A minimally hypomorphic mutation in Btk resulting in reduced B cell numbers but no clinical disease

Reduced B cell numbers and a mutation in Btk are considered sufficient to make the diagnosis of X-linked agammaglobulinaemia. In the process of conducting family studies, we identified a 58-year-old healthy man with an amino acid substitution, Y418H, in the adenosine-5'-triphosphate binding site of Btk. Immunofluorescence studies showed that this man had 0.85% CD19+ B cells (normal 4-18%) in the peripheral circulation and his monocytes were positive for Btk. He had borderline low serum immunoglobulins but normal titres to tetanus toxoid and multiple pneumococcal serotypes. To determine the functional consequences of the amino acid substitution, a Btk- chicken B cell line, DT40, was transfected with expression vectors producing wild-type Btk or Y418H Btk. The transfected cells were stimulated with anti-IgM and calcium flux and inositol triphosphate (IP3) production were measured. Cells bearing the mutant protein demonstrated consistently a 15-20% decrease in both calcium flux and IP3 production. These findings indicate that even a modest decrease in Btk function can impair B cell proliferation or survival. However, a mutation in Btk and reduced numbers of B cells are not always associated with clinical disease.