Genetic variants, thrombocytopenia, and clinical phenotype of type 2B von Willebrand disease: a median 16-year follow-up study

Abstract

Background: Type 2B von Willebrand disease (VWD) is a bleeding disorder caused by gain-of-function variants in the VWF gene. The laboratory and clinical phenotype of type 2B VWD is heterogeneous.

Objectives: We investigated associations between genotype and phenotype over a median of 16 years follow-up in a large cohort of well-characterized patients.

Methods: We included 64 genetically confirmed type 2B VWD patients from the national multicenter "Willebrand in the Netherlands" study and retrospectively collected clinical and laboratory data from electronic patient records. We analyzed associations between genotype and thrombocytopenia, bleeding phenotype, and events leading to endothelial activation and von Willebrand factor (VWF) secretion, including surgery, desmopressin administration, pregnancy, and delivery.

Results: Thrombocytopenia manifested in 67.2% of patients, with varying occurrences between genetic variants (p.Arg1306Trp: 75.0%, p.Arg1308Cys: 58.3%). The most important determinant of thrombocytopenia was the p.Arg1306Trp VWF variant (odds ratio, 25.1). Platelet counts strongly varied over time and were continuously <150 × 10⁹/L in 37.5% of patients with p.Arg1306Trp vs 8.3% in p.Arg1308Cys. In our analysis, endothelial activation was not an independent determinant (odds ratio, 1.3) for thrombocytopenia occurrence. No association was found between thrombocytopenia and cumulative bleeding scores or annual bleeding rates. Four women showed declining platelet counts in all full-term pregnancies (n = 8) during the third trimester with a sharp decrease in the week before delivery. Postpartum hemorrhage, defined as >500 mL estimated blood loss at delivery, occurred in 5 of 8 deliveries, despite prophylactic treatment with VWF concentrates.

Conclusion: This study reveals a strong association between VWF variant p.Arg1306Trp and thrombocytopenia in type 2B VWD patients.

Keywords: desmopressin; genotype; pregnancy; thrombocytopenia; von Willebrand disease.