ClinVar Genomic variation as it relates to human health

NM_000518.4(HBB):c.92+6T>C(aka IVS-I-6T>C) is classified as pathogenic in the context of Hb beta chain-related hemoglobinopathy; it is associated with beta thalassemia and is classified as a beta-plus variant. Sources cited for classification include the following: PMID 7522523, 2200760, and 23321370. Classification of NM_000518.4(HBB):c.92+6T>C(aka IVS-I-6T>C) is based on the following criteria: This is a well-established pathogenic variant in the literature that has been observed more frequently in patients with clinical diagnoses than in healthy populations. Please note: this variant was assessed in the context of healthy population screening.

PS3, PS4, PM3, PP3, PP4, PP5

The HBB c.92+6T>C variant is predicted to interfere with splicing. This variant has previously been reported to be causative for autosomal recessive beta-thalassemia (see for example Orkin et al. 1982. PubMed ID: 6280057; Makhoul et al. 2005. PubMed ID: 15638828). This variant is reported in 0.021% of alleles in individuals of European (Non-Finnish) descent in gnomAD (http://gnomad.broadinstitute.org/variant/11-5248154-A-G). This variant is interpreted as pathogenic.

This sequence change falls in intron 1 of the HBB gene. It does not directly change the encoded amino acid sequence of the HBB protein. RNA analysis indicates that this variant induces altered splicing and may result in an absent or disrupted protein product. This variant is present in population databases (rs35724775, gnomAD 0.02%). This variant has been observed in individuals with beta thalassemia (PMID: 2200760, 7668219, 21797703, 25856402, 28366028, 28391758, 28670940). It has also been observed to segregate with disease in related individuals. This variant is also known as IVS-1-VI and IVS-I-6 T>C. ClinVar contains an entry for this variant (Variation ID: 15450). Variants that disrupt the consensus splice site are a relatively common cause of aberrant splicing (PMID: 17576681, 9536098). Studies have shown that this variant results in alternative splicing and introduces a premature termination codon (PMID: 26097845). The resulting mRNA is expected to undergo nonsense-mediated decay. For these reasons, this variant has been classified as Pathogenic.

The HBB c.92+6T>C variant (rs35724775, ClinVar ID: 15450, HbVar ID: 826), also known as IVS-I-6 T>C, is reported in the literature in multiple individuals affected with beta(+) thalassemia (Carrocini 2017, Hussain 2017, Jalilian 2017). This variant is one of the most common beta-thalassemia alleles in Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern countries (El-Latif 2002, HbVar database and references therein). This variant disrupts the canonical splice donor site of intron 1, and functional assays show aberrant splicing of the first and second exons of HBB, leading to production of non-functional beta globin mRNA and reduction of wildtype transcripts (Breveglieri 2015). Based on available information, this variant is considered to be pathogenic. References: Link to HbVar database: https://globin.bx.psu.edu/hbvar/menu.html Breveglieri G et al. Generation and Characterization of a Transgenic Mouse Carrying a Functional Human beta-Globin Gene with the IVSI-6 Thalassemia Mutation. Biomed Res Int. 2015:687635. PMID: 26097845. Carrocini GCS et al. Mutational Profile of Homozygous beta-Thalassemia in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Hemoglobin. 2017 Jan;41(1):12-15. PMID: 28366028. El-Latif MA et al. The beta+-IVS-I-6 (T-->C) mutation accounts for half of the thalassemia chromosomes in the Palestinian populations of the mountain regions. Hemoglobin. 2002 Feb;26(1):33-40. PMID: 11939510. Hussain A et al. Rare beta-Globin Gene Mutations in Pakistan. Hemoglobin. 2017 Mar;41(2):100-103. PMID: 28670940. Jalilian M et al. The Frequency of HBB Mutations Among beta-Thalassemia Patients in Hamadan Province, Iran. Hemoglobin. 2017 Jan;41(1):61-64. PMID: 28391758.

The c.92+6T>C variant (formerly known as IVS-I-6) in HBB has been reported in the homozygous state in at least 38 individuals with beta thalassemia and in the compound heterozygous state with another pathogenic HBB variant in at least 36 individuals with beta thalassemia (Jalilian 2017 PMID: 28391758, Fernandes 2011 PMID: 21797703, El-Latif 2002 PMID: 11939510, Danjou 2015 PMID: 25480500, Chen 2015 PMID: 25856402, Carrocini 2017 PMID: 28366028). It has also been identified in 0.95% (3/316) of Middle Eastern chromosomes by gnomAD (http://gnomad.broadinstitute.org). However, this frequency is still compatible with a recessive allele frequency for a common condition. This variant has also been reported in ClinVar (Variation ID 15450). This variant disrupts the canonical splice donor site of intron 1. Functional assays show that this variant results in aberrant splicing of the first and second exons of HBB, leading to production of non-functional mRNA and reduction of wildtype transcripts (Breveglieri 2015 PMID: 26097845). Loss of function of the HBB gene is an established disease mechanism in autosomal recessive beta thalassemia. In summary, this variant meets criteria to be classified as pathogenic for autosomal recessive beta thalassemia. ACMG/AMP Criteria applied: PVS1_Strong, PS3, PM3_VeryStrong.

The c.92+6T>C (also known as IVS1-6T>C in the literature) intronic pathogenic mutation results from a T to C substitution 6 nucleotides after coding exon 1 in the HBB gene. This mutation is a prevalent pathogenic mutation in the Mediterranean population (Origa R. Beta-Thalassemia. 2000 Sep 28 [Updated 2015 May 14]. In: Pagon RA, Adam MP, Ardinger HH, et al., editors. GeneReviews® [Internet]. Seattle (WA): University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2015. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1426/). In one study of patients from three countries of the Mediterranean basin (Italy, France, Malta), this mutation was reportedly detected in conjunction with the p.Q40* (c.118C>T) pathogenic mutation in HBB in 4.1% of 890 beta-thalassemia patients (Danjou F, Haematologica 2015 Apr; 100(4):452-7). This mutation accounted for 31% of alleles in a small Brazilian beta-thalassemia population (Fernandes AC, Hemoglobin 2011 ; 35(4):358-66). Based on the supporting evidence, c.92+6T>C is interpreted as a disease-causing mutation.

Published functional studies demonstrate that this variant results in aberrantly spliced mRNAs (PMID: 26097845); In silico analysis supports a deleterious effect on splicing; This variant is associated with the following publications: (PMID: 21228398, 23348723, 25525159, 22975760, 6280057, 25856402, 27959697, 25825561, 26372288, 28391758, 28670940, 28366028, 34426522, 31589614, 9163586, 31286593, 2577233, 28060121, 28399358, 33947296, 34794358, 9629495, 34272389, 20301599, 38468841, 39062234, 38112059, 38397898, Kacmaz2024, 26097845)

The HBB c.92+6T>C variant, widely known as IVS-I-6, is a well-described and common cause of beta thalassemia, with the greatest frequency among Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern populations, accounting for up to 48.5 percent of disease alleles in some populations (El-Latif et al. 2002; Origa et al. 2015). Individuals who are homozygous or compound heterozygous for the c.92+6T>C variant display a range of disease phenotypes from beta thalassemia intermedia to beta thalassemia major (El-Latif et al. 2002; Origa et al. 2015). Across a selection of available literature, the c.92+6T>C variant has been identified in a homozygous state in at least 42 patients and in a compound heterozygous state with a second pathogenic variant in at least 21 individuals, with symptoms ranging from non-transfusion dependent beta thalassemia to transfusion dependent beta thalassemia major (El-Latif et al. 2002; Kakavas et al. 2006; El-Gawhary et al. 2007; Bell et al. 2011). Control data are unavailable for the c.92+6T>C variant, which is reported at a frequency of 0.00046 in the Other population of the Genome Aggregation Database. RT-PCR experiments demonstrated that the c.92+6T>C variant produces aberrantly spliced mRNA transcripts in samples derived from homozygous patients or a transgenic mouse line (TG-β-IVSI-6) (Breveglieri et al. 2015). Haplotype analysis has also shown the c.92+6T>C variant is linked to two beta-globin cluster haplotypes, Mediterranean VI and VII (El-Latif et al. 2002; Chen et al. 2015). Based on the collective evidence, the c.92+6T>C variant is classified as pathogenic for beta thalassemia. This variant was observed by ICSL as part of a predisposition screen in an ostensibly healthy population.

The variant is observed at an extremely low frequency in the gnomAD v2.1.1 dataset (total allele frequency: 0.011%). Splice region variant predicted to alter splicing. The variant has been reported at least twice as pathogenic with clinical assertions and evidence for the classification (ClinVar ID: VCV000015450). Therefore, this variant is classified as likely pathogenic according to the recommendation of ACMG/AMP guideline.

Our laboratory reported dual molecular diagnoses in HBB (NM_000518.4, c.92+6T>C) and TJP2 (NM_004817.3, c.1243delT homozygous) in one individual with reported features that include prematurity, cholestasis of the liver, mild pulmonic stenosis, chronic anemia of thalassemia, and obstructive sleep apnea. The HBB variant has been previously reported as disease-causing (PMID 20395516, 21797703, 21228398).