Novel causative variants of VEXAS in UBA1 detected through whole genome transcriptome sequencing in a large cohort of hematological malignancies

UBA1 is an X-linked gene and encodes an ubiquitin-activating enzyme. Three somatic mutations altering the alternative start codon (M41) in UBA1 in hematopoietic precursor cells have recently been described, resulting in a syndrome of severe inflammation, cytopenias, and the presence of intracellular vacuoles in hematopoietic precursors - termed VEXAS syndrome, a predominantly male disease. Here we present a patient with clinical features of VEXAS who harbored two novel somatic variants in UBA1 (I894S and N606I). To better understand the clinical relevance and biological consequences of non-M41 (UBA1(non-M41)) variants, we analyzed the whole genome and transcriptome data of 4168 patients with hematological malignancies and detected an additional 16 UBA1(non-M41) putative somatic variants with a clear sex-bias in patients with myeloid malignancies. Patients diagnosed with myeloid malignancies carrying UBA1(non-M41) putative somatic variants either had vacuoles or immunodysregulatory symptoms. Analysis of the transcriptome confirmed neutrophil activation in VEXAS patients compared to healthy controls but did not result in a specific transcriptomic signature of UBA1(M41) patients in comparison with MDS patients. In summary, we have described multiple putative novel UBA1(non-M41) variants in patients with various hematological malignancies expanding the genomic spectrum of VEXAS syndrome.