BRCA1 NM_007294.3:c.615_622dup, Thr208AsnfsTer29

This variant inserts 8 nucleotides in exon 9 of the BRCA1 gene, creating a frameshift and premature translation stop signal. This variant is expected to result in the absence of functional full-length protein product, but to our knowledge, functional assays have not been performed. This variant has not been identified in the general population by the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD). Truncation variants in the vicinity of exons 8 and 9 have been reported in three individuals affected with high-risk breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer (PMID: 12203997, 12815604, 15642173, 33649982) and in a suspected hereditary breast and ovarian cancer family (PMID: 8764110). In one study, an exon 9 frameshift variant (c.594_597del) has been observed in compound heterozygosity with a known pathogenic missense variant, in an individual diagnosed with Fanconi anemia (PMID: 25472942). This truncation variant was inherited from the mother, who was personally affected with ovarian cancer at age 50 with a positive family history of disease. This presentation suggests that the exon 9 variant contributed to the development of disease. However, two splicing variants c.591C>T and c.594-2A>C that have been demonstrated to cause a premature translation stop signal and have been reported in individuals affected with breast and ovarian cancer, as well as in healthy unaffected individuals (PMID: 16211554, 19892845, 25639900, 27008870). The case-control, health history, tumor pathology and segregation data for the c.594-2A>C variant either indicate that this variant is not pathogenic or that pathogenicity is inconclusive (PMID: 25639900, 27008870). In these carriers, there is a relative increase in the skipping of exons 8 and 9 by pre-mRNA splicing that is expected to cause a small in-frame deletion of 41 amino acids from the reference protein (1884 amino acids) (PMID: 19892845, 27008870). An interpretation of these findings is that a BRCA1 mRNA isoform lacking exons 8 and 9 is normally produced and is functional. This alternate mRNA isoform is expected to be refractory to frameshift, nonsense and splicing defective variants found in exons 8 and 9 (PMID: 27008870). RNA studies have confirmed the appearance of the skipping of exons 8 and 9 in the majority of individuals tested, however, the degree of expression also appears to be highly variable in individuals (PMID: 24569164, 27008870, 28905878, 32133419). Taken together, the available evidence suggests that the expected deleterious effects of this c.615_622dup variant and other truncation variants occurring in exons 8 and 9 could be ameliorated by the expression of the mRNA isoform lacking exons 8 and 9 that retains normal BRCA1 function. Because of the uncertain clinical consequences of this variant, it is classified as a Variant of Uncertain Significance.

In summary, the available evidence is currently insufficient to determine the role of this variant in disease. Therefore, it has been classified as a Variant of Uncertain Significance. ClinVar contains an entry for this variant (Variation ID: 926510). This variant has not been reported in the literature in individuals affected with BRCA1-related conditions. This variant is not present in population databases (gnomAD no frequency). This sequence change creates a premature translational stop signal (p.Thr208Asnfs*29) in the BRCA1 gene. Loss-of-function variants in BRCA1 are expected to be pathogenic (PMID: 20104584). However, an in-frame BRCA1 isoform lacking exons 8 and 9 (also known as exons 9 and 10) is highly expressed in blood from unaffected individuals and in normal breast tissue; this isoform may retain protein function and could functionally rescue loss-of-function variants within exons 8-9 (PMID: 24569164).