45 years old (median: 32%). Further, no study involving indigenous African participants has yet been published. Overall, molecular autopsies hold immense value to living family members and is motivation to explore new avenues in infant cohorts.

 
  • References

  • 1 Hauck FR, Tanabe KO. International trends in sudden infant death syndrome: stabilization of rates requires further action. Pediatrics 2008; 122 (03) 660-666
  • 2 Byard RW, Krous HF. Sudden infant death syndrome: overview and update. Pediatr Dev Pathol 2003; 6 (02) 112-127
  • 3 Krous HF, Beckwith JB, Byard RW. , et al. Sudden infant death syndrome and unclassified sudden infant deaths: a definitional and diagnostic approach. Pediatrics 2004; 114 (01) 234-238
  • 4 Mazzanti A, Priori SG. Molecular autopsy for sudden unexplained death? Time to discuss pros and cons. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2012; 23 (10) 1099-1102
  • 5 Baruteau AE, Tester DJ, Kapplinger JD, Ackerman MJ, Behr ER. Sudden infant death syndrome and inherited cardiac conditions. Nat Rev Cardiol 2017; 14 (12) 715-726
  • 6 Anderson JH, Tester DJ, Will ML, Ackerman MJ. Whole-exome molecular autopsy after exertion-related sudden unexplained death in the young. Circ Cardiovasc Genet 2016; 9 (03) 259-265
  • 7 Hertz CL, Christiansen SL, Ferrero-Miliani L. , et al. Next-generation sequencing of 34 genes in sudden unexplained death victims in forensics and in patients with channelopathic cardiac diseases. Int J Legal Med 2015; 129 (04) 793-800
  • 8 Ackerman MJ. State of postmortem genetic testing known as the cardiac channel molecular autopsy in the forensic evaluation of unexplained sudden cardiac death in the young. Pacing Clin Electrophysiol 2009; 32 (Suppl. 02) S86-S89
  • 9 Bloss CS, Zeeland AA, Topol SE. , et al. A genome sequencing program for novel undiagnosed diseases. Genet Med 2015; 17 (12) 995-1001
  • 10 Torkamani A, Muse ED, Spencer EG. , et al. Molecular autopsy for sudden unexpected death. JAMA 2016; 316 (14) 1492-1494
  • 11 Rueda M, Wagner JL, Phillips TC. , et al. Molecular autopsy for sudden death in the young: is data aggregation the key?. Front Cardiovasc Med 2017; 4: 1-16
  • 12 Dewar LJ, Alcaide M, Fornika D. , et al. Investigating the genetic causes of sudden unexpected death in children through targeted next-generation sequencing analysis. Circ Cardiovasc Genet 2017; 10 (04) 1-9
  • 13 Casale V, Oneda R, Matturri L, Lavezzi AM. Investigation of 5-HTT expression using quantitative real-time PCR in the human brain in SIDS Italian cases. Exp Mol Pathol 2013; 94 (01) 239-242
  • 14 Yamamoto T, Tanaka H, Kobayashi H. , et al. Retrospective review of Japanese sudden unexpected death in infancy: the importance of metabolic autopsy and expanded newborn screening. Mol Genet Metab 2011; 102 (04) 399-406
  • 15 Tan BH, Pundi KN, Van Norstrand DW. , et al. Sudden infant death syndrome-associated mutations in the sodium channel beta subunits. Heart Rhythm 2010; 7 (06) 771-778
  • 16 Gladding PA, Evans CA, Crawford J. , et al. Posthumous diagnosis of long QT syndrome from neonatal screening cards. Heart Rhythm 2010; 7 (04) 481-486
  • 17 Millat G, Kugener B, Chevalier P. , et al. Contribution of long-QT syndrome genetic variants in sudden infant death syndrome. Pediatr Cardiol 2009; 30 (04) 502-509
  • 18 Yang Z, Lantz PE, Ibdah JA. Post-mortem analysis for two prevalent beta-oxidation mutations in sudden infant death. Pediatr Int 2007; 49 (06) 883-887
  • 19 Van Norstrand DW, Valdivia CR, Tester DJ. , et al. Molecular and functional characterization of novel glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1 like gene (GPD1-L) mutations in sudden infant death syndrome. Circulation 2007; 116 (20) 2253-2259
  • 20 Kiehne N, Kauferstein S. Mutations in the SCN5A gene: evidence for a link between long QT syndrome and sudden death?. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2007; 1 (02) 170-174
  • 21 Ackerman MJ, Siu BL, Sturner WQ. , et al. Postmortem molecular analysis of SCN5A defects in sudden infant death syndrome. JAMA 2001; 286 (18) 2264-2269
  • 22 Miller ME, Brooks JG, Forbes N, Insel R. Frequency of medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency G-985 mutation in sudden infant death syndrome. Pediatr Res 1992; 31 (4 Pt 1): 305-307
  • 23 Neubauer J, Lecca MR, Russo G. , et al. Post-mortem whole-exome analysis in a large sudden infant death syndrome cohort with a focus on cardiovascular and metabolic genetic diseases. Eur J Hum Genet 2017; 25 (04) 404-409
  • 24 Methner DNR, Scherer SE, Welch K. , et al. Postmortem genetic screening for the identification, verification, and reporting of genetic variants contributing to the sudden death of the young. Genome Res 2016; 26 (09) 1170-1177
  • 25 Santori M, Blanco-Verea A, Gil R. , et al. Broad-based molecular autopsy: a potential tool to investigate the involvement of subtle cardiac conditions in sudden unexpected death in infancy and early childhood. Arch Dis Child 2015; 100 (10) 952-956
  • 26 Farrugia A, Keyser C, Hollard C, Raul JS, Muller J, Ludes B. Targeted next generation sequencing application in cardiac channelopathies: analysis of a cohort of autopsy-negative sudden unexplained deaths. Forensic Sci Int 2015; 254: 5-11
  • 27 Wang D, Shah KR, Um SY. , et al. Cardiac channelopathy testing in 274 ethnically diverse sudden unexplained deaths. Forensic Sci Int 2014; 237: 90-99
  • 28 Glengarry JM, Crawford J, Morrow PL, Stables SR, Love DR, Skinner JR. Long QT molecular autopsy in sudden infant death syndrome. Arch Dis Child 2014; 99 (07) 635-640
  • 29 Liebrechts-Akkerman G, Liu F, Lao O. , et al. PHOX2B polyalanine repeat length is associated with sudden infant death syndrome and unclassified sudden infant death in the Dutch population. Int J Legal Med 2014; 128 (04) 621-629
  • 30 Evans A, Bagnall RD, Duflou J, Semsarian C. Postmortem review and genetic analysis in sudden infant death syndrome: an 11-year review. Hum Pathol 2013; 44 (09) 1730-1736
  • 31 Lopez HU, Haverfield E, Chung WK. Whole-exome sequencing reveals CLCNKB mutations in a case of sudden unexpected infant death. Pediatr Dev Pathol 2015; 18 (04) 324-326
  • 32 Takahashi Y, Sano R, Nakajima T. , et al. Combination of postmortem mass spectrometry imaging and genetic analysis reveals very long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency in a case of infant death with liver steatosis. Forensic Sci Int 2014; 244: e34-e37
  • 33 Campuzano O, Allegue C, Sarquella-Brugada G. , et al. The role of clinical, genetic and segregation evaluation in sudden infant death. Forensic Sci Int 2014; 242: 9-15
  • 34 Mecchia D, Casale V, Oneda R, Matturri L, Lavezzi AM. Sudden death of an infant with cardiac, nervous system and genetic involvement--a case report. Diagn Pathol 2013; 8 (159) 159
  • 35 Manoukian AA, Ha CE, Seaver LH, Bhagavan NV. A neonatal death due to medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency: utilization of the neonatal metabolic screen in a functional approach to sudden unexplained infant death. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 2009; 30 (03) 284-286
  • 36 Bajanowski T, Rossi L, Biondo B. , et al. Prolonged QT interval and sudden infant death--report of two cases. Forensic Sci Int 2001; 115 (1-2): 147-153
  • 37 el-Schahawi M, Bruno C, Tsujino S. , et al. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in a family with myophosphorylase deficiency. Neuromuscul Disord 1997; 7 (02) 81-83
  • 38 Opdal SH, Rognum TO. The sudden infant death syndrome gene: does it exist?. Pediatrics 2004; 114 (04) e506-e512
  • 39 Opdal SH, Rognum TO. Gene variants predisposing to SIDS: current knowledge. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2011; 7 (01) 26-36
  • 40 Sarquella-Brugada G, Campuzano O, Cesar S. , et al. Sudden infant death syndrome caused by cardiac arrhythmias: only a matter of genes encoding ion channels?. Int J Legal Med 2016; 130 (02) 415-420
  • 41 Davis AM, Glengarry J, Skinner JR. Sudden infant death: QT or not QT? That is no longer the question. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 2016; 9 (06) 1-6
  • 42 Tang Y, Stahl-Herz J, Sampson BA. Molecular diagnostics of cardiovascular diseases in sudden unexplained death. Cardiovasc Pathol 2014; 23 (01) 1-4
  • 43 Männikkö R, Wong L, Tester DJ. , et al. Dysfunction of NaV1.4, a skeletal muscle voltage-gated sodium channel, in sudden infant death syndrome: a case-control study. Lancet 2018; 391 (10129): 1483-1492
  • 44 Tester DJ, Wong LCH, Chanana P. , et al. Cardiac genetic predisposition in sudden infant death syndrome. J Am Coll Cardiol 2018; 71 (11) 1217-1227
  • 45 Doolan A, Langlois N, Chiu C, Ingles J, Lind JM, Semsarian C. Postmortem molecular analysis of KCNQ1 and SCN5A genes in sudden unexplained death in young Australians. Int J Cardiol 2008; 127 (01) 138-141
  • 46 Rotimi C, Abayomi A, Abimiku A. , et al; H3Africa Consortium. Research capacity. Enabling the genomic revolution in Africa. Science 2014; 344 (6190): 1346-1348