Blood Advances (Jul 2017)

Whole-exome sequencing in evaluation of patients with venous thromboembolism

  • Eun-Ju Lee,
  • Daniel J. Dykas,
  • Andrew D. Leavitt,
  • Rodney M. Camire,
  • Eduard Ebberink,
  • Pablo García de Frutos,
  • Kavitha Gnanasambandan,
  • Sean X. Gu,
  • James A. Huntington,
  • Steven R. Lentz,
  • Koen Mertens,
  • Christopher R. Parish,
  • Alireza R. Rezaie,
  • Peter P. Sayeski,
  • Caroline Cromwell,
  • Noffar Bar,
  • Stephanie Halene,
  • Natalia Neparidze,
  • Terri L. Parker,
  • Adrienne J. Burns,
  • Anne Dumont,
  • Xiaopan Yao,
  • Cassius Iyad Ochoa Chaar,
  • Jean M. Connors,
  • Allen E. Bale,
  • Alfred Ian Lee

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 1, no. 16
pp. 1224 – 1237

Abstract

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Abstract: Genetics play a significant role in venous thromboembolism (VTE), yet current clinical laboratory-based testing identifies a known heritable thrombophilia (factor V Leiden, prothrombin gene mutation G20210A, or a deficiency of protein C, protein S, or antithrombin) in only a minority of VTE patients. We hypothesized that a substantial number of VTE patients could have lesser-known thrombophilia mutations. To test this hypothesis, we performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) in 64 patients with VTE, focusing our analysis on a novel 55-gene extended thrombophilia panel that we compiled. Our extended thrombophilia panel identified a probable disease-causing genetic variant or variant of unknown significance in 39 of 64 study patients (60.9%), compared with 6 of 237 control patients without VTE (2.5%) (P 1 variant. Sanger sequencing performed in family members of 4 study patients with and without VTE showed generally concordant results with thrombotic history. WES and extended thrombophilia testing are promising tools for improving our understanding of VTE pathogenesis and identifying inherited thrombophilias.