An HphI-polymorphism in exon 28 of the von Willebrand factor gene, and its frequency among patients with various forms of von Willebrand's disease

Shielding the front-strand beta 3 of the von Willebrand factor A1 domain inhibits its binding to platelet glycoprotein Ibalpha

Platelet adhesion to damaged vessel wall and shear-induced platelet aggregation necessitate binding of the von Willebrand factor (VWF) A1 domain to platelet GPIbalpha. Blocking this interaction represents a promising approach to the treatment of arterial thrombosis. Comparison of amino acid sequences of the VWF A1 domain in several species, expressing VWF recognized by the blocking monoclonal antibody AJvW-2, suggested 9 residues (His563, Ile566, Asp570, Ala581, Val584, Ala587, Arg616, Ala618, and Met622) to contribute to the epitope for AJvW-2 or to be part of the GPIbalpha-binding site. Glutathione-S-transferase (GST)-human VWF A1 fusion proteins, in which these amino acids were mutated to their murine counterparts, were tested for their capacity to bind AJvW-2 or heparin, to interfere with botrocetin- or ristocetin-mediated VWF binding to GPIb, or to induce flow-dependent platelet tethering in a perfusion chamber. Thus, mutations His563Arg, Ile566Leu, Asp570Ala, and Ala587Thr, clustered on the outer surface of the A1 domain, dramatically impaired binding of AJvW-2 to A1. The His563Arg, Ile566Leu, and Asp570Ala mutations also impaired the binding of heparin, which competes with AJvW-2 for binding to A1. Perfusion studies revealed that His563, Ile566, Asp570, Arg616, and Ala618 take part in GPIbalpha binding, their mutation-impairing platelet recruitment. In agreement with the surface distribution of VWF type 2M mutations, this study demonstrates overlapping of the epitope for AJvW-2 and the GPIbalpha-binding site, located around the front pocket of the A1 domain and defined by strands beta3, beta4, and helix alpha3, and it provides a mechanistic basis for VWF neutralization by this antibody.

Instability of repeats of the von Willebrand factor gene variable number tandem repeat sequence in intron 40

The von Willebrand factor gene contains a highly polymorphic variable number tandem repeat sequence (VNTR) in intron 40. We observed the spontaneous mutation to a new length allele. Sequence analysis revealed that the change in length corresponds to one tetranucleotide repeat unit. This observation emphasizes the risk of errors in family studies and prenatal diagnosis due to VNTR instability.

von Willebrand factor mutation enhancing interaction with platelets in patients with normal multimeric structure

Variant von Willebrand disease designated as type I New York or type Malmö is characterized by enhanced ristocetin-induced platelet agglutination with normal von Willebrand factor multimeric distribution in plasma. We have studied four such patients belonging to three unrelated families and found in all of them a unique cytosine-to-thymine transition changing the codon for Pro503 (CCG) to Leu (CTG). In three patients the mutant allele also had a silent mutation in the codon for Ser500 (TCG-->TCA). Both nucleotide changes are present in the von Willebrand factor pseudogene; however, the characterization of distinctive markers where the gene and pseudogene differ, as well as the examination of amplified cDNA derived from platelet mRNA, confirmed that the abnormality occurs in the von Willebrand factor gene of the patients. Moreover, recombinant expression of the isolated glycoprotein Ib-binding domain of von Willebrand factor provided direct evidence that the Pro503-->Leu mutation is responsible for enhanced platelet reactivity to lower ristocetin concentrations. These results define a new structural element affecting the affinity of von Willebrand factor for glycoprotein Ib and establish the molecular basis of a variant form of von Willebrand disease.

Recessive inheritance of von Willebrand's disease type I

The inheritance of type I von Willebrand's disease is thought to be autosomally dominant. The laboratory profile may, however, vary between affected people, even within a single family. There is also a large variation in the severity of clinical symptoms. To see if there is an association between the von Willebrand factor genotype, the laboratory profile, and the severity of the clinical symptoms we did a genetic analysis of four families with type I von Willebrand's disease. The proband of each family proved to be a compound heterozygote for defects in the von Willebrand factor gene. Simple heterozygotes in these families were either symptomless or only mildly affected. One of the identified mutations, which was shared by the probands of three of the four families, may have a carrier prevalence of 1:50 in the general population. These results suggest that the inheritance of von Willebrand's disease is often recessive rather than dominant and so have important implications for diagnosis and genetic counselling.

Familial thrombophilia due to a previously unrecognized mechanism characterized by poor anticoagulant response to activated protein C: prediction of a cofactor to activated protein C

Although patients with thromboembolic disease frequently have family histories of thrombosis, well-defined defects such as inherited deficiencies of anticoagulant proteins are found only in a minority of cases. Based on the hypothesis that a poor anticoagulant response to activated protein C (APC) would predispose to thrombosis, a set of new coagulation assays was developed that measure the anticoagulant response in plasma to APC. A middle-aged man with a history of multiple thrombotic events was identified. The addition of APC to his plasma did not result in a normal anticoagulant response as measured by prolongation of clotting time in an activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) assay. Four of the proband's relatives had medical histories of multiple thrombotic events, and they and several other family members responded poorly to APC in the APTT-based assay. Subnormal anticoagulant responses to APC were also found in factor IXa- and Xa-based assays. Several possible mechanisms for the observed phenomenon were ruled out, such as functional protein S deficiency, a protein C-inhibitory antibody, or a fast-acting protease inhibitor against APC. Moreover, restriction fragment-length polymorphism analysis excluded possible linkage of the underlying molecular defect to factor VIII and von Willebrand factor genes. We now describe a previously unrecognized mechanism for familial thromboembolic disease that is characterized by poor anticoagulant response to APC. This would appear to be explained best by a hypothesized inherited deficiency of a previously unrecognized cofactor to APC. As we have identified two additional, unrelated cases with thrombosis and inherited poor anticoagulant response to APC, this may constitute an important cause for familial thrombophilia.

Type IIB von Willebrand's disease: gene mutations and clinical presentation in nine families from Denmark, Germany and Sweden

Type IIB of von Willebrand's disease (vWD) is a variant in which the structurally abnormal von Willebrand factor (vWF) shows an increased affinity for the platelet vWF receptor, glycoprotein Ib (GPIb). This may sometimes give rise to platelet aggregation and thrombocytopenia in vivo. In 20 patients from nine unrelated families with type IIB vWD from Denmark, Germany and Sweden we studied the molecular defect by amplification and direct sequencing of parts of exon 28 which encode for the vWF domain that interacts with platelet GPIb. Three different point mutations were identified one of which has not previously been reported. Fifteen patients from five families were heterozygous for the Arg543-->Trp substitution. The mutation had occurred independently in all five families and in two of them represented a de novo mutation. In one of these families the father, though asymptomatic and with normal laboratory test results, carried the mutation in heterozygous form. In three families, four affected members were found to be heterozygous for the Arg543-->Cys substitution. The mutations were of different origin at least in two of the families. The third substitution, Val551-->Leu, which has not previously been described, was found in one patient and was due to a de novo mutation. In most of the patients spontaneous thrombocytopenia had been recorded on at least one occasion. Five of the patients with the Arg543-->Trp substitution and the one with the Val555-->Leu substitution had all had bleeding associated with thrombocytopenia in the neonatal period of early infancy.

von Willebrand disease family studies: comparison of three methods of analysis of the von Willebrand factor gene polymorphism related to a variable number tandem repeat sequence in intron 40

A region with a variable number of tandem ATCT repeats (VNTR) has previously been localized within intron 40 of the von Willebrand factor (vWF) gene. In the present report we describe the use of this polymorphism as a genetic marker to study the inheritance pattern in five families affected with various types of von Willebrand disease (vWD): types I, IIA, IIB, IIC and the newly characterized variant with totally defective FVIII binding. Three means of investigation previously reported, all using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of this vWF gene region, were compared in terms of informativeness. The two direct single-step procedures analysing only partial sequences of the VNTR region turned out to be less informative (three studies informative out of five) than the third method characterizing the variability of the whole VNTR sequence. This latter approach, based on the analysis of the Alu I restriction pattern of the VNTR region, was informative in all the families investigated, therefore avoiding the need to combine it with other genetic marker studies for efficient gene tracking. In conclusion, this two-step (PCR and digestion) method is the most informative for the characterization of the inheritance of the different subtypes of vWD and for the prenatal diagnosis of its severe forms.

An Arg545----Cys545 substitution mutation of the von Willebrand factor in type IIB von Willebrand's disease

Type IIB is a special variant of von Willebrand's disease, characterized by an abnormal von Willebrand factor which shows an increased interaction with platelets. This interaction sometimes causes platelet aggregation and thrombocytopenia in vivo. It involves the glycoprotein-Ib (GPIb) receptor on platelets and corresponding GPIb-binding sites in the von Willebrand factor. We here demonstrate a C----T mutation at codon 1308 of the von Willebrand factor gene in 2 related patients with IIB von Willebrand's disease. The transition gives rise to a substitution of arginine by cysteine at position 545 of the mature von Willebrand factor subunit. This position is close to the GPIb- as well as the collagen- and heparin-binding domains of the von Willebrand factor. The mutation may change the conformation of the molecule in this region and activate the GPIb-binding domain, which is normally not exposed in the von Willebrand factor of circulating blood.