High incidence of functional ion-channel abnormalities in a consecutive Long QT cohort with novel missense genetic variants of unknown significance

TY - JOUR

T1 - High incidence of functional ion-channel abnormalities in a consecutive Long QT cohort with novel missense genetic variants of unknown significance

AU - Steffensen, Annette Buur

AU - Refaat, Marwan M

AU - David, Jens-Peter

AU - Mujezinovic, Amer

AU - Calloe, Kirstine

AU - Wojciak, Julianne

AU - Nussbaum, Robert L

AU - Scheinman, Melvin M

AU - Schmitt, Nicole

PY - 2015/6/12

Y1 - 2015/6/12

N2 - The Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a disorder characterized by a prolongation of the QT interval and a propensity to ventricular tachyarrhythmias, which may lead to syncope, cardiac arrest, or sudden death. Our objective was to (1) determine the incidence of variants with unknown significance (VUS) in a cohort of consecutive LQTS patients and (2) to determine the percentage of those with novel missense VUS that have demonstrable functional channel abnormalities from a single referral center. We performed genetic screening of candidate genes in 39 probands with a diagnosis of LQTS to identify mutations and variants. Seven variants of unknown significance were identified, six were missense variants and one was a splice site variant. We investigated the six novel missense VUS in five patients; three missense variants in KCNQ1 (L236R, W379R, Y522S) and three missense variants in KCNH2 (R35W, S620G, V491I). We employed two-electrode voltage-clamp experiments in Xenopus laevis oocytes and confocal imaging to characterize the novel missense mutations functionally. We revealed electrophysiological and trafficking loss-of-function phenotypes. This report emphasizes the frequency of adverse channel function in patients with LQTS and the importance of heterologous studies to define channel function.

AB - The Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a disorder characterized by a prolongation of the QT interval and a propensity to ventricular tachyarrhythmias, which may lead to syncope, cardiac arrest, or sudden death. Our objective was to (1) determine the incidence of variants with unknown significance (VUS) in a cohort of consecutive LQTS patients and (2) to determine the percentage of those with novel missense VUS that have demonstrable functional channel abnormalities from a single referral center. We performed genetic screening of candidate genes in 39 probands with a diagnosis of LQTS to identify mutations and variants. Seven variants of unknown significance were identified, six were missense variants and one was a splice site variant. We investigated the six novel missense VUS in five patients; three missense variants in KCNQ1 (L236R, W379R, Y522S) and three missense variants in KCNH2 (R35W, S620G, V491I). We employed two-electrode voltage-clamp experiments in Xenopus laevis oocytes and confocal imaging to characterize the novel missense mutations functionally. We revealed electrophysiological and trafficking loss-of-function phenotypes. This report emphasizes the frequency of adverse channel function in patients with LQTS and the importance of heterologous studies to define channel function.

U2 - 10.1038/srep10009

DO - 10.1038/srep10009

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 26066609

SN - 2045-2322

VL - 5

SP - 1

EP - 13

JO - Scientific Reports

JF - Scientific Reports

M1 - 10009

ER -