A review of mutations causing deficiencies of antithrombin, protein C and protein S.

The mutations observed in patients with antithrombin and protein C deficiencies are mostly substitutions of one nucleotide, or deletions/insertions of fewer than 10 nucleotides in the exons and intron-exon junctions. These genomic abnormalities result in missense changes (involving aminoacids important for protein folding), aberrant polypeptide chains and/or premature termination codons, or abnormal splicing precluding DNA transcription. The number of mutations so far identified is such that it is difficult to use genomic DNA analysis for diagnostic purpose. However, identification of the gene defect can be useful in well-defined situations, such as the risk of homozygosity, and complex or ambiguous plasma phenotypes, which frequently occur in protein C deficiency. Protein S deficiency, the molecular bases of which have been less extensively studied, is due to micromodifications of the coding sequence in only half the cases investigated so far. The mechanisms involved in the remaining cases remain to be identified.