Thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection (TAAD), an enlargement or tearing of the walls of the aorta in the chest, is, together with abdominal aortic aneurysms, responsible for about 2% of all deaths in Western countries. The aorta is the largest artery in the body, and carries blood from the heart. About one of every five patients with TAAD has a family member with the same disorder, therefore indicating a genetic cause. However, the relevant genetic mutations discovered so far only explain about 30% of all cases. Now, through the study of a large family with TAAD features, an international team of genetic researchers has discovered that a mutation in the TGFB3 gene is also responsible for the condition. Elisabeth Gillis, M.Sc., a Ph.D. student in the Centre for Medical Genetics at Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium, told the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG) on June 6, 2015 in Glasgow, UK, that she and colleagues from seven other countries are the first to link this particular genetic mutation to serious aortic disorders. This is important, she says, because it means that the TGFB3 gene can be included in diagnostic screening. "Armed with this knowledge, we can screen patients with symptoms of TAAD, and also family members without symptoms. Early identification of a risk of aortic aneurysm formation will allow us to implement preventive treatment with medication aimed at slowing down the process of aneurysm and, ultimately, replacement of the aorta before a significant risk of dissection arises,” she said. An aortic aneurysm occurs where there is a weakness in the walls of the aorta, creating an outward bulge. Weakness in the aorta is dangerous, because it can lead to rupture (dissection) which is life-threatening.Login Or Register To Read Full Story