Volume 43, Issue 5 pp. 1009-1015
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Clinical and molecular characteristics of imerslund-gräsbeck syndrome: First report of a novel Frameshift variant in Exon 11 of AMN gene

Mohamed Elshinawy

Corresponding Author

Mohamed Elshinawy

Department of Child Health, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman

Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt

Correspondence

Mohamed Elshinawy, Department of Child Health, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Unit, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, PO Box: 38, Muscat 123, Oman.

Email: [email protected]

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Harry H. Gao

Harry H. Gao

Fulgent Genetics, Temple City, CA, USA

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Dana M. Al-Nabhani

Dana M. Al-Nabhani

Department of Nephrology, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman

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Khalid A. Al-Thihli

Khalid A. Al-Thihli

Genetic and developmental Medicine Department, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman

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First published: 25 January 2021
Citations: 5

Abstract

Introduction

Imerslund-Gräsbeck syndrome (IGS) is a rare autosomal-recessive disorder characterized by selective vitamin B12 malabsorption, megaloblastic anemia, and proteinuria. The precise incidence of this disorder is unknown in the Middle East and Arab countries. The disease is caused by a homozygous variant in either AMN or CUBN genes. In addition, some compound heterozygous variants are reported.

Methods

Clinical and laboratory data of patients diagnosed with IGS in Oman were retrospectively collected. Mutation analysis for all genes involved in vitamin B12/folic acid metabolism and megaloblastic anemia was conducted using next-generation sequencing (NGS).

Results

Three siblings (2 girls and a boy) have been diagnosed with the condition. They exhibit a phenotypic variability with different age of presentation and different spectrum of disease. All patients harbor a novel biallelic frameshift mutation in exon 11 of AMN gene (p.Pro409Glyfs*), which was not reported previously in the literature. Both parents are heterozygotes for the same variant. All patients responded well to vitamin B12 parenteral therapy, but proteinuria persisted.

Conclusion

In communities with high incidence of consanguinity, cases of early-onset vitamin B12 deficiency should be thoroughly investigated to explore the possibility of Imerslund-Gräsbeck syndrome and other vitamin B12–related hereditary disorders. Further local and regional studies are highly recommended.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

Data are available in article supplementary material Figures S1-S4.

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