Project description:Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is a bleeding disorder caused by quantitative (type 1 or 3) or qualitative (type 2A/2B/2M/2N) defects of circulating von Willebrand factor (VWF). Circulating VWF levels not always fully explain bleeding phenotypes, suggesting a role for alternative factors, like platelets. Here, we investigated platelet factor 4 (PF4) in a large cohort of patients with VWD. PF4 levels were lower in type 2B and current bleeding phenotype was significantly associated with higher PF4 levels, particularly in type 1 VWD. Based on our findings we speculate that platelet degranulation and cargo release may play a role across VWD subtypes.
Project description:Essentials von Willebrand factor (VWF) is synthesized in endothelial cells and platelet precursors. Type 3 patients with Pro2808Leufs*24 have lower bleeding scores than other type 3s. The Pro2808Leufs*24 variant was examined in patient platelets and endothelial cells. Type 3s with this variant contain releaseable VWF, possibly reducing bleeding.SummaryBackground A novel variant, p.Pro2808Leufs*24, in the von Willebrand factor (VWF) gene was previously identified in the Canadian von Willebrand disease (VWD) patient population. Clinical observations of type 3 VWD patients with this variant indicate a milder bleeding phenotype compared with other type 3 patients. Objective To assess the effect of the Pro2808Leufs*24 variant on the molecular pathogenesis of VWD and correlate this with the phenotype observed in patients. Patients/Methods Phenotypic data from individuals in the Canadian type 3 VWD study were analyzed. VWF expression in platelets and plasma was assessed via immunoblotting. Cellular expression of VWF in platelets and blood outgrowth endothelial cells (BOEC) was examined via immunofluorescence microscopy and biochemical analysis in a type 3 index case and family member with Pro2808Leufs*24. Results Twenty-six individuals with the Pro2808Leufs*24 variant (16 type 3 VWD homozygous or compound heterozygous and 10 heterozygous family members) were studied. Bleeding scores were lower in type 3 patients with Pro2808Leufs*24 compared with type 3 patients with other variants, confirming a milder bleeding phenotype. Immunoblotting of platelet lysates detected VWF in the platelets of type 3 patients with Pro2808Leufs*24. Examination of an index case detected VWF within platelets via immunofluorescence microscopy, and in vitro experiments showed that this VWF was released upon platelet activation. Patient BOECs showed decreased VWF synthesis and secretion, although some VWF-containing granules were observed. Conclusion Type 3 VWD patients with the Pro2808Leufs*24 have bioavailable platelet-derived VWF that may produce a milder bleeding phenotype than other type 3s.
Project description:BackgroundAssessment of bleeding phenotype is critically important in the diagnosis of von Willebrand disease (VWD). Despite advances in bleeding assessment tools (BATs), standardized tools to evaluate bleeding following diagnosis (interim bleeding) are lacking.ObjectivesWe assessed the clinical utility of an interim bleeding protocol in a multicenter, international study involving patients with VWD.MethodsThe enrolment ISTH BAT formed the original bleeding score (0 BS). At follow-up, the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis BAT was repeated but included only interval bleeding (Interim BS, 1 BS). Both scores were annualized (0 BS/yr, 1 BS/yr). BS were analyzed by VWD subtype, plasma VWF level, sex, and age.ResultsInterim BS discriminated by subtype, with significantly increased 0 BS and 1 BS in patients with type 3 VWD. In patients with type 1 VWD, a positive or negative 0 BS did not predict future bleeding, with similar 1 BS/yr (median 1.0 vs. 0.7, p = .2). Despite significantly higher 0 BS in females with type 1 VWD than males (median 7 vs. 5, p = .0012), 1 BS were not significantly different (median 4 vs. 4, p = .16). While 0 BS were lower in children than adults with type 1 VWD, interim BS were similar (median 5 vs. 3, p = .5; 1BS/yr, median 1 vs. 0.8, p = .7). Interestingly, in those with plasma von Willebrand factor:ristocetin cofactor levels >50 IU/dl, interim BS rates were similar to those 30-50 IU/dl (1 BS/yr 0.8 vs. 1.3, p = .5).ConclusionThis study provides both a new approach to longitudinal bleeding assessment and insights into the evolution of bleeding in VWD.
Project description:BackgroundMutations in the β-switch of GPIbα cause gain-of-function in the platelet-type von Willebrand disease. Structures of free and A1-bound GPIbα suggest that the β-switch undergoes a conformational change from a coil to a β-hairpin.ObjectivesPlatelet-type von Willebrand disease (VWD) mutations have been proposed to stabilize the β-switch by shifting the equilibrium in favor of the β-hairpin, a hypothesis predicated on the assumption that the complex crystal structure between A1 and GPIbα is the high-affinity state.MethodsHydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry is employed to test this hypothesis using G233V, M239V, G233V/M239V, W230L, and D235Y disease variants of GPIbα. If true, the expectation is a decrease in hydrogen-deuterium exchange within the β-switch as a result of newly formed hydrogen bonds between the β-strands of the β-hairpin.ResultsHydrogen-exchange is enhanced, indicating that the β-switch favors the disordered loop conformation. Hydrogen-exchange is corroborated by differential scanning calorimetry, which confirms that these mutations destabilize GPIbα by allowing the β-switch to dissociate from the leucine-rich-repeat (LRR) domain. The stability of GPIbα and its A1 binding affinity, determined by surface plasmon resonance, are correlated to the extent of hydrogen exchange in the β-switch.ConclusionThese studies demonstrate that GPIbα with a disordered loop is binding-competent and support a mechanism in which local disorder in the β-switch exposes the LRR-domain of GPIbα enabling high-affinity interactions with the A1 domain.
Project description:BackgroundPlatelet-type von Willebrand disease (PT-VWD) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder. It is caused by gain-of-function gene variants in the platelet GP1BA, which results in excessive binding between GPIbα and von Willebrand factor (VWF). The prevalence of PT-VWD is unknown.ObjectivesTo establish the worldwide and within distinct ethnic groups prevalence of PT-VWD.MethodsWe used available exome and genome sequencing data of 807,162 (730,947 exomes and 76,215 genomes) subjects from the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD-v4.1).ResultsAmong the 1,614,324 alleles analyzed in the gnomAD population, there were 1397 distinct GP1BA variants. Of them, 4 variants (p.Arg127Gln, p.Leu194Phe, p.Gly249Val, and p.Met255Ile) have been previously reported to cause PT-VWD. Considering these 4 known pathogenic variants, we estimated a global PT-VWD prevalence of 136 cases/106. The highest estimated prevalence of PT-VWD was found in Africans/African Americans (160/106), Finnish (156/106), Europeans (149/106), and South Asians (110/106), followed by Ashkenazi Jewish (68/106) and East Asian (45/106) ethnicities. In the population with no assigned ethnicity, a prevalence of 126/106 was estimated. Since no pathogenic GP1BA variants that were previously reported to cause PT-VWD were found in Admixed American and Middle Eastern ethnicities, we were unable to estimate the PT-VWD prevalence in these 2 populations. We found a global prevalence of 2.5/106 for severe PT-VWD and 134/106 for the mild form.ConclusionThis population-based genetic epidemiology analysis indicates a substantially higher than expected frequency of PT-VWD. This novel finding suggests that a large number of PT-VWD patients are still under- or misdiagnosed.
Project description:BackgroundThe bleeding phenotype of von Willebrand disease (VWD) varies highly between patients and can only partly be explained by von Willebrand factor (VWF) parameters. By cleaving large VWF multimers into smaller, less active multimers, ADAMTS-13 is an important regulator of VWF activity. However, it is unknown what the role of ADAMTS-13 is in individuals with VWD.ObjectivesWe therefore studied how ADAMTS-13 activity is associated with the laboratory and bleeding phenotype in individuals with VWD.MethodsWe measured ADAMTS-13 activity using the fluorescence resonance energy transfer substrate VWF 73 assay in 638 individuals with VWD in the nationwide cross-sectional Willebrand in the Netherlands study and in 36 healthy controls. The bleeding phenotype was assessed using the Tosetto bleeding score.ResultsADAMTS-13 activity was similar in individuals with VWD (109% ± 20.6%) and controls (110% ± 19.7%). ADAMTS-13 activity was higher in individuals with VWD with type 3 than those with type 1 (mean difference, 11.8%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.9%-20.8%) or type 2 (mean difference, 16.1%; 95% CI, 7.1%-25.1%). ADAMTS-13 activity was not associated with the Tosetto bleeding score (0.1 Tosetto bleeding score increase per 10% ADAMTS-13 increase, 95% CI, -0.2 to 0.3). Furthermore, ADAMTS-13 activity did not differ between individuals with and without a bleeding event during the year preceding blood sampling (mean difference, 1.4%; 95% CI, -2.1% to 4.9%).ConclusionADAMTS-13 activity was highest in individuals with type 3 VWD, but it had only minor associations with VWF parameters. ADAMTS-13 activity does not influence the bleeding phenotype in individuals with VWD.
Project description:BackgroundBleeding assessment is part of the diagnostic workup of von Willebrand disease (VWD). Bleeding assessment tools (BATs) have standardized obtaining this information but have been criticized because they are time consuming.ObjectiveTo use our legacy data to determine which questions from BATs are the strongest predictors of a VWD diagnosis.Patients/methodsBleeding score data from 3 different BATs were used. Patients aged <12 years were excluded. Questions on BATs relate to different bleeding symptoms, and each symptom is scored by severity. Scores for each symptom were sorted based on whether they indicated clinically significant bleeding, and nonsignificant scores were set as the reference category. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the symptoms that were the strongest predictors of a laboratory-confirmed VWD diagnosis.ResultsA total of 927 participants were included; 144 (16%) were patients with VWD, and 783 (84%) were healthy controls. The top 3 symptoms for which a clinically significant positive response increased the likelihood of VWD were hemarthrosis (odds ratio [OR], 19.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.7-100.4), postsurgical bleeding (OR, 15.2; 95% CI, 5.9-38.9), and menorrhagia (OR, 10.3; 95% CI, 4.9-21.9). With each increase in number of bleeding symptom categories with clinically significant scores, subjects had a stepwise increase in odds of a VWD diagnosis.ConclusionsOur results suggest that most of the bleeding symptoms on BATs are significant predictors of VWD, and there is value in assessing multiple bleeding symptoms when eliciting a bleeding history. Certain bleeding symptoms are more useful predictors than others. Future BAT revisions may consider adding a relative weighting to each symptom.
Project description:: A recombinant von Willebrand factor (rVWF) was recently approved in the United States for on-demand treatment and control of bleeding episodes in adults with von Willebrand disease (VWD). In contrast to plasma-derived VWF products available in the United States, rVWF does not contain factor VIII (FVIII). To date, there is no published experience of rVWF in clinical practice. We report the acute and prophylactic use of rVWF in a patient with VWD type 2A and severe gastrointestinal bleeding. Dosing with plasma-derived VWF/FVIII concentrates was constrained by FVIII accumulation; the bleeding was unresponsive, and multiple red blood cell transfusions were required. After initiation of rVWF (4200?IU every other day), bleeding symptoms subsided, and no red blood cell transfusions were required during more than 3 months of prophylactic therapy (most recent dosage: 2800?IU every other day). rVWF may be effective in the prevention, as well as treatment, of severe bleeding symptoms in VWD.
Project description:Platelet-type von Willebrand disease is an inherited platelet disorder characterized by thrombocytopenia with large platelets caused by gain-of-function variants in GP1BA leading to enhanced GPIbα-von Willebrand factor (vWF) interaction. GPIbα and vWF play a role in megakaryocytopoiesis, thus we aimed to investigate megakaryocyte differentiation and proplatelet-formation in platelet-type von Willebrand disease using megakaryocytes from a patient carrying the Met239Val variant and from mice carrying the Gly233Val variant. Platelet-type von Willebrand disease megakaryocytes bound vWF at an early differentiation stage and generated proplatelets with a decreased number of enlarged tips compared to control megakaryocytes. Moreover, they formed proplatelets upon contact with collagen, differently from normal megakaryocytes. Similarly, collagen triggered megakaryocytes showed defective activation of the RhoA-MLC2 axis, which prevents proplatelet formation, and increased phosphorylation of Lyn, which acts as a negative regulator of GPVI signaling, thus preventing ectopic proplatelet-formation on collagen. Consistently, human and murine bone marrow contained an increased number of extravascular platelets compared to controls. In addition, platelet survival of mutant mice was shortened compared to control mice, and the administration of desmopressin, raising circulating vWF, caused a marked drop in platelet count. Taken together, these results show for the first time that thrombocytopenia in platelet-type von Willebrand disease is due to the combination of different pathogenic mechanisms, i.e. the formation of a reduced number of platelets by megakaryocytes, the ectopic release of platelets in the bone marrow, and the increased clearance of platelet/vWF complexes.
Project description:It is established that proplatelets are formed from mature megakaryocytes (MK) as intermediates before platelet production. Recently, the presence of proplatelets was described in blood incubated in static conditions. We have previously demonstrated that platelet and proplatelet formation is upregulated by MK exposure to high shear rates (1800 s(-1)) on immobilized von Willebrand factor (VWF). The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether VWF is involved in the regulation of terminal platelet production in blood. To this end, Vwf (-/-) mice, a model of severe von Willebrand disease, were used to create a situation in which blood cells circulate in a vascular tree that is completely devoid of VWF. Murine platelets were isolated from Vwf (-/-) and Vwf (+/+) blood, exposed to VWF at 1800 s(-1) in a microfluidic platform, and examined by means of videomicroscopy, as well as fluorescence and activation studies. Proplatelets became visible within 5 minutes, representing 38% of all platelets after 12 minutes and 46% after 28 min. The proportion of proplatelets was 1.8-fold higher in blood from Vwf(-/-) mice than from Vwf(+/+) mice, suggesting a role of VWF in vivo. Fragmentation of these proplatelets into smaller discoid platelets was also observed in real-time. Platelets remained fully activatable by thrombin. Compensation of plasmatic VWF following hydrodynamic gene transfer in Vwf(-/-) mice reduced the percentage of proplatelets to wild-type levels. A thrombocytopenic mouse model was studied in the flow system, 7 days after a single 5-FU injection. Compared to untreated mouse blood, a 2-fold increase in the percentage of proplatelets was detected following exposure to 1800 s(-1) on VWF of samples from mice treated with 5-FU. In conclusion, VWF and shear stress together appear to upregulate proplatelet reorganization and platelet formation. This suggests a new function for VWF in vivo as regulator of bloodstream thrombopoiesis.