Hemophilia B Leyden: characteristics and natural history in the International Pediatric Network of Hemophilia Management Registry.

Background: A unique form of hemophilia B (HB) is HB Leyden. We evaluated the international Pediatric Network on Hemophilia Management Registry (PedNet) database to explore the natural history of HB Leyden, investigate genotype-phenotype associations, and guide clinical decision-making.

Objectives: To assess the association between genetic variants, endogenous factor (F)IX levels over time, treatment, and bleeding phenotype in children with HB Leyden.

Methods: Data on genetic variants, FIX levels at diagnosis and over time, bleeding, and treatment details were extracted from the international PedNet in children with hemophilia born since 2000.

Results: Of 457 individuals with HB, 24 showed an HB Leyden genotype. The most frequent F9 variant was c.-35G>A, affecting 14 individuals, followed by c.-35G>C (n = 4), c.-49T>A (n = 2), and c.-52C>T, c.-34A>G, and c.-22delT (n = 1 each). Major clinical differences in bleeding and treatment modality were observed when comparing c.-35G>A with non-c.-35G>A genotypes. For all children with a c.-35G>A genotype, FIX levels increased before the age of 4 years but did not normalize over time, irrespective of initial severity. In children with non-c.-35G>A genotypes, an increase in FIX was less common (4/9) and occurred later.

Conclusion: HB Leyden is caused by the variant c.-35G>A in >50% of cases in whom a FIX increase occurs at very young ages, which is associated with low bleeding rates. This contrasts with the phenotype of individuals with HB Leyden due to a non-c.-35G>A variant. Our study may thus help guide clinical decision-making in this rare HB entity.