Gaucher disease: different clinical manifestations associated with a rare mutation (R48W) in a Lebanese family

A rare homozygous p.Arg87Trp variant of the GBA gene in Gaucher disease: A case report

Gaucher disease (GD) is a rare metabolic disorder due to pathogenic variants in the GBA gene. We report the first case of the rare p.Arg87Trp pathogenic variant (formerly known as R48W) of the GBA gene in the Tunisian population. A female Arab patient was assessed at the age of 26 due to abdominal distension, bone pain, and headache since she was 25. Physical examination revealed splenomegaly, rib deformation, lumbar scoliosis, and upper limb tremor. Bone marrow was infiltrated by Gaucher cells. The patient was homozygous for the rare p.Arg87Trp variant which is known to be associated with a mild phenotype. This report highlights the necessity of screening the Tunisian population for this rare variant.

Gaucher disease is the most common inherited lysosomal storage disorder. It is a multisystem condition resulting from glucocerebrosidase deficiency, with high inter‐ and intrafamilial phenotypic variability. Gaucher disease patients can be eligible for enzymatic replacement therapy. Therefore, it should be suspected in adults presenting with unexplained splenomegaly and skeletal deformities.

Three cases of multi-generational Gaucher disease and colon cancer from an Ashkenazi Jewish family: A lesson for cascade screening

Gaucher disease (GD) is one of the commonest lysosomal storage diseases that is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner and affects 1 in 50,000 to 100,000 people in the general population. The frequency is much higher (1 in 500 to 1000) in people of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage due to a founder effect. GD is caused by decreased or absent activity of β-glucosidase with subsequent accumulation of the substrate glucosylceramide in macrophages due to genetic alterations in the GBA gene. These often accumulate in the spleen, liver and bone marrow. Three types exist, with type 1 being the most common, also referred to as non-neuronopathic GD. A broad clinical spectrum exists; patients of any age may manifest with hepatosplenomegaly, anaemia, thrombocytopenia, lung disease, bone abnormalities or may remain asymptomatic throughout their lifespan. Multi-generational disease does not usually occur because the risk of disease with each pregnancy, presuming both parents are carriers of the condition, is 25%. Herein, we report an Ashkenazi Jewish family with multi-generational GD type 1 and multigenerational colon cancer in the same three individuals, and reinforce the importance of cascade screening in families with genetic conditions.

A review of the diverse genetic disorders in the Lebanese population: highlighting the urgency for community genetic services

The review lists the genetic diseases reported in Lebanese individuals, surveys genetic programs and services, and highlights the absence of basic genetic health services at the individual and community level. The incidence of individual diseases is not determined, yet the variety of genetic diseases reported is tremendous, most of which follow autosomal recessive inheritance reflecting the social norms in the population, including high rates of consanguinity, which favor the increase in incidence of these diseases. Genetic services including all activities for the diagnosis, care, and prevention of genetic diseases at community level are extremely inadequate. Services are limited to some clinical and laboratory diagnostic services with no genetic counseling. These services are localized within the capital thus preventing their accessibility to high-risk communities. Screening programs, which are at the core of public health prevention services, are minimal and not nationally mandated. The absence of adequate genetic services is attributed to many factors undermining the importance of genetic diseases and their burden on society, the most important of which is genetic illiteracy at all levels of the population, including high-risk families, the general public, and most importantly health care providers and public health officials. Thus, a country like Lebanon, where genetic diseases are expected to be highly prevalent, is in utmost need for community genetics services. Strategies need to be developed to familiarize public health officials and medical professionals with medical genetics leading to a public health infrastructure that delivers community genetics services for the prevention and care of genetic disorders at community level.