COL4A1 is a Novel Causative Gene Responsible for Congenital Hemolytic Anemia, Representing Characteristic Clinical Course in Infants

We have been working on the differential diagnosis of congenital hemolytic anemia, but even with extensive analysis of hemoglobin, red cell membrane and enzymes, approximately 40% of patients remained to be diagnosed. In this study, we analyzed 17 undiagnosed hemolytic anemia subjects under the age of 1 by whole-exome sequencing, and identified COL4A1 gene mutations in 5 cases (29.4%). All patients were de novo cases without family histories and exhibited moderate to severe neonatal hemolytic anemia: Hgb, 5.2-9.3 g/dl; MCV, 90.0-126.9; MCHC, 29.9-32.7; and reticulocyte count, 9.2-33.0%. Either schizocytes or poikilocytes were observed in peripheral blood smears of 3 cases, suggesting that the microangiopathy was attributable to hemolysis. Previous reports showed that mutation of COL4A1 accounts for brain small-vessel disease characterized by stroke and eye abnormalities and the most characteristic complications of the present cases were congenital anomaly in the central nervous system, such as porencephaly, schizencephaly, congenital hydrocephalus, cataracts or paraventricular calcification, as reported previously. Hemolytic anemia became less severe within 2 months after birth, and all cases no longer required red cell transfusion after Day 50. COL4A1 encodes subtype 1 of type IV collagen, which is most abundantly expressed in basement membranes, including the vasculature. The COL4A1 gene mutations identified in the cases were all novel missense mutations except one, located in exons 26, 27, 37, 38 and 51. Although the pathophysiological significance of the mutations remains unclear, COL4A1 is the first identified causative gene responsible for congenital hemolytic anemia without intrinsic defects of red blood cells, and mutation of COL4A1 is the most prevalent cause of neonatal hemolytic anemia.