ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) with normal C1 inhibitor (C1-INH) is a rare condition with clinical features similar to those of HAE with C1-INH deficiency. Mutations in the F12 gene have been identified in subsets of patients with HAE with normal C1-INH, mostly within families of European descent. OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to describe clinical characteristics observed in Brazilians from 42 families with HAE and F12 gene mutations (FXII-HAE), and to compare these findings with those from other populations. METHODS: We evaluated a group of 195 individuals, which included 102 patients clinically diagnosed with FXII-HAE and their 93 asymptomatic relatives. RESULTS: Genetic analysis revealed that of the 195 subjects, 134 individuals (77.6% females) carried a pathogenic mutation in F12. The T328K substitution was found in 132 individuals, and the c.971_1018+24del72 deletion was found in 2 patients. The mean age at onset of symptoms in patients with FXII-HAE was 21.1 years. The most common symptoms were subcutaneous edema (85.8% of patients), abdominal pain attacks (69.7%), and upper airway edema (32.3%). Of male individuals carrying F12 mutations, 53.3% (16 of 30) were symptomatic. Compared with reports from Europe, fewer female patients (68.6%) reported an influence of estrogen on symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Our study included a large number of patients with FXII-HAE, and, as the first such study conducted in a South American population, it highlighted significant differences between this and other study populations. The high number of symptomatic males and patients with estrogen-independent FXII-HAE found here suggests that male sex and the absence of a hormonal influence should not discourage clinicians from searching for F12 mutations in cases of HAE with normal C1-INH.
