X-linked agammglobulinemia (XLA) is a ptototypical humoral immunodeficiency caused by mutations in the gene coding for Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK). The genetic defect in XLA impairs early B cell development resulting in marked reduction of mature B cells in the blood. Studies from different countries have demonstrated that approximately 90% of males with presumed XLA bear mutations in BTK. In this study, we report for the first time the occurrence of BTK mutations in Turkey. We performed mutational analysis of the BTK gene in 16 Turkish male patients from 13 separate families with presumed XLA based on abnormally low peripheral blood B-cell numbers (lt; 1%), hypogammaglobulinemia, and recurrent bacterial infections. We found that in nine of the 13 families (69%) a Btk mutation caused XLA. Two of the mutations were previously described, but seven novel mutations were identified: two missense (Y39C, G584R), one nonsense (Q343X), and 4 deletions (1800-1821del, 1843-1847del, 1288-1292del, 291del) resulting in frameshift and premature stop codon. By contrast, no mutations in the BTK gene were identified in the other 4 families. A consanguinity in three of these families raises the possibility that mutations in other autosomal genes which affect early B cell development may contribute to their phenotype resembling XLA.
Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.