Identifying Genes Associated With Proliferation, Immunity and Thrombosis in Paroxysmal Nocturnal Haemoglobinuria

PIGA mutation cannot fully explain the proliferative advantage of abnormal clones and thrombosis tendency in paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH), and additional genes may play a role, justifying further investigation. CD59+ and CD59- peripheral blood mononuclear cells from six PNH patients were sorted and subjected to whole-exon sequencing (WES) and whole-transcriptome sequencing respectively. Six age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were enrolled as controls. Genes related to proliferation, immunity and thrombosis were selected by gene ontology (GO) analysis. The selected gene mutant alleles were then identified in the WES results for 40 patients and verified by the Sanger method in another 40 PNH patients. CD59+ and CD59- peripheral blood mononuclear cells from seven patients were sorted, and the RNA and protein expression levels of target genes were assessed via quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR), flow cytometry and western blotting. The final selected genes were then related to clinical features to analyse. T-cell activation-related genes were upregulated, whereas platelet degranulation, coagulation, haemostasis, leukocyte proliferation and platelet activation-related genes were downregulated in both CD59+ and CD59- cells. The mRNA or protein expression levels of SELP, FLT1, NRP1 and vWF were either different from those in healthy controls or different between CD59+ and CD59- cells. Moreover, platelet aggregation was greater in patients with mutations in these genes than in patients without such mutations. Except for PIGA, other genes may be involved in the proliferation and coagulopathy that occur in PNH patients.