Genetic Landscape of Factor VII Deficiency: Insights from a Comprehensive Analysis of Pathogenic Variants and Their Impact on Coagulation Activity

oleh: Barbara Preisler, Behnaz Pezeshkpoor, Anja Merzenich, Sandra Ohlenforst, Heiko Rühl, Vytautas Ivaškevičius, Ute Scholz, Hagen Bönigk, Wolfgang Eberl, Barbara Zieger, Anna Pavlova, Johannes Oldenburg

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2024-02-01

Deskripsi

Congenital factor VII (FVII) deficiency is a rare genetic bleeding disorder characterized by deficient or reduced activity of coagulation FVII. It is caused by genetic variants in the <i>F7</i> gene. We aimed to evaluate the rate of detection of pathogenic variants in the <i>F7</i> gene in a large group of patients with FVII deficiency and investigate the correlations between the <i>F7</i> genotype and FVII activity (FVII:C). Moreover, the influence of the common genetic variant rs6046: c.1238G>A; p.(Arg413Gln), designated as the M2 allele, on FVII:C was investigated. Genetic analysis of the <i>F7</i> gene was performed on 704 index patients (IPs) using either direct Sanger- or next-generation sequencing. Genetic variants were detected in 390 IPs, yielding a variant detection rate (VDR) of 55%. Notably, the VDR exhibited a linear decline with increasing FVII:C levels. We identified 124 genetic variants, of which 48 were not previously reported. Overall, the frequency of the M2 allele was considerably higher in patients with mild deficiency (FVII:C > 20 IU/dl). Furthermore, IPs lacking an identified pathogenic variant exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of the M2 allele (69%) compared to IPs with a disease-causing variant (47%). These results strongly support the association of the M2 allele with decreased FVII:C levels. This study shows the utility of FVII:C as a predictive marker for identifying pathogenic variants in patients with FVII deficiency. The M2 allele contributes to the reduction of FVII:C levels, particularly in cases of mild deficiency.