Prenatal management of fetal anemia due to pyruvate kinase deficiency: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Pyruvate Kinase (PK) deficiency is the most common enzyme defect of glycolysis, leading to congenital hemolytic anemia, which can occur during the neonatal period. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We report the prenatal management of fetal anemia related to PK deficiency in a family with a severe proband. RESULTS: The couple had a first child born with hydrops, whose PK deficiency was diagnosed at 18 months of life. He was treated with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. The second child was free from disease. For the third pregnancy, the amniocentesis revealed a PK deficiency. Weekly ultrasound monitoring of the middle cerebral artery velocity allowed the detection of severe fetal anemia. Two intrauterine red blood cell transfusions (IUTs) were performed, raising the fetal hemoglobin from 6.6 to 14.5 g/dl at 28 weeks' gestation and from 8.9 to 15.3 g/dl at 31 weeks. A hematopoietic stem cell allograft was discussed prenatally but not chosen, as it would not have significantly changed the perinatal prognosis. The patient delivered a 2730 g girl at 37 weeks, with hemoglobin of 13.6 g/dl. The child presented with neonatal jaundice treated with phototherapy and received postnatal transfusions. DISCUSSION: When a proband is identified in a family, fetal investigation is warranted, to set up third-trimester ultrasound surveillance and perinatal management. In case of fetal severe anemia of unknown etiology, the workup on fetal blood sampling before IUT should comprise the search for erythrocytes enzymopathies, such as PK deficiency. IUTs allow safer full-term delivery in cases with PK deficiency.

Clinically relevant updates of the HbVar database of human hemoglobin variants and thalassemia mutations.

HbVar (http://globin.bx.psu.edu/hbvar) is a widely-used locus-specific database (LSDB) launched 20 years ago by a multi-center academic effort to provide timely information on the numerous genomic variants leading to hemoglobin variants and all types of thalassemia and hemoglobinopathies. Here, we report several advances for the database. We made clinically relevant updates of HbVar, implemented as additional querying options in the HbVar query page, allowing the user to explore the clinical phenotype of compound heterozygous patients. We also made significant improvements to the HbVar front page, making comparative data querying, analysis and output more user-friendly. We continued to expand and enrich the regular data content, involving 1820 variants, 230 of which are new entries. We also increased the querying potential and expanded the usefulness of HbVar database in the clinical setting. These several additions, expansions and updates should improve the utility of HbVar both for the globin research community and in a clinical setting.

Appropriate thresholds for accurate screening for ß-thalassemias in the newborn period: results from a French center for newborn screening.

Objectives: Newborn screening (NBS) for ß-thalassemia is based on measuring the expression of the hemoglobin A (HbA) fraction. An absence or very low level of HbA at birth may indicate ß-thalassemia. The difficulty is that the HbA fraction at birth is correlated with gestational age (GA) and highly variable between individuals. We used HbA expressed in multiples of the normal (MoM) to evaluate relevant thresholds for NBS of ß-thalassemia. Methods: The chosen threshold (HbA≤0.25 MoM) was prospectively applied for 32 months in our regional NBS program for sickle cell disease, for all tests performed, to identify patients at risk of ß-thalassemia. Reliability of this threshold was evaluated at the end of the study. Results: In all, 343,036 newborns were tested, and 84 suspected cases of ß-thalassemia were detected by applying the threshold of HbA≤0.25 MoM. Among the n=64 cases with confirmatory tests, 14 were confirmed using molecular analysis as ß-thalassemia diseases, 37 were confirmed as ß-thalassemia trait and 13 were false-positive. Determination of the optimum threshold for ß-thalassemia screening showed that HbA≤0.16 MoM had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 95.3%, whatever the GA. Conclusions: NBS for ß-thalassemia diseases is effective, regardless of the birth term, using the single robust threshold of HbA≤0.16 MoM. A higher threshold would also allow screening for carriers, which could be interesting when ß-thalassemia constitutes a public health problem.

High fetal hemoglobin level is associated with increased risk of cerebral vasculopathy in children with sickle cell disease in Mayotte.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the genetics underlying the heritable subphenotypes of sickle cell anemia, specific to each population, would be prognostically useful and could inform personalized therapeutics.The objective of this study was to describe the genetic modulators of sickle cell disease in a cohort of pediatric patients followed up in Mayotte. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analyzed clinical and biological data, collected between January1st2007 and December 31st2017, in children younger than 18 years. RESULTS: We included 185 children with 72% SS, 16% Sß0-thalassemia and 12% Sß + thalassemia. The average age was 9.5 years; 10% of patients were lost to follow up. The Bantu haplotype was associated with an increase in hospitalizations and transfusions. The alpha-thalassemic mutation was associated with a decrease of hemolysis biological parameters (anemia, reticulocytes), and a decrease of cerebral vasculopathy. The Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms BCL11A rs4671393, BCL11A rs11886868, BCL11A rs1427407 and HMIP rs9399137 were associated with the group of children with HbF > 10%. Patients with HbF > 10% presented a significant risk of early onset of cerebral vasculopathy. CONCLUSIONS: The most remarkable result of our study was the association of SNPs with clinically relevant phenotypic groups. BCL11A rs4671393, BCL11A rs11886868, BCL11A rs1427407 and HMIP rs9399137 were correlated with HbF > 10%, a group that has a higher risk of cerebral vasculopathy and should be oriented towards the hemolytic sub-phenotype.

Addressing the diagnostic gaps in pyruvate kinase deficiency: Consensus recommendations on the diagnosis of pyruvate kinase deficiency.

Pyruvate kinase deficiency (PKD) is the most common enzyme defect of glycolysis and an important cause of hereditary, nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia. The disease has a worldwide geographical distribution but there are no verified data regarding its frequency. Difficulties in the diagnostic workflow and interpretation of PK enzyme assay likely play a role. By the creation of a global PKD International Working Group in 2016, involving 24 experts from 20 Centers of Expertise we studied the current gaps in the diagnosis of PKD in order to establish diagnostic guidelines. By means of a detailed survey and subsequent discussions, multiple aspects of the diagnosis of PKD were evaluated and discussed by members of Expert Centers from Europe, USA, and Asia directly involved in diagnosis. Broad consensus was reached among the Centers on many clinical and technical aspects of the diagnosis of PKD. The results of this study are here presented as recommendations for the diagnosis of PKD and used to prepare a diagnostic algorithm. This information might be helpful for other Centers to deliver timely and appropriate diagnosis and to increase awareness in PKD.

Inherited or acquired modifiers of iron status may dramatically affect the phenotype in dehydrated hereditary stomatocytosis.

Severe iron overload is frequent in dehydrated hereditary stomatocytosis (DHSt) despite well-compensated hemolysis and no or little transfusion requirement. We investigated 4 patients with proven DHSt, in whom the degree of hemolysis was closely related to iron status. Genetic modifiers increasing iron stores (HFE:pCys282Tyr, HAMP:c-153C>T mutations) were accompanied with high liver iron concentrations and increased hemolysis, whereas therapeutic phlebotomies alleviated the hemolytic phenotype. There were no manifestations of hemolysis in one patient with low iron stores. Hemolysis reappeared when iron supplementation was given. The search for genetic or acquired modifiers of iron status and the modulation of iron stores may help in the management of these patients.

Prognostic factors of disease severity in infants with sickle cell anemia: A comprehensive longitudinal cohort study.

In order to identify very early prognostic factors that can provide insights into subsequent clinical complications, we performed a comprehensive longitudinal multi-center cohort study on 57 infants with sickle cell anemia (55 SS; 2 Sß°) during the first 2 years of life (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01207037). Time to first occurrence of a severe clinical event-acute splenic sequestration (ASS), vaso-occlusive (VOC) event requiring hospitalization, transfusion requirement, conditional/ abnormal cerebral velocities, or death-was used as a composite endpoint. Infants were recruited at a mean age of 4.4 ±1 months. Median follow-up was 19.4 months. During the study period, 38.6% of infants experienced ≥1 severe event: 14% ASS, 22.8% ≥ 1 VOC (median age: 13.4 and 12.8 months, respectively) and 33.3% required transfusion. Of note, 77% of the cohort was hospitalized, with febrile illness being the leading cause for admission. Univariate analysis of various biomarkers measured at enrollment showed that fetal hemoglobin (HbF) was the strongest prognostic factor of subsequent severe outcome. Other biomarkers measured at enrolment including absolute neutrophil or reticulocyte counts, expression of erythroid adhesion markers, % of dense red cells, cellular deformability or ϒ-globin genetic variants, failed to be associated with severe clinical outcome. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that higher Hb concentration and HbF level are two independent protective factors (adjusted HRs (95% CI) 0.27 (0.11-0.73) and 0.16 (0.06-0.43), respectively). These findings imply that early measurement of HbF and Hb levels can identify infants at high risk for subsequent severe complications, who might maximally benefit from early disease modifying treatments.

Short in-Frame Insertions/Deletions in the Coding Sequence of the α-Globin Gene. Consequences of the 3D Structure and Resulting Phenotypes: Hb Choisy as an Example.

A small group of hemoglobin (Hb) variants result from 'in-frame' deletion/insertion (del/ins). We describe a new variant of this group (Hb Choisy), found on the α1 gene, which is the exact counterpart of a previously published deletional variant, Hb J-Biskra [codons 51-58 (or codons 52-59) (-24 bp) (-TCTGCCCAGGTTAAGGGCCACGGC); HBA1: c.157_180del (or HBA2)]. In Hb J-Biskra, the sequence Ser-Ala-Gln-Val-Lys-Gly-His-Gly located from positions α52(E1) to α59(E8) is deleted, while in Hb Choisy the same sequence (Ser-Ala-Gln-Val-Lys-Gly-His-Gly) is inserted at position α52(E1). The variant carrying the insertion appears to be less damaging than the one with the deletion. A possible explanation could be that the additional sequence is located in the C to E interhelical region, and is less disturbing to the general structure of the globin chain. This insertion/deletion (ins/del) is likely favored by the repetition, at an interval of 16 nucleotides, of an eight nucleotide sequence. Comparison of variants of this group, found in the HbVar database, shows that structural modifications resulting from insertions are frequently less damaging than that caused by deletions.

Red blood cells free α-haemoglobin pool: a biomarker to monitor the ß-thalassemia intermedia variability. The ALPHAPOOL study.

The severity of ß-thalassaemia (ß-thal) intermedia is mainly correlated to the degree of imbalanced α/non α-globin chain synthesis. The phenotypic diversity of ß-thal depends on this imbalance and reflects all possible combinations of α- and ß-globin genotypes, levels of fetal haemoglobin (HbF) and co-inheritance of other modulating factors. This study aimed to demonstrate the validity of a new surrogate of α/non α-globin biosynthetic ratio by measuring the soluble α-Hb pool in lysed red blood cells. Our results confirm that the α-Hb pool measurement allows a good discrimination between ß-thal intermedia patients, controls and α-thal patients (P < 0·003). Receiver operator characteristic analyses revealed an area under the curve of 0·978 for the α-Hb pool measurement at a threshold of 120 ng free α-Hb/mg of total Hb/ml of haemolysate (ppm) with a sensitivity and specificity of 86% and 100%, respectively, to discriminate between ß-thal and not ß-thal subjects. Significant correlations were observed between the α-Hb pool and biological parameters of ß-thal, the most significant association being observed with red cell hexokinase activity. This study indicates that the α-Hb pool could be a new marker for assistance in diagnostic orientation of ß-thal intermedia patients and may be clinically useful for monitoring the evolution of the disequilibrium of globin synthesis in response to treatments.

Haematological determinants of cardiac involvement in adults with sickle cell disease.

AIMS: Cardiac involvement is common in sickle cell disease (SCD). Studies are needed to establish haematological determinants of this involvement and prognostic markers. The aim of the study was to identify haematological factors associated with cardiac involvement in SCD and their impact on prognosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: This longitudinal observational study was performed on 1780 SCD patients with SS or S-ß(0)-thalassemia referred to our centre. Six hundred fifty-six met our inclusion criteria (availability of a blood-workup and echocardiogram obtained <1 year apart, no heart valve surgery and no current pregnancy). Median age was 31 (interquartile range, 25-40) years, and median haemoglobin (Hb) was 87 (80-95)g/L. Left ventricular (LV) dilation, left atrial dilation, cardiac index (CI) >4 L/min/m(2), LV ejection fraction <55%, and tricuspid regurgitant velocity (TRV) ≥2.5 m/s were found in 35, 78, 23, 8.5, and 17% of patients, respectively. Compared with other patients, those in the fourth quartiles (Q4) of LV end-diastolic dimension index (LVEDDind) and left atrial dimension index (LADind) and those with high CI had significantly lower Hb, % foetal Hb (HbF), and red blood cell (RBC) counts; and significantly higher lactate dehydrogenase, bilirubin, and %dense RBCs. Independent haematologic determinants of Q4 LVEDDind and LADind were low RBC count and %HbF; high %dense RBCs were associated with LADind. Low %HbF and RBC count were associated with high CI. High %dense RBCs or no α-thalassemia gene deletion was associated with greater severity of anaemia and cardiac dilation and with higher CI. During the median follow-up of 48 (32-59) months, 50 (7.6%) patients died. Tricuspid regurgitant velocity ≥ 2.5 m/s was a predictor of mortality. The risk of death increased four-fold when left ventricular ejection fraction <55% was present also (P = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Cardiac dilation and CI elevation in patients with SCD are associated with haematologic variables reflecting haemolysis, RBC rigidity, and blood viscosity. Tricuspid regurgitant velocity ≥ 2.5 and LV dysfunction (even mild) predict mortality.

Comprehensive functional annotation of 18 missense mutations found in suspected hemochromatosis type 4 patients.

Hemochromatosis type 4 is a rare form of primary iron overload transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait caused by mutations in the gene encoding the iron transport protein ferroportin 1 (SLC40A1). SLC40A1 mutations fall into two functional categories (loss- versus gain-of-function) underlying two distinct clinical entities (hemochromatosis type 4A versus type 4B). However, the vast majority of SLC40A1 mutations are rare missense variations, with only a few showing strong evidence of causality. The present study reports the results of an integrated approach collecting genetic and phenotypic data from 44 suspected hemochromatosis type 4 patients, with comprehensive structural and functional annotations. Causality was demonstrated for 10 missense variants, showing a clear dichotomy between the two hemochromatosis type 4 subtypes. Two subgroups of loss-of-function mutations were distinguished: one impairing cell-surface expression and one altering only iron egress. Additionally, a new gain-of-function mutation was identified, and the degradation of ferroportin on hepcidin binding was shown to probably depend on the integrity of a large extracellular loop outside of the hepcidin-binding domain. Eight further missense variations, on the other hand, were shown to have no discernible effects at either protein or RNA level; these were found in apparently isolated patients and were associated with a less severe phenotype. The present findings illustrate the importance of combining in silico and biochemical approaches to fully distinguish pathogenic SLC40A1 mutations from benign variants. This has profound implications for patient management.

The genetic basis of asymptomatic codon 8 frame-shift (HBB:c25_26delAA) ß(0) -thalassaemia homozygotes.

Two 21-year old dizygotic twin men of Iraqi descent were homozygous for HBB codon 8, deletion of two nucleotides (-AA) frame-shift ß(0) -thalassaemia mutation (FSC8; HBB:c25_26delAA). Both were clinically well, had splenomegaly, and were never transfused. They had mild microcytic anaemia (Hb 120-130 g/l) and 98% of their haemoglobin was fetal haemoglobin (HbF). Both were carriers of Hph α-thalassaemia mutation. On the three major HbF quantitative trait loci (QTL), the twins were homozygous for G>A HBG2 Xmn1 site at single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs7482144, homozygous for 3-bp deletion HBS1L-MYB intergenic polymorphism (HMIP) at rs66650371, and heterozygous for the A>C BCL11A intron 2 polymorphism at rs766432. These findings were compared with those found in 22 other FSC8 homozygote patients: four presented with thalassaemia intermedia phenotype, and 18 were transfusion dependent. The inheritance of homozygosity for HMIP 3-bp deletion at rs66650371 and heterozygosity for Hph α-thalassaemia mutation was found in the twins and not found in any of the other 22 patients. Further studies are needed to uncover likely additional genetic variants that could contribute to the exceptionally high HbF levels and mild phenotype in these twins.

Hb Savaria [α49(CE7)Ser→Arg; HBA2: c.150C > A]: A New Case and Complete Description.

Hb Savaria [α49(CE7)Ser→Arg; HBA2: c.150C > A] is a rare hemoglobin (Hb) variant, initially described in Eastern Europe but present worldwide. It belongs to that class of variants which can be confused with Hb S [ß6(A3)Glu→Val; HBB: c.20A > T] by automated protein analysis and thus needs special tests for proper identification. Because it could arise from different nucleotide substitutions and according to the rules of the Human Genome Variation Society (HGVS) nomenclature, three 'Hb Savaria' variants are possible. In the case reported here it resulted from the HBA2: c.148A > C change.

Hb Olivet (HBA1: C.40G > A; p.Ala14Thr), a Novel Silent Hemoglobin Variant in Two Families of Distinct Origin.

We report two families, members of which are carriers of a novel hemoglobin (Hb) variant that was named Hb Olivet [α13(A11)Ala→Thr (α1) (GCC > ACC); HBA1: c.40G > A; p.Ala14Thr]. The analysis of these cases allowed a clear description of this anomaly that behaves as a silent Hb. In the first family, of Portuguese ethnicity living in France, the proband, a 24-year-old male and his 57-year-old mother, both appeared to be carriers. The son presented with borderline mean corpuscular volume (MCV), while the mother was normocytic and normochromic. Hemoglobin separation on capillary electrophoresis (CE) was normal, while a slightly asymmetric peak was observed on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In a second family, originally from Surinam but living in The Netherlands, the proband, a 6-year-old girl, showed a mild microcytosis at low ferritin levels. The abnormal Hb was inherited from the mother who was clearly iron depleted, was not present in the sister and brother of the proband. The microcytic hypochromic anemia was only shown in two out of a total of four carriers. It therefore seems likely that iron depletion is causative as two carriers are completely normal. Characterization and genotype/phenotype correlation are briefly described.

A genetic score for the prediction of beta-thalassemia severity.

Clinical and hematologic characteristics of beta(ß)-thalassemia are determined by several factors resulting in a wide spectrum of severity. Phenotype modulators are: HBB mutations, HBA defects and fetal hemoglobin production modulators (HBG2:g.-158C>T polymorphism, HBS1L-MYB intergenic region and the BCL11A). We characterized 54 genetic variants at these five loci robustly associated with the amelioration of beta-thalassemia phenotype, to build a predictive score of severity using a representative cohort of 890 ß-thalassemic patients. Using Cox proportional hazard analysis on a training set, we assessed the effect of these loci on the age at which patient started regular transfusions, built a Thalassemia Severity Score, and validated it on a testing set. Discriminatory power of the model was high (C-index=0.705; R(2)=0.343) and the validation conducted on the testing set confirmed its predictive accuracy with transfusion-free survival probability (P<0.001) and with transfusion dependency status (Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve=0.774; P<0.001). Finally, an automatized on-line calculation of the score was made available at http://tss.unica.it. Besides the accurate assessment of genetic predictors effect, the present results could be helpful in the management of patients, both as a predictive score for screening and a standardized scale of severity to overcome the major-intermedia dichotomy and support clinical decisions.