Key result
Family-based cascade screening reclassifies an FBN1 variant to likely pathogenic, enabling early preventive cardiovascular care.
Case Report (n=2)
No
Careful clinical correlation and family-based cascade screening can successfully reclassify variants of unknown significance in FBN1, enabling early diagnosis and preventive cardiovascular management for Marfan syndrome.
Family evaluation may aid FBN1 variant reclassification in Marfan syndrome; leaves open generalizability pending larger studies.
Background: Fibrillin‐1 (FBN1) is a major structural component of the extracellular matrix, providing strength and stability to tissues. Pathogenic variants lead to the development of FBN1 ‐associated syndromes which comprise a broad host of phenotypes, and more commonly, Marfan syndrome (MFS). MFS is typically diagnosed in patients presenting with ectopia lentis, thoracic or aortic disease, and skeletal features, which may prompt genetic testing. Case Presentation: In this case report, we describe the reclassification of a newly identified heterozygous FBN1 variant, c.2686T > A, p.(Cys896Ser), to likely pathogenic in a Caucasian 21‐year‐old female patient presenting with abnormal anterior eye segment with superior bilateral ectopia lentis; joint pain affecting wrists, knees, and upper back; and mild thoracolumbar scoliosis. Identification of this variant led to cascade testing in the patient’s 49‐year‐old mother which revealed the same FBN1 variant and an incidental finding of aortic dilatation, prompting standard management. Notably, the identification and reclassification of the variant led to early diagnosis and preventive management in the patient’s mother, including cardiovascular monitoring and treatment. The segregation of the phenotype in both patient and mother, the family member testing, the variant’s absence in control populations, and all in silico tools predicting pathogenicity led to the reclassification of this FBN1 variant to likely pathogenic. Conclusion: We highlight the reclassification of a variant of unknown significance through careful clinical correlation and family‐based evaluation. This reclassification led to a timely diagnosis and preventive management through cascade testing, demonstrating the real‐world utility of genetic testing and cascade screening in connective tissue disorders.
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Comeau et al. (2025) conducted a case report in Marfan syndrome / FBN1 variant (n=2). FBN1 variant c.2686T > A, p.(Cys896Ser) was evaluated on Variant reclassification. Family-based evaluation and clinical correlation of the FBN1 c.2686T > A variant led to its reclassification to likely pathogenic, enabling early diagnosis and preventive cardiovascular management.
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