Analysis of von Willebrand Disease in the "Heart of Europe".

Background von Willebrand disease (VWD) is a genetic bleeding disorder caused by defects of von Willebrand factor (VWF), quantitative (type 1 and 3) or qualitative (type 2). The laboratory phenotyping is heterogenic making diagnosis difficult. Objectives Complete laboratory analysis of VWD as an expansion of the previously reported cross-sectional family-based VWD study in the Czech Republic (BRNO-VWD) and Slovakia (BRA-VWD) under the name "Heart of Europe," in order to improve the understanding of laboratory phenotype/genotype correlation. Patients and Methods In total, 227 suspected VWD patients were identified from historical records. Complete laboratory analysis was established using all available assays, including VWF multimers and genetic analysis. Results A total of 191 patients (from 119 families) were confirmed as having VWD. The majority was characterized as a type 1 VWD, followed by type 2. Multimeric patterns concordant with laboratory phenotypes were found in approximately 83% of all cases. A phenotype/genotype correlation was present in 84% (77% type 1, 99% type 2, and 61% type 3) of all patients. Another 45 candidate mutations (23 novel variations), not found in the initial study, could be identified (missense 75% and truncating 24%). An exon 1-3 gene deletion was identified in 14 patients where no mutation was found by direct DNA sequencing, increasing the linkage up to 92%, overall. Conclusion This study provides a cross-sectional overview of the VWD population in a part of Central Europe. It is an addition to the previously published BRNO-VWD study, and provides important data to the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis/European Association for Haemophilia and Allied Disorders VWD mutation database with identification of novel causal mutations.

Improving diagnosis of von Willebrand disease: Reference ranges for von Willebrand factor multimer distribution.

BACKGROUND: Phenotypic von Willebrand disease (VWD) classification requires multiple tests including analysis of multimeric distributions von Willebrand factor (VWF) and evaluation of its structure. VWF multimer analysis is labor intensive, nonstandardized, and limited to specialized laboratories. A commercial semiautomatic assay, HYDRAGEL VW multimer assay (H5/11VWM, Sebia), has become available. OBJECTIVES: Establishment of reference ranges for H5/11VWM to improve VWD classification. METHODS: Implementation validation, establishment and validation of normal and pathological reference intervals (NRIs/PRIs), comparison with in-house method using 40 healthy volunteers and 231 VWD patients. RESULTS: Qualitative and quantitative validation of NRI obtained sensitivity of 88% and 79%, respectively, for type 2. Comparison of the two methods showed an overall concordance of 86% with major conflicting results in all atypical 2B (n = 7) and 50% 2M-GPIb (n = 41) showing quantitative and qualitative multimeric loss, that was not detected with in-house method. We were able to use established PRIs, with 73% validity in type 2 cases, to distinguish individual type 2A subtypes (IIA, IIC, IID, IIE) from 2M and 2B. CONCLUSION: H5/11VWM could be used for all clinical purposes because its reliability and its rapid and accurate diagnostic ability and reduced observer bias. Although H5/11VWM cannot evaluate triplet structures, we were able to define 2A subtypes by stripping back to the percentage of intermediate/high-molecular-weight multimers. H5/11HWM could be an efficient and widely available alternative for the "gold standard" technique.

Analysis of von Willebrand Disease in the South Moravian Population (Czech Republic): Results from the BRNO-VWD Study.

BACKGROUND: von Willebrand disease (VWD) is an inherited bleeding disorder caused by a quantitative (type 1 and 3) or qualitative (type 2) defect of von Willebrand factor (VWF). The heterogeneity of laboratory phenotyping makes diagnosing difficult. OBJECTIVE: A cross-sectional, family-based VWD study in a collaboration between University Hospital Brno (Czech Republic) and Antwerp University Hospital (Belgium) to improve the understanding of laboratory phenotype/genotype correlation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 205 patients with suspected VWD were identified from historical records. Complete laboratory analysis was established using all available VWD assays including VWF multimers and genetic analysis. RESULTS: Based on the current International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) - Scientific and Standardization Committee VWD classification and type 2A sub-division into 2A/IIA, IID, IIC and IIE, the majority was characterized as a type 1 VWD, followed by type 2. Proposed laboratory phenotypes were confirmed by their multimeric pattern within 98% of this cohort. All type 2, 3 and 75% of type 1 VWD patients were confirmed by underlying causative mutations. Forty-six different causal mutations (117 not previously described in the literature) could be identified. Fifty per cent of all cases was represented by eight individual mutations, mainly p.Pro812ArgfsX31. Thirteen patients had a large heterozygous gene alteration. CONCLUSION: Although an extensive panel of tests was used, VWD classification and (sub)typing remains difficult and fluid. This study provides a cross-sectional overview of the VWD population in the Czech Republic and provides important data to the ISTH/European Association for Haemophilia and Allied Disorders VWD mutation database in linking causal mutations with unique VWD (sub)types. It also identifies new, as not previously described in the literature, causal mutations.

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.