Menu Close

Genetic skin disorder detected in newborns could predict future heart problems ─Study

Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) in a Newborn

*Researchers say identifying consumers at risk of Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) could give them the best health outcomes thereafter

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Researchers from Thomas Jefferson University in a fresh study found that a genetic skin disorder detected at birth could predict future heart problems in consumers.

Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), according to researchers, is a skin condition that makes the skin incredibly fragile, and it can also affect bruising and hair growth.

The study discovered that a specific gene mutation that is associated with EB is also linked with the heart condition arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), which weakens the heart over time and can be life-threatening.

Dr. Jouni Uitto, one of the researchers, said: “By looking into the skin of newborns, we can predict the development of a devastating heart disease later in life.

“This is predictive personalised medicine at its best.”

In identifying genetic risks, the researchers analysed the DNA of 360 patients with EB to try to determine what part of the genetic make-up was responsible for the skin condition.

They learned that two participants ─ a toddler and a young woman in her early ’20s ─ had a common mutated gene: the JUP gene.

Upon closer study, the research team learned that both study participants had exhibited the same EB symptoms during infancy.

However, as the woman grew and developed, she was diagnosed with ARVC. At the time of the study, the toddler wasn’t experiencing any heart-related issues; based on the way the JUP gene mutates, the researchers predict that EB patients with this specific gene mutation are highly likely to develop ARVC.

Report says these study findings show just how serious a condition ARVC is.

Not only does the heart weaken over time, but patients as young as 30 are incredibly vulnerable to cardiac arrest.

Researcher Dr. Reginald Ho stated: “This is a serious disease that can require a heart transplant if the damage is too severe because of heart failure and life threatening fast rhythms.”

For the fact that EB can be detected at birth, the researchers hope that these findings can work to identify patients who could be genetically predisposed to ARVC from the earliest stages of development.

 

Dr. Uitto added: “This means that with mutation analysis, you can predict when looking at EB patients at birth, whether they will have this very severe heart condition later in life.

“These patients need to be monitored carefully for heart problems.”

Kindly Share This Story

 

Kindly share this story