Pseudohemophilia of Erik von Willebrand caused by homozygous one nucleotide deletion in exon 18 of the VW-factor gene

Laboratory characterization of obligate carriers of type 3 von Willebrand disease with a potential role for Platelet Function Analyzer (PFA-200)

INTRODUCTION

Type 3 von Willebrand disease (VWD) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by undetectable von Willebrand Antigen (VWF:Ag). Carriers of type 3 VWD carry one null allele and have von Willebrand factor (VWF) at about 50% of normal. The aim of this study was to characterize type 3 VWD carriers and to study the role of Platelet Function Analyzer (PFA-200) in this cohort.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study where data were collected from carriers (parents/offspring) of type 3 VWD patients and evaluated with activated partial thromboplastin time, factor VIII, blood group, ristocetin cofactor assay (VWF:RCo), VWF:Ag, and closure time on PFA-200 with collagen/epinephrine (COL/EPI), and collagen/ADP (COL/ADP).

RESULTS

One hundred carriers were included in the study of which 85 were included for PFA-200 analysis. The mean (SD) of VWF:Ag (IU/ml) and VWF:RCo (IU/ml) was 0.63 (0.24) and 0.61 (0.26), respectively. Among the 100 carriers, based on VWF levels (VWF:Ag and/or VWF:RCo) and bleeding history, there were 7 type 1 VWD, 10 type 2 VWD, 25 borderline VWF (0.30-0.50 IU/ml and no bleeding), and 58 normal VWF (>0.50 IU/ml). PFA-200 was prolonged in 71% of the carriers, all carriers with type 1 and type 2 VWD phenotype, 80% carriers with borderline VWF, and 59% with normal VWF. COL/EPI was more sensitive than COL/ADP and showed better correlation with VWF parameters than COL/ADP.

CONCLUSION

Carriers of type 3 VWD can have a variable laboratory phenotype. PFA-200 showed good sensitivity among the carriers at VWF levels <0.50 IU/ml.

A 12.3-kb Duplication Within the VWF Gene in Pigs Affected by Von Willebrand Disease Type 3

Von Willebrand Disease (VWD) type 3 is a serious and sometimes fatal hereditary bleeding disorder. In pigs, the disease has been known for decades, and affected animals are used as models for the human disease. Due to the recessive mode of inheritance of VWD type 3, severe bleeding is typically seen in homozygous individuals. We sequenced the complete porcine VWF (Von Willebrand Factor) complementary DNA (cDNA) and detected a tandem duplication of exons 17 and 18, causing a frameshift and a premature termination codon (p.Val814LeufsTer3) in the affected pig. Subsequent next generation sequencing on genomic DNA proved the existence of a 12.3-kb tandem duplication associated with VWD. This duplication putatively originates from porcine Short Interspersed Nuclear Elements (SINEs) located within VWF introns 16 and 18 with high identity. The premature termination truncates the VWF open reading frame by a large part, resulting in an almost entire loss of the mature peptide. It is therefore supposed to account for the severe VWD type 3. Our results further indicate the presence of strong, nonsense-mediated decay in VWF messenger RNA (mRNA) containing the duplication, which was supported by the almost complete absence of the complete VWF protein in immunohistochemistry analysis of the VWD-affected pig. In the past, differentiation of wild-type and heterozygous pigs in this VWD colony had to rely on clinical examinations and additional laboratory methods. The present study provides the basis to distinguish both genotypes by performing a rapid and simple genetic analysis.

Changing insights in the diagnosis and classification of autosomal recessive and dominant von Willebrand diseases 1980-2015

The European Clinical Laboratory and Molecular (ECLM) criteria define 10 distinct Willebrand diseases (VWD): recessive type 3, severe 1, 2C and 2N; dominant VWD type 1 secretion/clearance defect, 2A, 2B, 2E, 2M and 2D; and mild type 1 VWD (usually carriers of recessive VWD). Recessive severe 1 and 2C VWD are characterized by secretion and multimerization defects caused by mutations in the D1-D2 domain. Recessive 2N VWD is a mild hemophilia due to D’-FVIII-von Willebrand factor (VWF) binding site mutations. Dominant 2E VWD caused by heterozygous missense mutations in the D3 domain is featured by a secretion-clearance-multimerization VWF defect. Dominant VWD type 2M due to loss of function mutations in the A1 domain is characterized by decreased ristocetin-induced platelet aggregation and VWF:RCo, normal VWF multimers and VWF:CB, a poor response of VWF:RCo and good response of VWF:CB to desmopressin (DDAVP). Dominant VWD type 2A induced by heterozygous mutations in the A2 domain results in hypersensitivity of VWF for proteolysis by ADAMTS13 into VWF degradation products, resulting in loss of large VWF multimers with triplet structure of each individual VWF band. Dominant VWD type 2B due to a gain of function mutation in the A1 domain is featured by spontaneous interaction between platelet glycoprotein Ib (GPIb) and mutated VWF A1 followed by increased proteolysis with loss of large VWF multimers and presence of each VWF band. A new category of dominant VWD type 1 secretion or clearance defect due to mutations in the D3 domain or D4-C1-C5 domains consists of two groups: Those with normal or smeary pattern of VWF multimers.

Diagnostic Differentiation of von Willebrand Disease Types 1 and 2 by von Willebrand Factor Multimer Analysis and DDAVP Challenge Test

The European Clinical Laboratory and Molecular (ECLM) classification of von Willebrand disease (vWD) is based on the splitting approach which uses sensitive and specific von Willebrand factor (vWF) assays with regard to the updated molecular data on structure and function of vWF gene and protein defects. A complete set of FVIII:C and vWF ristocetine cofactor, collagen binding, and antigen, vWF multimeric analysis in low- and medium-resolution gels, and responses to desmopressin (DDAVP) of FVIII:C and vWF parameters are mandatory. The ECLM classification distinguishes recessive types 1 and 3 vWD from recessive vWD 2C due to mutations in the D1 and D2 domains and vWD 2N due to mutations in the D'-FVIII-binding domain of vWF. The ECLM classification differentiates between mild vWD type 1 with variable penetrance of bleedings from symptomatic dominant type 1 vWD secretion defect and/or clearance defect with normal vWF multimers versus vWD 1M and 2M with normal or smeary vWF multimers in low- and medium-resolution gels. High-quality multimeric analysis of vWF in medium-resolution gels based on a DDAVP challenge test clearly delineates and distinguishes each of the dominant type 2 vWDs 1/2E, 2M, 2B, 2A, and 2D caused by vWF gene mutations in the D3 multimerization domain, loss or gain-of-function mutations in the glycoprotein Ib receptor A1 domain, gene mutations in the A2 proteolytic domain, and the C-terminal dimerization domain, respectively.