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PytheasDB: An open-access graphical database of clinical data on rare pediatric digestive diseases
Alice Percheron1, Paul Guerry2, Alexandre Fabre1,3
1APHM, Timone Children's Hospital, Department of Multidisciplinary Pediatrics, Marseille, France.
Insights
PytheasDB is a new online database aggregating clinical data for rare digestive diseases. It aids in optimizing patient care by providing access to molecular and phenotypic information from published case reports.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Gastroenterology
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- Genetic testing advances increase rare disease diagnoses.
- Aggregating molecular and phenotypic data is crucial for patient care.
- No existing tool consolidates published clinical data for rare digestive diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce PytheasDB, an online database for published clinical data on rare digestive diseases.
- To facilitate the study and treatment of rare digestive diseases by centralizing case report information.
Main Methods:
- Developed PytheasDB, an online database.
- Collected data from 172 articles, encompassing 833 patients.
- Included data on progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis and trichohepatoenteric syndrome.
Main Results:
- PytheasDB offers access to aggregated clinical data from rare digestive disease case reports.
- Users can compare phenotypic profiles, survival rates, and other disease characteristics.
- It is the first online resource of its kind for these specific rare diseases.
Conclusions:
- PytheasDB is a novel resource for studying rare digestive diseases.
- The database is expanding to include ultra-rare pediatric digestive diseases.
- Regular updates will enhance the study and treatment of these conditions.
Abstract:
Advances in genetic testing over the past decades are driving a continuing increase in the diagnosis and reporting of rare genetic diseases, but no tool has yet been developed to aggregate published molecular and phenotypic data, a task that is nevertheless essential to optimize patient care. In this article, we present PytheasDB, an online database of published clinical data from patients with rare digestive diseases. At the time of writing (August 2024), the database contains data from 833 patients with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis or trichohepatoenteric syndrome, collected from 172 articles. Users can compare the phenotypic profiles, sex ratios, survival curves, ages at first symptoms, and consanguinity rates of the included diseases. PytheasDB is the first ever online resource providing access to aggregated clinical data from case reports of rare digestive diseases in the literature. The database is currently being expanded to cover ultra-rare pediatric digestive diseases with regular updates to optimize the study and treatment of these diseases.
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