Familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL), also known as familial erythrophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and familial histiocytic reticulosis, is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of early childhood characterized by excessive immune activation. Linkage of the disease gene to an approximately 7.8-cM region between markers D9S1867 and D9S1790 at 9q21.3-22 was identified by homozygosity mapping in four inbred FHL families of Pakistani descent with a combined maximum multipoint LOD score of 6.05. This is the first genetic locus to be described in FHL. However, homozygosity by descent across this interval could not be demonstrated in an additional affected kindred of Arab origin, whose maximum multipoint LOD score was -0.12. The combined sample revealed significant evidence for linkage to 9q markers (LOD score with heterogeneity, 5.00). Identification of the gene(s) involved in the pathogenesis of FHL will contribute to an understanding of the control of T-lymphocyte and macrophage activation, which is central to homeostasis in the immune system.
Screening of the factor VIII (FVIII) gene which spans 186 kb and codes for 26 exons, was originally hampered by its size but is now feasible because rapid DNA scanning methodologies have been developed. The present study for the first time directly compares the three most widely applied screening methods, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), single-stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) and chemical mismatch cleavage (CMC) for their sensitivity of mutation detection in a selected group of ten haemophilia A patients. Nine of these patients are known to be cross-reacting material positive and eight exhibited a mild to moderate phenotype. Of the ten patients screened, we identified mutations in nine by all three screening methods. Of the mutations characterised, two are previously unpublished. T to C (S373P) and G to A (D525N). In one mildly affected haemophiliac, we identified a second T to C sequence change in the 5' untranslated region at -601 bp, probably having no effect on FVIII gene expression. Modelling studies were performed on those mutations lying within the A domains of FVIII (D525N, R527W, I566T) to study the possible effect of these mutations on structure and/or function. When the three methods are performing optimally and have been standardised, our experience is that CMC and DGGE are equally efficient at sequence variation detection while SSCP is slightly less sensitive.
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