Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41026267›Full record

ArticleJournal of clinical immunology2025

Diagnostic and Monitoring Strategies for VEXAS Syndrome: Evaluating Sanger Sequencing, NGS, and the SWIM-Score.

Lasse von Bornemann Fløe, Kirstine Overgaard Dyrmose, Camilla Darum Sørensen, Maja Nørgaard, Fie Kirstine Udby Pedersen, Johan Vad-Nielsen, Michael Knudsen, Mette Christiansen, Marie Bill, Mads Nyhuus Bendix Rasch and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of clinical immunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. VEXAS syndrome.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Lasse von Bornemann Fløe *Department of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Kirstine Overgaard Dyrmose *Department of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Camilla Darum SørensenDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Maja NørgaardDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Fie Kirstine Udby PedersenDepartment of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Brendstrupgaardsvej 21A, 8200 N, Aarhus, Denmark.
Johan Vad-NielsenDepartment of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Brendstrupgaardsvej 21A, 8200 N, Aarhus, Denmark.
Michael KnudsenDepartment of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Brendstrupgaardsvej 21A, 8200 N, Aarhus, Denmark.
Mette ChristiansenDepartment of Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Brendstrupgaardsvej 21A, 8200 N, Aarhus, Denmark.
Marie BillDepartment of Hematology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Mads Nyhuus Bendix RaschDepartment of Rheumatology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Ellen Margrethe HaugeDepartment of Rheumatology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Anne TroldborgDepartment of Rheumatology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Nicklas Heine StaunstrupDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Jens Magnus Bernth JensenDepartment of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark. jmbj@clin.au.dk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

VEXAS syndrome is an adult-onset autoinflammatory disorder caused by somatic UBA1 variants, but there are no standardized criteria for genetic testing or diagnostics. This study compared Sanger sequencing and next-generation sequencing (NGS) for detecting UBA1 variants in patients with suspected VEXAS, assessed the ability of Sanger sequencing to estimate variant allele fractions (VAFs), and evaluated the Maeda et al. scoring system for selecting patients for genetic testing in a primary cohort and a validation cohort. In the primary cohort of 104 patients, Sanger sequencing identified VEXAS variants in 12%, with no additional cases detected by NGS. Sanger sequencing accurately quantified VAFs ranging from 0.1 to 0.9. In a small longitudinal subset (n = 3), VAFs in blood correlated with CRP levels, increased over time despite various treatments, but decreased in two patients after initiation of Azacitidine treatment. The novel parameters, VAF in myeloid cells and VEXAS cell concentration, showed promise as exploratory markers for patient monitoring. The Maeda-score, requiring a threshold score of 2 for 100% sensitivity, exhibited low specificity-29% in the primary cohort and 41% in the validation cohort (n = 62, with 2 carrying VEXAS variants). In contrast, the simplified SWIM-score-based on Skin involvement, Weight loss, Inflammation, and Macrocytic anemia-achieved 100% sensitivity in both cohorts, with higher specificities of 47% and 65%, respectively. In conclusion, Sanger sequencing reliably detected UBA1 variants and quantified VAFs. Monitoring VAF and VEXAS cell concentration may track disease progression, and the SWIM-score demonstrated potential for accurately selecting patients for UBA1 testing.

Indexed as

Hereditary Autoinflammatory DiseasesHigh-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingUbiquitin-Activating EnzymesAdolescentAdultAllelesFemaleGenetic TestingHumansMaleMiddle AgedMutationMyelodysplastic SyndromesSkin Diseases, GeneticYoung AdultUBA1 protein, humanUbiquitin-Activating Enzymes

Identifiers

PMID41026267
PMCPMC12484315

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.