RESUMO
Growth factor-independent 1B (GFI1B) variants are a rare cause of thrombocytopenia. We report on a male child who was initially diagnosed with immune thrombocytopenia. However, subtle clinical signs led to suspicion of a genetic cause of thrombocytopenia. Gene panel sequencing revealed a rare variant in GFI1B (C168F), which has recently been reported in several families with thrombocytopenia. We demonstrate that this variant significantly alters platelet parameters in population studies. This case highlights how diagnoses of exclusion, such as immune thrombocytopenia, can be confounded by genetic variation. Our understanding of blood disorders will undoubtedly evolve from an increased knowledge of human genetic variation.
Assuntos
Plaquetas/metabolismo , Doenças Genéticas Inatas , Mutação de Sentido Incorreto , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas/genética , Púrpura Trombocitopênica Idiopática , Proteínas Repressoras/genética , Pré-Escolar , Doenças Genéticas Inatas/sangue , Doenças Genéticas Inatas/diagnóstico , Doenças Genéticas Inatas/genética , Humanos , Masculino , Púrpura Trombocitopênica Idiopática/sangue , Púrpura Trombocitopênica Idiopática/diagnóstico , Púrpura Trombocitopênica Idiopática/genéticaRESUMO
Hematopoiesis, or the process of blood cell production, is a paradigm of multi-lineage cellular differentiation that has been extensively studied, yet in many aspects remains incompletely understood. Nearly all clinically measured hematopoietic traits exhibit extensive variation and are highly heritable, underscoring the importance of genetic variation in these processes. This review explores how human genetics have illuminated our understanding of hematopoiesis in health and disease. The study of rare mutations in blood and immune disorders has elucidated novel roles for regulators of hematopoiesis and uncovered numerous important molecular pathways, as seen through examples such as Diamond-Blackfan anemia and the GATA2 deficiency syndromes. Additionally, population studies of common genetic variation have revealed mechanisms by which human hematopoiesis can be modulated. We discuss advances in functionally characterizing common variants associated with blood cell traits and discuss therapeutic insights, such as the discovery of BCL11A as a modulator of fetal hemoglobin expression. Finally, as genetic techniques continue to evolve, we discuss the prospects, challenges, and unanswered questions that lie ahead in this burgeoning field.