Of them, nearly 30% carry a pathogenic mutation in the SCN5A gene.20 All other genes together are responsible for about 5% of all BrS cases. Therefore, 65% of cases do not have a genetic buy MGCD0103 origin. Table 1 Genes associated with Brugada syndrome. Several factors could explain the high number of BrS patients without genetic alteration after genetic screening. For example, copy number Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical variations have already been

reported in SCN5A.21 In addition, pathogenic mutations associated with BrS could be localized in unknown genes, or the disease could be related to epigenetic factors, mainly DNA methylation, post-translational modifications, and RNA mechanisms.22, 23 All these factors could also explain, at least in part, incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity characteristics Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical in BrS families.24 Phenotype Modulators Several modulating factors that play a key role in the ECG dynamic nature have been published,24 with bradycardia and vagal tone thought to contribute to ST-segment elevation and arrhythmia initiation. This fact explains the greater ST-segment elevation documented in vagal situations, such as arrhythmias and SCD at night. The role of hormones is also debated,

in that a regression of the typical ECG features has been observed in castrated Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical men, and the levels of testosterone seem to be higher in male BrS patients. In addition, temperature is also a main modulator in BrS. Febrile states may unmask certain BrS patients and temporarily increase the Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical risk of arrhythmias. It seems that fever would be a particularly important trigger factor among the pediatric population despite that limited data exists thus far of BrS in children.3, 5 Risk Stratification It is well accepted that the etiology of BrS is multifactorial, involving genetic, environmental, and hormonal components that contribute to its phenotype manifestation. In addition, some clinical features Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical have been

identified as high-risk markers in BrS. It is established that symptomatic patients with recurrent syncope, agonal respiration during sleep, or unknown seizures are at risk of sudden death and need ICD. However, a debate is still ongoing on the value of risk stratification parameters, such as electrophysiological inducibility, in asymptomatic patients.6 Some will argue that it has no value, while others will claim that mafosfamide the electrophysiology study (EPS) enables the identification of a subgroup of asymptomatic patients at higher risk who will benefit from ICD implantation. Other modulating factors also have been investigated. For example, genetic studies have reported that compound pathogenic mutations in BrS patients cause more severe phenotype25 and that common polymorphisms may modulate the effect caused by pathogenic mutations.