Clinico-biological refinement of BCL11B-related disorder and identification of an episignature: A series of 20 unreported individuals

PURPOSE

BCL11B-related disorder (BCL11B-RD) arises from rare genetic variants within the BCL11B gene, resulting in a distinctive clinical spectrum encompassing syndromic neurodevelopmental disorder, with or without intellectual disability, associated with facial features and impaired immune function. This study presents an in-depth clinico-biological analysis of 20 newly reported individuals with BCL11B-RD, coupled with a characterization of genome-wide DNA methylation patterns of this genetic condition.

METHODS

Through an international collaboration, clinical and molecular data from 20 individuals were systematically gathered, and a comparative analysis was conducted between this series and existing literature. We further scrutinized peripheral blood DNA methylation profile of individuals with BCL11B-RD, contrasting them with healthy controls and other neurodevelopmental disorders marked by established episignature.

RESULTS

Our findings unveil rarely documented clinical manifestations, notably including Rubinstein-Taybi-like facial features, craniosynostosis, and autoimmune disorders, all manifesting within the realm of BCL11B-RD. We refine the intricacies of T cell compartment alterations of BCL11B-RD, revealing decreased levels naive CD4+ T cells and recent thymic emigrants while concurrently observing an elevated proportion of effector-memory expressing CD45RA CD8+ T cells (TEMRA). Finally, a distinct DNA methylation episignature exclusive to BCL11B-RD is unveiled.

CONCLUSION

This study serves to enrich our comprehension of the clinico-biological landscape of BCL11B-RD, potentially furnishing a more precise framework for diagnosis and follow-up of individuals carrying pathogenic BCL11B variant. Moreover, the identification of a unique DNA methylation episignature offers a valuable diagnosis tool for BCL11B-RD, thereby facilitating routine clinical practice by empowering physicians to reevaluate variants of uncertain significance within the BCL11B gene.

Predominance of BRCA2 mutation and estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer among BRCA1/2 mutation carriers

551

Background: PARP inhibitor (PARPi) agents can improve progression-free survival of patients with breast cancer (BC) who carry a germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant (gBRCA1/2) in both the metastatic and adjuvant setting. Therefore, we need to redefine the criteria of women and tumor phenotype that should be tested for gBRCA1/2. Methods: We studied the relative distribution of gBRCA1 and gBRCA2 in unselected populations of women with BC and in unaffected individuals. We also analyzed the proportion of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive (ER+) tumors in unselected BC patients with gBRCA1/2.We performed a meta-analysis of studies of unselected BC that analyzed the relative contribution of gBRCA1 versus gBRCA2 and ER+ tumors among gBRCA1/2 carriers. We then performed a meta-analysis of gBRCA1/2 carriage in unaffected individuals, from genome-wide population studies, the gnomAD databank, and case–control studies. Results: The BRCA2 gene was involved in 54% of BC in unselected patients with gBRCA1/2 (n=108,699) and 59% of unaffected individuals (n=238,973) as compared with 38% of gBRCA1/2 family cohorts (n=29,700). The meta-analysis showed that 1.66% (95% CI 1.08-2.54) and 1.71% (95% CI 1.33-2.2) of unselected BC patients carried a gBRCA1 and gBRCA2, respectively. In unaffected individuals, the frequency of heterozygosity for gBRCA1 and gBRCA2 was estimated at 1/434 and 1/288, respectively. Nearly 0.5% of unaffected individuals in the studied populations carried a gBRCA1/2. Carriage of a gBRCA was 2.5% for patients with ER+ tumors (95% CI 1.5-4.1) and 5.7% (95% CI 5.1-6.2) for those with ER- tumors. Overall, 58% of breast tumors occurring in women carrying a gBRCA1/2 were ER+ (n=86,870). Conclusions: This meta-analysis showed that gBRCA2 carriage is predominant in unselected BC and in unaffected individuals. ER+ tumors among women with gBRCA1/2-related BC is predominant and has been underestimated. Because PARPi agents improve progression-free survival with ER+ gBRCA1/2 BC in both the adjuvant and metastatic setting, BC should be considered regardless of ER status for BRCA1/2 screening for therapeutic purposes.