Novel mutations in the WFS1 gene are associated with Wolfram syndrome and systemic inflammation

Mutations in the WFS1 gene, encoding wolframin (WFS1), cause endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and are associated with a rare autosomal recessive disorder known as Wolfram syndrome (WS). WS is clinically characterized by childhood-onset diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy, deafness, diabetes insipidus, and neurological signs. We identified two novel WFS1 mutations in a patient with WS, namely, c.316-1G>A (in intron 3) and c.757A>T (in exon 7). Both mutations, located in the N-terminal region of the protein, were predicted to generate a truncated and inactive form of WFS1. We found that although the WFS1 protein was not expressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of the proband, no constitutive ER stress activation could be detected in those cells. In contrast, WS proband's PBMCs produced very high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (i.e. TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-6) in the absence of any stimulus. WFS1 silencing in PBMCs from control subjects by means of small RNA interference also induced a pronounced pro-inflammatory cytokine profile. The same cytokines were also significantly higher in sera from the WS patient as compared to matched healthy controls. Moreover, the chronic inflammatory state was associated with a dominance of pro-inflammatory T helper 17 (Th17)-type cells over regulatory T (Treg) lymphocytes in the WS PBMCs. The identification of a state of systemic chronic inflammation associated with WFS1 deficiency may pave the way to innovative and personalized therapeutic interventions in WS.