Clinical features and mutation analysis of X-linked agammaglobulinemia in 20 Chinese patients

Xian Qin, Li-Ping Jiang, Xue-Mei Tang, Mo Wang, En-Mei Liu, Xiao-Dong Zhao

Chongqing, China

Author Affiliations: Division of Immunology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders; Key Laboratory of Pediatrics, Committee of Science and Technology in Chongqing; Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China (Qin X, Jiang LP, Tang XM, Wang M, Liu EM, Zhao XD)

Corresponding Author: Xiao-Dong Zhao, MD, PhD, Division of Immunology, Children's Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China (Tel: 86 23 6362 2554; Fax: 86 23 6360 2136; Email: zhaoxd530@yahoo.com.cn)

doi: 10.1007/s12519-013-0400-x

Background: X-linked agammagobulinemia (XLA) is a primary immunodeficiency caused by Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) gene mutation. XLA patients have an extremely small amount of peripheral B cells and profound deficiency in all immunoglobulin isotypes. We analyzed the clinical, immunologic, and molecular characteristics of children with XLA in an attempt to improve the diagnosis and treatment of XLA in China.

Methods: Twenty children with XLA-compatible phenotypes from 18 unrelated families were enrolled in this study. The BTK gene was amplified and sequenced, followed by mutation analysis in these children and their female relatives.

Results: Eighteen different mutations of the BTK gene were identified in the 20 patients. Eleven mutations had been reported previously including eight missense mutations (c.994C>T, c.1987C>A, c.1885G>T, c.502T>C, c.1085C>T, c.1816C>T, c.214C>T, c.1912G>A) and three nonsense mutations (c.1267T>A, c.1793C>G, c.1618C>T). Seven novel mutations of the BTK gene were also presented and included five missense mutations (c.134T>A, c.1646T>A, c.1829C>G, c.711G>T, c.1235G>A), one splice-site mutation (c.523+1G>A) and one insertion mutation (c.1024-1025insTTGCTAAAGCAACTGCTAAAGCAAG). Eight out of 18 mutations of the BTK gene were located in the TK domain, 4 in the PH domain, 4 in the SH2 domain and 2 in the TH domain. Genetic study for carrier status was carried out in 18 families with definite BTK gene mutations. Nine carriers with BTK gene mutations were identified. Six families without carriers were detected, and 3 patients were not tested in this study.

Conclusion: Our results support that molecular genetic testing represents an important tool for early confirmed diagnosis of congenital agammaglobulinemia and may allow accurate carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis.

Key words: BTK gene; genotype-phenotype correlation; mutations; X-linked agammaglobulinemia

World J Pediatr 2013;9(3):273-277