COL3A1

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

More than 500 mutations in the COL3A1 gene have been found to cause a form of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome called the vascular type. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a group of disorders that affect the connective tissues that support the skin, bones, blood vessels, and many other organs and tissues. The vascular type can cause potentially life-threatening complications, including tearing (rupture) of blood vessels, intestines, and other organs. The mutations that cause this form of the disorder alter the structure and production of type III procollagen molecules. As a result, a large percentage of type III collagen molecules are assembled incorrectly, or the amount of type III collagen is greatly reduced. Researchers believe that these changes affect tissues that are normally rich in this type of collagen, such as the skin, blood vessel walls, and internal organs. An insufficient amount of type III collagen weakens connective tissues in these parts of the body, causing the signs and symptoms of the vascular type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.