Auto-inflammatory syndrome
VEXAS syndrome is an adult-onset autoinflammatory disease primarily affecting males, caused by a somatic mutation of the UBA1 gene in hematopoietic progenitor cells.[1][2][3][4][5] The name VEXAS is an acronym deriving from the core features of disease:[6]
- V: Vacuoles are often identified in the bone marrow stem cells of patients presenting with VEXAS.
- E: The E1 ubiquitin conjugating enzyme encoded by the UBA1 gene is mutated in patients.
- X: The mutated UBA1 gene is recessive and located on the X-chromosome and thus the disease is almost exclusively found in individuals with a single X chromosome and thus said to be X-linked.
- A: Patients with VEXAS present with a wide array of Autoinflammatory conditions
- S: The mutations which cause VEXAS are Somatic: they are acquired throughout life, not inherited, and are not passed on to offspring.