The genetics of blood coagulation has been an ongoing area of research; and with the advent of next generation sequencing panels, there is a significant increase in the number of variants identified in coagulation factor genes. Several published reports and online databases document the variants observed in patients with bleeding disorders; however, the clinical interpretation of these variants is not always straight-forward. To enable gene-specific variant interpretation in coagulation factor deficiency disorders, the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded effort, Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen), has developed the Coagulation Factor Deficiency Variant Curation Expert Panel (CFD-VCEP). The CFD-VCEP is comprised of expert clinicians, genetic counselors, clinical laboratory diagnosticians and researchers working toward the goal of developing and implementing standardized protocols for sequence variant interpretation for coagulation factor genes. The CFD-VCEP adapts the 2015 American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics/Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG/AMP) guidelines for precise and consistent variant classification to genes involved in blood coagulation deficiencies. These guidelines recommend the use of 28 criteria codes based on the evidence category and the strength of the evidence (see Figure below).
The first two genes under the purview of CFD-VCEP are F8 (OMIM: 300841) and F9 (OMIM: 300746). Pathogenic variants in the F8 and F9 genes resulting in the loss of protein function cause Hemophilia A and B, respectively. Owing to the similarity between these two genes with respect to their role in the coagulation cascade as well as the resulting phenotype, specification of variant curation guidelines for both genes has been undertaken simultaneously. With the completion of guideline specification for F8 and F9, the CFD-VCEP will subsequently continue this effort for other coagulation factor genes, while also curating F8 and F9 variants reported in ClinVar and other variant databases.
Modifying the ACMG/AMP guidelines involves gene- and disease-informed specifications of the recommended criteria codes. This includes identifying which codes are applicable and which are not, defining gene- and disease-specific cut-offs such as for population frequency, and making code strength adjustments when appropriate. The specified guidelines are further refined based on their performance on a set of pilot variants (n = 30) for each gene compared to existing assertions of variant classification in ClinVar and by diagnostic laboratories represented in the CFD-VCEP. F8 and F9 variants classified by the CFD-VCEP will be submitted to ClinVar at the 3-star review status, with the tag of "FDA-recognized database", and the CFD-VCEP plans to begin this process by the second quarter of 2020.
The considerations by the CFD-VCEP in the guideline-specification process and results from the pilot analysis will be discussed. This effort will lead to the standardized use of evidence criteria for the evaluation of variants in F8 and F9, which will reduce the number of variants of uncertain significance and those of conflicting interpretations, making genetic testing results more informative for providers and patients. The CFD-VCEP also encourages sharing de-identified data on variants among laboratories, which enables accurate and consistent curations.
Lee:UNC Hemophilia Treatment Center: Employment. Carcao:Biotest: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Grifols: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Shire/Takeda: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; CSL Behring: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novo Nordisk Inc: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Octapharma: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Pfizer: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Roche: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Agios: Research Funding; LFB: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bioverativ/Sanofi: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Bayer: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Kemball-Cook:European Association for Haemophilia and Allied Disorders: Other: Freelance . Leebeek:CSL Behring: Research Funding; uniQure BV: Consultancy, Research Funding; Baxalta/Shire: Research Funding. Miller:Division of Blood Disorders, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Consultancy.
