Human Phenotype Ontology Annotations for Rare Congenital Conditions: Application to Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita

Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) represents a large, rare group of congenital conditions. This study addressed major challenges in AMC research posed by the lack of systematic frameworks for data collection and the use of inconsistent terminologies and text descriptions. We aimed to systematically review the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) terms, encode AMC phenotypic traits as HPO terms, and pilot test the encoding process in a cohort of children with AMC. An international consensus-based dataset for AMC was used to extract phenotypic traits from the fetal period to adulthood. The encoding process was developed by an international expert panel to expand and revise HPO ontology for joint contractures, as the main characterizing traits in AMC. Using a pre-tested mapping algorithm, the HPO mapping process resulted in a 62% complete match, a 12% incomplete match, and a 26% no match. The encoding process included 37 new terms and annotations and 13 re-structures across 10 different joints. The implemented annotations significantly increased the number of available HPO terms for joint contractures in a cohort of children with AMC (p-value = 0.04). Our encoding and annotation approach may be used as a blueprint for systematic HPO (re)annotations for musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal phenotypic traits of AMC.

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Publication Details

Journal
American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A
Published
2025-04-03
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.a.64067
Primary Topic
Genomics and Rare Diseases
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Human Phenotype Ontology Annotations for Rare Congenital Conditions: Application to Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita

Johanna I.P. de Vries, Klaus Dieterich, Miguel Torres, Peter N. Robinson et al.
American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A
Genomics and Rare Diseases
article

Human Phenotype Ontology Annotations for Rare Congenital Conditions: Application to Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita

Johanna I.P. de Vries, Klaus Dieterich, Miguel Torres, Peter N. Robinson, Harold J. P. van Bosse, Melissa Haendel, Isabel Filges, Shahrzad Nematollahi, Tanya Bedard, Joyce Li, Noémi Dahan‐Oliel, Reggie C. Hamdy, Daniel Blanshay‐Goldberg
article en

Abstract

Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) represents a large, rare group of congenital conditions. This study addressed major challenges in AMC research posed by the lack of systematic frameworks for data collection and the use of inconsistent terminologies and text descriptions. We aimed to systematically review the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) terms, encode AMC phenotypic traits as HPO terms, and pilot test the encoding process in a cohort of children with AMC. An international consensus-based dataset for AMC was used to extract phenotypic traits from the fetal period to adulthood. The encoding process was developed by an international expert panel to expand and revise HPO ontology for joint contractures, as the main characterizing traits in AMC. Using a pre-tested mapping algorithm, the HPO mapping process resulted in a 62% complete match, a 12% incomplete match, and a 26% no match. The encoding process included 37 new terms and annotations and 13 re-structures across 10 different joints. The implemented annotations significantly increased the number of available HPO terms for joint contractures in a cohort of children with AMC (p-value = 0.04). Our encoding and annotation approach may be used as a blueprint for systematic HPO (re)annotations for musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal phenotypic traits of AMC.

American Journal of Medical Genetics Part AVol. 197(8)
Alberta Health Services (CA), Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center (US), Inserm (FR), University of Basel (CH), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble (FR), McGill University Health Centre (CA), Shriners Hospitals for Children - Canada (CA), Alberta Children's Hospital (CA), University Hospital of Basel (CH), Jackson Laboratory (US), Amsterdam University Medical Centers (NL), Institut pour l'avancée des biosciences (FR), McGill University (CA), University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (US), Université Grenoble Alpes (FR)
American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Fonds de Recherche du Québec - Santé
Partnerships for the goals
Openalex Percentile: Top 92%
Genomics and Rare Diseases
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