Inhibitors in Severe Hemophilia A: 25-Year Experience in Slovakia.

UNLABELLED: We present 25-year experience with inhibitors in previously untreated patients (PUPs) with severe hemophilia A in Slovakia, where safe factor VIII (FVIII) concentrates have been used since 1990. A prospective study focused on inhibitor incidence in PUPs was established in 1997. Out of a total 61 PUPs born between January 1997 and October 2015, 59 were eligible for evaluation; 50 and 9 were treated with > 20 exposure days (ED) of plasma-derived FVIII (pdFVIII) and recombinant FVIII (rFVIII) products, respectively. In the entire group 13/59 (22%) PUPs developed inhibitors; i.e. 7/50 (14%) and 6/9 (67%) treated with pdFVIII and rFVIII, respectively. Univariate analysis of inhibitor risk factors in patient groups with and without inhibitors showed the rFVIII and serious/recurrent infections within the first 50 EDs to be associated with inhibitor development (OR of 12.3 [95% CI 2.48-60.83; p = 0.002] and 5.0; [95% CI 1.16-21.9; p = 0.03), respectively]). Also, in multivariate Cox regression analysis, peak treatment ≥ 5 EDs reached statistical significance. The hazard ratio (HR) was 7.15 (95% CI 1.65-31.36) p = 0.0086 for rFVIII and 4.38 (95% CI 1.02-18.67) p = 0.046 for intensive treatment. Between 1993 and 2015, 21 immune tolerance inductions (ITIs) in 19 inhibitor patients were performed in the two largest hemophilia centers in Slovakia. In all but one ITI courses pdFVIII containing von Willebrand factor (FVIII/VWF) was used with preferred use of high-dose ITI (HD ITI) in high responders (HRs). Complete or partial success was achieved in 17/19 (89.5%) patients. Evaluating only the patients who already completed ITI, the success rate was even higher (15/16; 94%), including 7/7 low responders and 8/9 HR. CONCLUSION: Our national prospective study comprising entire group of PUPs with severe hemophilia A showed higher incidence of inhibitors in patients treated with rFVIII and those with intensive therapy within first 50 EDs. However, our experience is limited to small numbers of patients; thus, our results must be interpreted cautiously. High success rate of the ITI in our inhibitor patients has been achieved with FVIII/VWF concentrates and preferred use of HD ITI in HR patients.

Dysfibrinogenemia and hypofibrinogenemia - Spectrum of pathogenic variants in Slovak patients.

INTRODUCTION: Congenital hypofibrinogenemia (CH) and congenital dysfibrinogenemia (CD) are rare coagulation disorders caused by quantitative or qualitative defects in the fibrinogen gene. The aim of this study was to characterize the genetic background and the clinical manifestations of congenital fibrinogen disorders in the patients from Slovakia registered at the National Haemophilia Centre. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Results of genetic analysis of the fibrinogen genes FGA, FGB and FGG using polymerase chain reaction followed by direct sequencing were evaluated in 36 patients. RESULTS: Molecular-genetic analysis revealed six novel variants - FGA c.923_968dup p.(Gly324Lysfs*44) and FGG c.1105C>T p.(His369Tyr) were identified in CD patients. In CH patients, in the FGG gene c.8G>A p.(Trp3*), c.823G>T p.(Glu275*) and c.323C>A p.(Ala108Asp) variants were detected. In the FGB gene c.1427C>T p.(Ser476Leu) was identified. CONCLUSION: This study is a positive contribution towards expanding knowledge about genetic variants in patients with congenital fibrinogen disorders.

Challenges in the management of hemophilia B with inhibitor.

Development of factor IX (FIX) inhibitor is a rare but challenging complication in hemophilia B. In addition to inefficacy of specific replacement therapy, FIX inhibitors increase morbidity due to serious allergic reactions/anaphylaxis upon treatment with FIX. Limited experience with immune tolerance induction (ITI) shows a high risk of nephrotic syndrome development and poor ITI outcomes. Recently, immunomodulation therapy has been used in ITI regimens in hemophilia B; however, relevant guidelines for ITI in hemophilia B are still lacking. We describe a 7-year-old hemophilia B patient with "null" mutation Arg29 stop who underwent surgery and massive transfusion therapy in the neonatal period and developed an FIX inhibitor after consecutive 20 exposures to FIX concentrate. At the age of 6 years, a high-dose ITI was commenced combined with immunomodulation therapy including rituximab, dexamethasone, and intravenous immunoglobulin. Allergic reactions that occurred in the third week of ITI were resolved by premedication with antihistamines and continued immunomodulation protocol without any need for ITI interruption. Inhibitor was negative from week 10; however, doses of FIX continued unchanged until pharmacokinetic criteria for success were met at month 9 of ITI. One year after the start of ITI, the patient started regular prophylaxis with FIX 41 IU/kg three times a week. No further allergic reactions or any signs of nephrotic syndrome have occurred.

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.