A Homozygous RAG1 Gene Mutation in a Case of Combined Immunodeficiency: Clinical, Molecular, and Computational Analysis.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The recombination-activating gene 1 and 2 (RAG1/RAG2) proteins are essential to initiate the V(D)J recombination process, the result is a diverse repertoire of antigen receptor genes and the establishment of the adaptive immunity. RAG1 mutations can lead to multiple forms of combined immunodeficiency. METHODS: In this report, whole exome sequencing was performed in a Moroccan child suffering from combined immunodeficiency, with T and B lymphopenia, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. RESULTS: After filtering data and Sanger sequencing validation, one homozygous mutation c.2446G>A (p.Gly816Arg) was identified in the RAG1 gene. CONCLUSION: This finding expands the spectrum of immunological and genetic profiles linked to RAG1 mutation, it also illustrates the necessity to consider RAG1 immunodeficiency in the presence of autoimmune hemolytic anemia and CMV infection, even assuming the immunological phenotype appears more or less normal.