Autosomal-dominant giant platelet syndromes: a hint of the same genetic defect as in Fechtner syndrome owing to a similar genetic linkage to chromosome 22q11-13
A. Toren et al., Autosomal-dominant giant platelet syndromes: a hint of the same genetic defect as in Fechtner syndrome owing to a similar genetic linkage to chromosome 22q11-13, BLOOD, 96(10), 2000, pp. 3447-3451
Families with 3 different syndromes characterized by autosomal dominant inh
eritance of low platelet count and giant platelets were studied. Fechtner s
yndrome is an autosomal-dominant variant of Alport syndrome manifested by n
ephritis, sensorineural hearing loss, and cataract formation in addition to
macrothrombocytopenia and polymorphonuclear inclusion bodies. Sebastian pl
atelet syndrome is an autosomal-dominant macrothrombocytopenia combined wit
h neutrophil inclusions that differ from those found in May-Hegglin syndrom
e or Chediak-Higashi syndrome or the Dohle bodies described in patients wit
h sepsis, These inclusions are, however, similar to those described in Fech
tner syndrome. Other features of Alport syndrome, though, including deafnes
s, cataracts, and nephritis, are absent in Sebastian platelet syndrome. Eps
tein syndrome is characterized by macrothrombocytopenia without neutrophil
inclusions, in addition to the classical Alport manifestations-deafness, ca
taracts, and nephritis-and it is also inherited in an autosomal-dominant mo
de. We mapped the disease-causing gene to the long arm of chromosome 22 in
an Italian family with Fechtner syndrome, 2 German families with the Sebast
ian platelet syndrome, and an American family with the Epstein syndrome. Fo
ur markers on chromosome 22q yielded an LOD score greater than 2.76. A maxi
mal 2-point LOD score of 3.41 was obtained with the marker D22S683 at a rec
ombination fraction of 0.00. Recombination analysis placed the disease-caus
ing gene in a 3.37-Mb interval between the markers D22S284 and D22S693, The
disease-causing gene interval in these 3 syndromes is similar to the inter
val described recently in an Israeli family with a slightly different Fecht
ner syndrome than the one described here. Recombination analysis of these 3
syndromes refines the interval containing the disease-causing gene from 5.
5 Mb to 3.37 Mb. The clinical likeness and the similar interval containing
the disease-causing gene suggest that the 3 different syndromes may arise f
rom a similar genetic defect. (C) 2000 by The American Society of Hematolog
y.