Congenital hypofibrinogenemia
Congenital hypofibrinogenemia | |
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Specialty | Hematology |
Congenital hypofibrinogenemia is a rare disorder in which one of the three genes responsible for producing
Congenital hypofibrinogenemia must be distinguished from: a) congenital afibrinogenemia, a rare disorder in which blood fibrinogen levels are either exceedingly low or undetectable due to mutations in both fibrinogen genes; b) congenital hypodysfibrinogenemia, a rare disorder in which one or more genetic mutations cause low levels of blood fibrinogen, at least some of which is dysfunctional and thereby contributes to excessive bleeding; and c) acquired hypofibrinogenemia, a non-hereditary disorder in which blood fibrinogen levels are low because of e.g. severe liver disease or because of excessive fibrinogen consumption resulting from, e.g. disseminated intravascular coagulation.[1][2]
Certain gene mutations causing congenital hypofibrinogenemia disrupt the ability of liver cells to secrete fibrinogen. In these instances, the un-mutated gene maintains blood fibrinogen at reduce levels but the mutated gene produces a fibrinogen that accumulates in liver cells sometimes to such extents that it becomes toxic. In the latter cases, liver disease may ensue in a syndrome termed fibrinogen storage disease.[3]
Signs and symptoms
Individuals with congenital hypofibringenemia often lack any symptoms are detected by routine lab testing of fibrinogen or when tested for it because close relatives have symptomatic hypofibrinogenemia. Indeed, studies indicate that, among family members with the identical congenital hypofibrinogenemia mutation, some never exhibit symptoms and those that are symptomatic develop symptoms only as adults.[1]
No liver disease
Individuals with this disorder are usually less symptomatic than patients with other
Fibrinogen storage disease
All individuals with mutations causing fibrinogen storage disease have low blood fibrinogen levels but usually lack severe bleeding episodes, thrombotic episodes or liver disease. Individuals that do have fibrinogen storage disease often come to attention either because they have close relatives with the disease, are found to be hypofibrinogenemic during routing testing, or exhibit clinical (e.g. jaundice) or laboratory (e.g. elevated blood levels of liver enzymes) evidence of liver disease. Unlike other forms of congenital hypofibrinogenemia, a relatively high percentage of individuals with fibrinogen storage disease have been diagnosed in children of very young age.[3][6][7]
Pathophysiology
Fibrinogen is made and secreted into the blood by liver
There are >25 fibrinogen mutations that have been associated with hypofibrinogenemia. The following Table lists examples of those mutations which cause hypofibrinogenemia that is not associated with liver injury. The Table gives: a) each mutated protein's trivial name; b) the gene mutated (i.e. FGA, FGB, or FGG), its mutation site (i.e. numbered nucleotide in the gene beginning with the initial nucleotide base at the (start codon) of
Trivial name | Gene: mutation | Polypeptide chain: mutation | Trivial name | Gene: mutation | Polypeptide chain: mutation | |
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fibrinogen Grand Lyon | FGA: g.5011_5012delCinsTTGGAATTTT (del followed by ins) | Aα: Thr560PhefsX99 (fs followed by X) | fibrinogen Hamilton | FGB: g.7044G>T | Bβ: Asp316Tyr | |
fibrinogen Mount Eden | FGB: g.8035G>A | Bβ: Trp440X | fibrinogen Dorfen | FGG: g.75218C>T | γ: Ala289Val | |
fibrinogen Saint Germain II | FGAG: g.7686A>G | γ: Asn345Ser | fibrinogen Muncie | FGG: g.9402C>T | γ: Thr371Ile |
As of 2016, there have been six mutations discovered to be associated with the accumulation of the mutated fibrinogen in the endoplasmic reticulum and consequential development of liver injury that may lead to
Trivial name | Gene: mutation | Polypeptide chain: mutation | Trivial name | Gene: mutation | Polypeptide chain: mutation | |
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fibrinogen Brescia | FGG: c.928G>C | γ: Gly284Arg | fibrinogen Aguadilla | FGG: c.1201C>T | γ: Arg375Trp (commonest mutation in fibrinogen storage disease) | |
fibrinogen Anger | FGG: c.1115_1129 (del of GAGTTTATTACCAAG) | γ: G436_350 (del of intervening amino acids) | fibrinogen AI DuPont | FGG: c.1018A>C | γ: AlaThr314Pro | |
fibrinogen Pisa | FGAG: c.1024G>A | γ: Asp316Asn | fibrinogen Beograd | FGG: c.1174G>A | γ: Gly366Ser |
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of hypofibrinogenemia is indicated in individuals who have low levels (<1.5 gram/liter) of plasma fibrinogen as determined by both immunological (e.g. immunoelectrophoresis and (i.e. able to be clotted) methods. The ratio of immunological to functional fibrinogen masses should be ~1.0 as assayed with partial thromboplastin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, thrombin time, and reptilase time tests.[8] These tests are used to distinguish hypofibrinogenemia from hypodysfibrinogenemia, a typically more severe disorder in which plasma fibrinogen levels are low and this fibrinogen includes at least in part dysfunctional fibrinogen. Immunological/functional fibrinogen ratios for the plasma of individuals with hypodysfibrinogenemia for all the cited tests are usually <0.7. Where available, further analyses are recommended; these include analyses of the fibrinogen genes and protein chains for mutations and specialized studies of individuals in vitro induced blood clots for stability and susceptibility to lyses.[11]
The diagnosis of fibrin storage disease requires liver biopsy and the finding of immunologically detectable fibrinogen inclusion bodies in hepatocytes.[3]
Treatment
No symptoms
Recommended treatment of asymptomatic congenital hypofibrinogenemia depends in part on the expectations of developing bleeding and/or thrombotic complications as indicated by the personal history of the affected individual and family members. Where possible, determination of the exact mutation causing the disorder and the propensity of this mutation type to develop these complications may be helpful.[11] Individuals with fibrinogen levels >1.0 gram/liter typically do not develop bleeding or thrombosis episodes. Individuals with fibrinogen levels of 0.5-1.0 grams/liter require fibrinogen supplementation preferably with a plasma-derived fibrinogen concentrate to maintain fibrinogen levels of >1 gram/liter prior to major surgery. Individuals with fibrinogen levels of <0.5 gram/liter require fibrinogen supplementation to maintain fibrinogen levels of a) >1 to 2 gram/liter at the end of pregnancy and during the postpartum period; b) > 1 gram/liter prior to major surgery; c) > 0.5 to 1 gram/liter during the first two trimesters of pregnancy; and d) >0.5 gram/liter prior to minor surgery. Tranexamic acid may be used in place of fibrinogen supplementation as prophylactic treatment prior to minor surgery and to treat minor bleeding episodes.[11]
Symptoms
Individuals with hypofibrinogenemia who have a history of excessive bleeding should be treated at a center specialized in treating
Individuals with hypofibrinogenemia who experience episodic thrombosis should also be treated at a center specialized in treating
Fibrin storage disease
There are too few cases of fibrinogen storage disease to establish optimal treatments for the liver diseases. Management of the disorder has been based on general recommendations for patients with