Congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, also known as Upshaw-Schulman syndrome, is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder. The main pathogenesis is homozygous or compound heterozygous variants of von Willebrand factor lyase (ADAMTS13) gene mapped to chromosome 9q34, which may result in severe lack of ADAMTS13 which cleaves von Willebrand factor (vWF) multimers in the plasma and increase the risk of microvascular thrombosis, leading to various complications. The advance of research on the pathogenesis of cTTP, recombinant human ADAMTS13 and gene therapy have made breakthroughs which may lead to cure of cTTP. This article has provided a review for the latest progress made in the diagnosis and treatment of cTTP.
ADAM Proteins/genetics* ; ADAMTS13 Protein/genetics* ; Homozygote ; Humans ; Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic/therapy* ; von Willebrand Factor/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the biological function of Cysteine rich (CysR) domain of a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type 1 repeats-13 (ADAMTS13) on cleavage of von Willebrand factor (vWF) and provide experimental evidence for exploring the pathogenesis of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). METHODS: The six amino acids (EDGTLS) in ADAMTS13 CysR domain were point mutated one by one, and the mutant ADAMTS13 proteins were expressed and purified. The cleavage products of vWF polymer by wild-type or mutant ADAMTS13 under denaturing condition or shear stress were separated by 1% SeaKem HGT agarose gel and detected by Western blot. RESULTS: The mutant ADAMTS13 plasmids (M1: Glu515Ala; M2: Asp516Ala; M3: Gly517Ala; M4: Thr518Ala; M5: Leu519Ala; M6: Ser520Ala) were successfully constructed and the proteins of wild-type and mutant ADAMTS13 were purified. Wild-type ADAMTS13 almost completely cleaved the vWF polymer under denaturing condition, while the cleavage activity of M1 mutant was significantly reduced in the same condition (P<0.01). The cleavage activity of M1 mutant of ADAMTS13 was also significantly reduced compared with that of the wild-type under shear stress (P<0.01). The activity of M1 mutant to cleave the FRETS-vWF73 was dramatically reduced compared with that of wild-type ADAMTS13. However, the binding ability of M1 mutant to vWF was similar with that of wild-type ADAMTS13. CONCLUSION The CysR domain of ADAMTS13 plays an important role in the digestion of vWF under denaturing condition and shear stress. The Glu515 amino acid residue might be an important site for substrate recognition.
ADAM Proteins ; ADAMTS13 Protein/genetics* ; Humans ; Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic/genetics* ; von Willebrand Factor/genetics*

BACKGROUND: von Willebrand disease (VWD), characterized by quantitative or qualitative defects of von Willebrand factor (VWF), is the most common inheritable bleeding disorder. Data regarding the genetic background of VWD in Korean patients is limited. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive molecular genetic investigation of Korean patients with VWD. METHODS: Twenty-two unrelated patients with VWD were recruited from August 2014 to December 2017 (age range 28 months–64 years; male:female ratio 1.2:1). Fifteen patients had type 1, six had type 2, and one had type 3 VWD. Blood samples were collected for coagulation analyses and molecular genetic analyses from each patient. Direct sequencing of all exons, flanking intronic sequences, and the promoter of VWF was performed. In patients without sequence variants, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) was performed to detect dosage variants. We adapted the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines for variant interpretation and considered variants of uncertain significance, likely pathogenic variants, and pathogenic variants as putative disease-causing variants. RESULTS: VWF variants were identified in 15 patients (68%): 14 patients with a single heterozygous variant and one patient with two heterozygous variants. The variants consisted of 13 missense variants, one small insertion, and one splicing variant. Four variants were novel: p.S764Efs*16, p.C889R, p.C1130Y, and p.W2193C. MLPA analysis in seven patients without reportable variants revealed no dosage variants. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the spectrum of VWF variants, including novel ones, and limited diagnostic utility of MLPA analyses in Korean patients with VWD.
Exons ; Genetic Background ; Genetics, Medical ; Genomics ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Introns ; Korea ; Molecular Biology ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; von Willebrand Disease, Type 3 ; von Willebrand Diseases ; von Willebrand Factor

OBJECTIVETo provide genetic and prenatal analysis for a pedigree affected with type 3 von Willebrand disease.

METHODSNext generation sequencing and Sanger sequencing of the VWF gene were carried out for the pedigree. Suscepted pathogenic mutation was verified among other members of the pedigree and 100 healthy controls. Prenatal diagnosis was performed on amniotic cells derived from the fetus.

RESULTSA homozygous mutation c.7287+1G>A of the VWF gene was detected in the patient, which was predicted by bioinformatic analysis as a pathological splice site mutation. The parents and sister of the patient have all carried the same mutation. The mutation was not detected among the 100 healthy controls. Prenatal diagnosis confirmed that the fetus did not inherit the same mutation.

CONCLUSIONA novel mutation of the VWF gene was discovered, which correlated with the phenotype of the patient. Based on the discovery, prenatal diagnosis was provided for a fetus during subsequent pregnancy.

Child, Preschool ; Computational Biology ; Female ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; von Willebrand Disease, Type 3 ; diagnosis ; genetics ; von Willebrand Factor ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo assess the association of rs216293 T/G and rs1063857 T/C polymorphisms of von Willebrand factor (vWF) gene with the morbidity of coronary artery disease (CAD) and the number of involved vessels among an ethnic Han Chinese population from Zhejiang province.

METHODSA case-control study was conducted. For 246 patients and 156 unaffected controls, the frequencies of genotypes and alleles of the rs216293T/G and rs1063857T/C polymorphisms were determined, and their association with CAD and the numbers of involved vessels were assessed.

RESULTSThe frequencies of G allele of rs216293 and C allele of rs1063857 were higher in the CAD patients compared with those of the controls (30.3% vs.23.7%, chi-square=4.107, P=0.043; 7.7% vs. 4.2%, chi-square=4.066, P=0.044). The G allele of the rs216293 polymorphism and C allele of the rs1063857 polymorphism were both higher in the CAD patients compared with the controls (53.7% vs.41.0%, chi-square=6.098, P=0.014; 15.4% vs. 8.3%, chi-square=4.361, P=0.037). After adjusting the influence factors by logistic regression analysis, the G allele carriers of rs216293 and the C allele carriers of rs1063857 showed an increased risk for CAD (OR=1.625, 95%CI: 1.060-2.492, P=0.026; OR=2.305, 95% CI: 1.142-4.654, P=0.040). No significant difference was detected in the frequency of both rs216293 and rs1063857 among patients with single or multiple vessels (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe rs216293T/G and rs1063857T/C polymorphisms of the vWF gene are both associated with the risk for CAD among the selected population. The G allele of the rs216293 polymorphism and C allele of the rs1063857 polymorphism may be the genetic determinants for CAD.

Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; epidemiology ; ethnology ; Coronary Artery Disease ; epidemiology ; ethnology ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; ethnology ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Risk Factors ; von Willebrand Factor ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo disclose the impact of Trp1707Ser mutation on the binding mechanism of rFVIII light chain (rFVIII LC) with VWF.

METHODSUsing long-chain PCR technique, we constructed rFVIII LC plasmids of both wild type and Trp1707Ser mutant type. BL21 competent cells were used for protein expression. Gradient renaturation was employed to refold protein. SDS-PAGE and Western blot were performed to identify the molecular weight of expressed protein. GST-Sefinose was used for protein purification and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was employed to detect binding of B-domain-deleted rFVIII (BDD-rFVIII), wild and mutant rFVIII LC with VWF, respectively.

RESULTSThe results of SDS-PAGE and Western blot showed a molecular weight of 110×10(3) of expressed proteins, which were consistent with objective proteins. The expression quantity of wild type was higher than that of mutant type. A concentration-dependent combination of the 3 testing proteins with VWF was found. The KD value of BDDrFVIII (12.2) was lower than that of both rFVIII LCs (wild type 48.9 and mutant type 46.3), whereas there was no discrepancy between wild rFVIII LC and mutant rFVIII LC.

CONCLUSIONTrp1707Ser mutation didn't impact the binding of rFVIII LC expressed by BL21 competent cells with VWF. The heavy chain played a more important role in impacting the binding of FVIII with VWF.

Mutation ; von Willebrand Factor ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo determine the cut-off value for coagulation factor Ⅷ activity (FⅧ:C) to von Willebrand factor antigen (vWFAg) ratio which can classify obligatory carriers of hemophilia A and normal females, and assess its feasibility to diagnose suspected carriers in affected families through comparison with the method of gene diagnosis.

METHODSFⅧ:C assay was carried out by a one-stage method in both obligatory carriers and normal females. vWF antigen was measured with ELISA assay. The FⅧ:C/vWF ratio was calculated. Statistic analysis was carried out to determine the cut-off value which can classify the two groups. The ratio was then used to diagnose suspected carriers from families affected with hemophilia A. The results were compared with that by long distance polymerase chain reaction, genetic linkage analysis and/or direct sequencing.

RESULTSThe FⅧ:C/vWFAg value for 90.6% of obligatory carriers was under 0.82. Should 0.82 be selected as the cut-off value to diagnose the 42 suspected carriers, most of them can be readily diagnosed. The results were all in agreement with that of genetic analysis.

CONCLUSIONCut-off value of FⅧ:C/vWFAg may be used for initial diagnose of the suspected carriers from families affected with hemophilia A. The method is quite convenient and reliable.

Blood Coagulation Tests ; methods ; Factor VIII ; genetics ; Female ; Genetic Linkage ; Hemophilia A ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; von Willebrand Factor ; genetics

The aim of this study was to investigate the similarities and differences of A1381T (rs216311) and -1793G/C (rs7966230) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in Chinese Yugur, Tibetan, and Han nationalities and their influence on plasma vWF concentration in order to explore the sensitivity of these 3 nationalities to vWF-related diseases. Peripheral venous blood was obtained from 322 Yugur, 399 Tibetan, and 120 Han healthy people. The DNA were then extracted. vWF gene A1381T and -1793G/C polymorphisms were analyzed by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and sequenced when it was necessary. The vWF:Ag level in plasma was determined by ELISA. The results showed that the genotype distribution of vWF gene at both A1381T and -1793G/C loci in Yugur, Tibetan and Han nationalities was different with statistically significance (P < 0.05). GG genotype of A1381T locus accounted for 69.9% in Yugur nationality, which was much higher than 56.6% and 53.3% in Tibetan and Han nationalities respectively(P < 0.01); AA genotype of A1381T locus expressed a low level of vWF in plasma. For the -1793G/C locus, the proportion of CG genotype in Yugur was much higher than that in Han, CC genotype expressed a high level of vWF in plasma. The plasma vWF levels with different nationalities and the polymorphism of vWF gene were significantly different. It is concluded that the polymorphisms of vWF gene at both A1381T and -1793G/C loci in Yugur, Tibetan and Han are significantly different; the polymorphism of vWF gene influences the plasma vWF level; the plasma vWF levels in Yugur and Tibetan are significantly higher than that in Han, which may be associated with the living environment and habits.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; China ; Ethnic Groups ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Plasma ; chemistry ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Young Adult ; von Willebrand Factor ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo analyze the phenotype and genotype of two Chinese pedigrees with von Willebrand diseases, and to investigate the molecular pathogenesis.

METHODSBleeding time (BT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), ristocetin-induced platelet aggregation (RIPA), von Willebrand factor-ristocetin cofactor (vWF:Rco), von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag), von Willebrand factor activity (vWF:A), von Willebrand factor collagen binding assay (vWF:CB) and multimer analysis were used for phenotype diagnosis. DNA was extracted. All of the 52 exons and exon-intron bounda ries of the VWF gene were amplified with polymerase chain reaction(PCR) and analyzed by direct sequencing.

RESULTSAPTT and BT were prolonged. Plasma RIPA, vWF:Rco, vWF:Ag, vWF:A and vWF:CB was significantly decreased. No VWF multimer can be found by plasma VWF multimer analysis. Homozygous insertional mutation g.82888_82889insCATG in exon 17 was found in proband A. Compound heterozygous mutations g.94865 G to A (Trp856stop) in exon 20 and g.110698_110699delinsG in exon 28 were found in proband B.

CONCLUSIONHomozygous insertional mutation g.82888_82889insCATG and compound heterozygous mutations g.94865G to A(Trp856X) and g.110698_110699delinsG probably have respectively induced type 3 von Willebrand diseases in the two probands.

Adolescent ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Mutation ; Pedigree ; Phenotype ; von Willebrand Disease, Type 3 ; genetics ; von Willebrand Factor ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the susceptibility of von Willebrand factor (VWF) type 2A mutant A1500E to proteolysis by metalloprotease ADAMTS13 and to provide the direct supports for the pathogenesis of VWF mutation A1500E responsible for von Willebrand disease (VWD) type 2A.

METHODSRecombinant wild-type VWF (WT-VWF) and A1500E mutant VWF transiently expressed on transfected HeLa cell lines. Expression media were collected and concentrated, then cleaved directly by recombinant ADAMTS13 (rADAMTS13). Compared with WT-VWF, the susceptibility of A1500E mutant VWF to proteolysis by ADAMTS13 was analyzed using SDS-agarose gel VWF multimers analysis.

RESULTSIn vitro the expression of VWF:Ag in the supernatants of WT-VWF and A1500E mutant VWF were 1.10 U/ml and 0.78 U/ml, respectively, while VWF:Ag in cells lysates of A1500E mutant VWF was 90.6% of that of WT-VWF. The SDS-agarose gel VWF multimers analysis showed that there were no differences between WT-VWF and A1500E mutant VWF. The A1500E mutant VWF could be efficiently cleaved by ADAMTS13 under static condition without denaturants such as urea and guanidine HCl. VWF multimeric analysis showed that high and intermediate molecular weight multimers dramatically decreased while low molecular weight multimers obviously increased. Conversely, WT-VWF could not be cleaved by ADAMTS13 under the same condition.

CONCLUSIONThe A1500E mutation resulted in VWF more susceptible to ADAMTS13-dependent proteolysis, which belonged to VWD type 2A group 2 mutation.

ADAM Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; ADAMTS13 Protein ; Genotype ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Hydrolysis ; Mutation ; Recombinant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; von Willebrand Disease, Type 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; von Willebrand Factor ; genetics