Active clinical implementation of high-throughput DNA sequencing requires a common approach to the interpretation of detected genetic variants, including variants with somatic status. In 2017, the United States Association of Molecular Pathology (AMP), the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) published the guidelines for interpreting and reporting the somatic genetic variants in cancer identified using high-throughput sequencing analysis. This review focuses on the specific application of the AMP/ACMG/ASCO/CAP guidelines in the field of genetic research on paediatric solid tumors. In particular, the review provides the criteria for classification of somatic genetic variants, discusses the problems of evaluating the clinical significance of genetic findings in paediatric tumors, and provides examples of classification of genetic variants specific for certain types of childhood solid malignancies.

Bardet-Biedl syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by obesity, retinitis pigmentosa, polydactyly, development delay, and structural kidney defects. This study shows the results of using an MPS panel that includes coding sequences and intronic areas of 21 genes associated with Bardet-Biedl syndrome. For the first time molecular genetic testing has been provided for the group of 40 Russian patiens with Bardet-Biedl syndrome from unrelated families. As a result of the testing, diagnoses were confirmed for 40% of the patients (n=16). The genes BBS1, BBS7, BBS10 had recurrent variants. The frequency of pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants in the genes BBS1 and BBS10 among Russian patients matches the research data in other countries. Variants in the BBS7 gene were found for five people, four of them had a pathogenic variant c.1967_1968delTAinsC, which is not present among other populations. Results provided in this article show the significant role of pathogenic variants in the BBS7 gene in patients with Bardet-Biedl syndrome in Russian population.

The adrenergic system, along with the dopaminergic, serotonergic and glutamatergic systems, plays an important role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and response to the applied pharmacotherapy. Tardive or late dyskinesia (TD) is a serious side effect and can develop in schizophrenic patients with prolonged use of antipsychotics. An important role in the pathogenesis of TD belongs to genetic factors. The aim of this study was to search for possible associations of polymorphic variants of the ADRβ1 and ADRA1A genes with the development of tardive dyskinesia in schizophrenic patients receiving antipsychotic therapy. We examined 449 patients from Russian population of Siberian region with verified diagnosis of schizophrenia. 121 patients from whole group met the criteria for tardive dyskinesia. Genotyping of the polymorphic variants rs1801253, rs2036108, rs472865 of the ADRβ1 and ADRA1A genes was performed by real-time PCR using a QuantStudio 5 amplifier using TaqMan kits. The associative analysis of the frequencies of genotypes and alleles was assessed using the χ2 test in the R 3.6.2 program using basic functions and an additional SNPassoc package. The distribution of genotype and allele frequencies for the rs2036108 polymorphic variant of the ADRA1A gene significantly differs in the groups of patients with tardive dyskinesia and without side effects (for genotypes p = 0.028; for alleles p = 0.040). For the first time, the association of the rs2036108 polymorphic variant of the ADRA1A gene with tardive dyskinesia in schizophrenic patients was revealed. Further studies of the role of adrenergic receptor genes in the development of tardive dyskinesia are required to develop pharmacogenetic approaches to personalizing therapy.

Uterine fibroids (UF), or leiomyoma, is the most common tumor of the reproductive system in female. Oxidative stress is one of the basic pathogenetic mechanisms for uterine fibroids development. Glutathione (GSH) is a non-enzymatic antioxidant that plays a key role in the protection against oxidative stress. The reduction of oxidized glutathione is carried out by the enzyme glutathione reductase, encoded by the GSR gene. The aim of the study was to investigate the association of common single nucleotide polymorphism rs2551715 in gene encoding glutathione reductase with the risk of UF. A total of 978 unrelated individuals from Central Russia were included for this study: 590 patients with uterine fibroids (MM) and 388 age-matched healthy females. Genotyping of the single nucleotide polymorphism rs2551715 GSR was performed using TaqMan-based PCR. To analyze the associations of genotypes with the risk of diseases, a log-additive regression model was used. All calculations were performed relative to the minor allele; corrections for gender and age have been introduced. Allele T rs2551715 GSR (OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.67-0.97; P = 0.02) was associated with a decreased risk of UF. Analysis of genotype frequencies showed that rs2551715 GSR was associated with a decreased risk of UF (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.69-0.98 ; P = 0.028). Bioinformatic analysis revealed that the spectrum of transcription factors binding with the protective allele T is involved in the regulation of the of smooth muscle cells signaling pathway, response to growth factor, regulation of cell differentiation, regulation of cell population proliferation. Thus, for the first time, the association of rs2551715 GSR with a predisposition to development of uterine fibroids has been established.

Facioscapulohumeral dystrophy (FSHD) is a common hereditary disease caused by ectopic expression of the DUX4 gene in muscle cells. The method of suppressing gene expression using siRNA has been shown to be an effective and safe method of gene therapy without interfering directly with the genome. In this work, we demonstrated the possibility of transfecting human myoblasts with targeted siRNAs without compromising the viability and further differentiation of these cells into myotubes. We also showed differences in the expression profile of DUX4 target genes between healthy and patient-derived myoblasts. In the future, these data can be used to develop effective and specific siRNAs for the treatment of FSHD.