A novel splice site mutation in WAS gene in patient with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and chronic colitis: a case report

Background: Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome is an X-linked recessive immunodeficiency due to mutations in Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) gene. WAS gene is encoded for a multifunctional protein with key roles in actin polymerization, signaling pathways, and cytoskeletal rearrangement. Therefore, the impaired protein or its absence cause phenotypic spectrum of the disease. Since identification of novel mutations in WAS gene can help uncover the exact pathogenesis of Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, the purpose of this study was to investigate disease causing-mutation in an Iranian male infant suspicious of this disorder. Case presentation: The patient had persistent thrombocytopenia from birth, sepsis, and recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding suggestive of both Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and chronic colitis in favor of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). To find mutated gene in the proband, whole exome sequencing was performed for the patient and its data showed a novel, private, hemizygous splice site mutation in WAS gene (c.360 + 1G > C). Conclusions: Our study found a novel, splice-site mutation in WAS gene and help consider the genetic counselling more precisely for families with clinical phenotypes of both Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease and may suggest linked pathways between these two diseases.