Department of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
Am J Med Genet A. 2024 Nov;194(11):e63795. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.63795. Epub 2024 Jun 21.
Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a complex connective tissue disorder characterized by considerable clinical variability. The diagnosis of MFS is based on the Ghent criteria, which require the presence of both clinical and genetic features. MFS is primarily caused by pathogenic alterations in FBN1, which encodes the fibrillin-1 protein. Fibrillin-1 comprises multiple domains rich in cysteine residues, with disulfide bonds formed between these residues. It has long been recognized that variants that alter or introduce cysteine residues damage protein function, leading to the development of MFS. In this study, we report a cysteine-introducing variant: FBN1 variant, c.6724C>T (p.[Arg2242Cys]). We have observed this variant in several individuals without MFS, challenging our previous understanding of the underlying mechanism of MFS. This finding emphasizes the importance of revisiting and reevaluating our current knowledge in light of new and unexpected observations. Moreover, our study highlights the significance of incorporating local and national data on allele frequencies, as well as employing multidisciplinary phenotyping approaches, in the classification of genetic variants. By considering a wide range of information, we can enhance the accuracy and reliability of variant classification, ultimately improving the diagnosis and management of individuals with genetic disorders like MFS.
马凡综合征(MFS)是一种复杂的结缔组织疾病,具有显著的临床异质性。MFS 的诊断基于根特标准,该标准要求存在临床和遗传特征。MFS 主要由编码原纤维蛋白-1 的 FBN1 的致病改变引起。原纤维蛋白-1 包含多个富含半胱氨酸残基的结构域,这些残基之间形成二硫键。长期以来,人们一直认为改变或引入半胱氨酸残基的变体破坏了蛋白质的功能,导致 MFS 的发生。在这项研究中,我们报告了一个引入半胱氨酸的变体:FBN1 变体,c.6724C>T(p.[Arg2242Cys])。我们在几个没有 MFS 的个体中观察到了这种变体,这挑战了我们对 MFS 潜在机制的先前理解。这一发现强调了根据新的和意外的观察结果重新审视和重新评估我们现有知识的重要性。此外,我们的研究强调了在遗传变异分类中纳入等位基因频率的本地和国家数据以及采用多学科表型分析方法的重要性。通过考虑广泛的信息,我们可以提高变异分类的准确性和可靠性,最终改善 MFS 等遗传疾病患者的诊断和管理。