Criteria Specification (CSpec) Registry is intended to provide access to the Criteria Specifications used and applied by ClinGen Variant Curation Expert Panels and biocurators in the classification of variants.
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1. BA1/BS1/PM2 Clarification: In light of the recent release of gnomAD v4.0.0 without a (non-cancer) filter, removed the (non-cancer) text and added the following clarifying instruction: "In general, the most recent/most comprehensive gnomAD version should be used."
2. Criteria Combination Clarification: Added a general comment to the C Spec asking users to disregard the "Rules for Combining Criteria" section and instead use the "Evidence Criteria Combinations" table.
Criteria & Strength Specifications
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PVS1 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Null variant (nonsense, frameshift, canonical +/−1 or 2 splice sites, initiation codon, single or multi-exon deletion) in a gene where loss of function (LOF) is a known mechanism of disease.
Caveats: • Beware of genes where LOF is not a known disease mechanism (e.g. GFAP, MYH7). • Use caution interpreting LOF variants at the extreme 3’ end of a gene. • Use caution with splice variants that are predicted to lead to exon skipping but leave the remainder of the protein intact. • Use caution in the presence of multiple transcripts. Stand Alone
Very Strong
Follow SVI guidance, using DICER1-specific information. Per the PVS1 workflow guidance provided in Tayoun et al. 20181, the following will apply:
Modification Type:
Disease-specific,General recommendation
Strong
Moderate
Supporting
Not Applicable
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PS1 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Same amino acid change as a previously established pathogenic variant regardless of nucleotide change.
Example: Val->Leu caused by either G>C or G>T in the same codon. Caveat: Beware of changes that impact splicing rather than at the amino acid/protein level. Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
For same AA change, must confirm there is no difference in splicing using RNA data or in-silico modeling data (concordance of MaxEntScan and SpliceAI). For non-canonical intronic splicing variants at same nucleotide should have equal or worse splicing impact. This rule code can only be used to compare variants asserted as pathogenic by the ClinGen DICER1 VCEP. Likely pathogenic changes do not apply.
Modification Type:
General recommendation
Moderate
Supporting
Instructions:
All variants should be assessed by MaxEntScan (MES) and SpliceAI for predicting de novo and cryptic splice sites. However, for predicting impact to consensus splice sites, SpliceAI scores alone should be considered for variants outside the MES validation threshold, as MES is not capable of predicting native splice site impact for such variants. (MES validation threshold = last 3 nucleotides of exon through intronic position +6 (donor sites); intronic position -20 through first 3 nucleotides of exon (acceptor sites)) Not Applicable
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PS2 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
De novo (both maternity and paternity confirmed) in a patient with the disease and no family history.
Note: Confirmation of paternity only is insufficient. Egg donation, surrogate motherhood, errors in embryo transfer, etc. can contribute to non-maternity. Stand Alone
Very Strong
≥4 de novo points
Modification Type:
Strength
Strong
≥2 but less than 4 de novo points
Modification Type:
Strength
Moderate
≥1 but less than 2 de novo points
Modification Type:
General recommendation
Supporting
≥0.5 but less than 1 de novo points
Modification Type:
Strength
Instructions:
De novo points should be tallied using the simplified table for tallying proband points and used to determine the applied strength of PS2, consistent with SVI guidance. To avoid redundancy and increase consistency, the EP has opted to drop PM6 and exclusively use PS2 for de novo evidence. Not Applicable
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PS3 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Well-established in vitro or in vivo functional studies supportive of a damaging effect on the gene or gene product.
Note: Functional studies that have been validated and shown to be reproducible and robust in a clinical diagnostic laboratory setting are considered the most well-established. Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
RNA assay shows splicing impact that is out-of-frame, in-frame ≥193 residues, or in-frame with RNase IIIb disruption. (PS3_Moderate if PVS1_Strong is applied).
Modification Type:
Disease-specific
Moderate
RNA assay shows in-frame splicing impact with change in protein length <193 residues AND RNase IIIb domain not disrupted.
Modification Type:
Disease-specific,General recommendation
Supporting
In vitro cleavage assay shows failure or severely reduced capacity to produce either 5p or 3p microRNAs from a premiRNA (positive and negative controls also performed).
Modification Type:
Disease-specific,Strength
Instructions:
This rule should be used and weighted appropriately for variants with functional evidence of a splicing impact and/or reduced DICER1 ability to cleave pre-miRNA. Follow SVI guidance regarding control numbers for functional studies. Do not apply PS3 at any strength if PVS1 is applied at full strength. Not Applicable
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PS4 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
The prevalence of the variant in affected individuals is significantly increased compared to the prevalence in controls.
Note 1: Relative risk (RR) or odds ratio (OR), as obtained from case-control studies, is >5.0 and the confidence interval around the estimate of RR or OR does not include 1.0. See manuscript for detailed guidance. Note 2: In instances of very rare variants where case-control studies may not reach statistical significance, the prior observation of the variant in multiple unrelated patients with the same phenotype, and its absence in controls, may be used as moderate level of evidence. Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
≥4 phenotype points
Modification Type:
General recommendation
Moderate
2 – 3.5 phenotype points
Modification Type:
Strength
Supporting
1 – 1.5 phenotype points
Modification Type:
Strength
Instructions:
Unrelated probands may contribute up to 1 point each based on phenotype (see Tables 2 & 3 in ruleset) Caveats:
Not Applicable
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PM1 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Located in a mutational hot spot and/or critical and well-established functional domain (e.g. active site of an enzyme) without benign variation.
Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
Moderate
Putative missense variants at residues affecting metal ion-binding: codons p.S1344, p.E1705, p.D1709, p.D1713, p.G1809, p.D1810, p.E1813
Modification Type:
Disease-specific
Supporting
Putative missense variants at residues in the RNase IIIb domain (p.Y1682 – p.S1846), besides the metal ion-binding residues (see PM1).
Modification Type:
Strength
Not Applicable
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PM2 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Absent from controls (or at extremely low frequency if recessive) in Exome Sequencing Project, 1000 Genomes or Exome Aggregation Consortium.
Caveat: Population data for indels may be poorly called by next generation sequencing. Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
Moderate
Supporting
Allele frequency <0.000005 across gnomAD with no more than one allele in any subpopulation and at least 20x coverage.
Modification Type:
Disease-specific,Strength
Instructions:
In general, the most recent/most comprehensive gnomAD version should be used. Not Applicable
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PM3 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
For recessive disorders, detected in trans with a pathogenic variant
Note: This requires testing of parents (or offspring) to determine phase. Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
Moderate
Supporting
Not Applicable
Comments:
Autosomal dominant.
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PM4 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Protein length changes due to in-frame deletions/insertions in a non-repeat region or stop-loss variants.
Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
Moderate
In-frame indels with a residue within the RNase IIIb domain (p.Y1682 – p.S1846).
Modification Type:
Disease-specific
Supporting
In-frame indels outside of the RNase IIIb domain (p.Y1682 – p.S1846) and repeat regions (p.D606-p.D609; p.E1418-p.E1420; p.E1422-p.E1425).
Modification Type:
Strength
Not Applicable
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PM5 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Novel missense change at an amino acid residue where a different missense change determined to be pathogenic has been seen before.
Example: Arg156His is pathogenic; now you observe Arg156Cys. Caveat: Beware of changes that impact splicing rather than at the amino acid/protein level. Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
Moderate
Missense variant under evaluation should have equal or worse Grantham score. Splicing should be ruled out with either RNA data or agreement in splicing predictors (MaxEntScan and SpliceAI) that show no splicing effects. The other variant must be interpreted as pathogenic by the ClinGen DICER1 VCEP. Likely pathogenic changes do not apply. This rule cannot be applied in combination with PM1 or PS1.
Modification Type:
General recommendation
Supporting
Instructions:
All variants should be assessed by MaxEntScan (MES) and SpliceAI for predicting de novo and cryptic splice sites. However, for predicting impact to consensus splice sites, SpliceAI scores alone should be considered for variants outside the MES validation threshold, as MES is not capable of predicting native splice site impact for such variants. (MES validation threshold = last 3 nucleotides of exon through intronic position +6 (donor sites); intronic position -20 through first 3 nucleotides of exon (acceptor sites)) Not Applicable
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PM6 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Assumed de novo, but without confirmation of paternity and maternity.
Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
Moderate
Supporting
Not Applicable
Comments:
Combined with PS2. Use PS2 instead of PM6.
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PP1 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Co-segregation with disease in multiple affected family members in a gene definitively known to cause the disease.
Note: May be used as stronger evidence with increasing segregation data. Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
≥7 meioses across ≥2 families
Modification Type:
Strength
Moderate
5 – 6 meioses across ≥1 family
Modification Type:
Strength
Supporting
3 – 4 meioses across ≥1 family
Modification Type:
General recommendation
Instructions:
Phenotype-positive individuals should have high, moderate, or low-specificity phenotypes (see phenotype table). (Caveat: segregation with a single low-specificity phenotype across multiple individuals (e.g. familial Wilms tumor) does not fulfill PP1.) Do not apply PP1 if variant meets BA1/BS1 criteria. Not Applicable
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PP2 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Missense variant in a gene that has a low rate of benign missense variation and where missense variants are a common mechanism of disease.
Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
Moderate
Supporting
Not Applicable
Comments:
While DICER1 does meet recommended cutoff for missense constraint z score of ≥3.09 established by the SVI (4.23 on gnomAD) the VCEP recommends this rule not be used for DICER1 due to the presence of various missense variants throughout the gene that are clinically interpreted as benign (9) or likely benign (30) in ClinVar.
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PP3 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Multiple lines of computational evidence support a deleterious effect on the gene or gene product (conservation, evolutionary, splicing impact, etc.).
Caveat: As many in silico algorithms use the same or very similar input for their predictions, each algorithm should not be counted as an independent criterion. PP3 can be used only once in any evaluation of a variant. Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
Moderate
Supporting
For missense variants, REVEL score ≥ 0.75 OR agreement in splicing predictors predict splicing effects. For splicing variants, concordance of MaxEntScan and SpliceAI.
Modification Type:
Disease-specific
Instructions:
All variants should be assessed by MaxEntScan (MES) and SpliceAI for predicting de novo and cryptic splice sites. However, for predicting impact to consensus splice sites, SpliceAI scores alone should be considered for variants outside the MES validation threshold, as MES is not capable of predicting native splice site impact for such variants. (MES validation threshold = last 3 nucleotides of exon through intronic position +6 (donor sites); intronic position -20 through first 3 nucleotides of exon (acceptor sites)) Not Applicable
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PP4 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Patient’s phenotype or family history is highly specific for a disease with a single genetic etiology.
Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
Moderate
Supporting
Somatic tumor testing identifies somatic hotspot second hit and no additional somatic LOF variants. Tumor testing6 of a neoplasm with known DICER1 association in a proband who carries the germline variant under evaluation reveals the following:
Modification Type:
Disease-specific
Not Applicable
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PP5 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Reputable source recently reports variant as pathogenic, but the evidence is not available to the laboratory to perform an independent evaluation.
Not Applicable
This criterion is not for use as recommended by the ClinGen Sequence Variant Interpretation VCEP Review Committee.
PubMed : 29543229
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BA1 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Allele frequency is above 5% in Exome Sequencing Project, 1000 Genomes or Exome Aggregation Consortium.
Stand Alone
Frequency >0.003 (0.3%) in gnomAD subpopulations. Subpopulations must have >2,000 alleles tested and a minimum of 5 alleles present.
Modification Type:
Disease-specific
Very Strong
Strong
Moderate
Supporting
Instructions:
In general, the most recent/most comprehensive gnomAD version should be used. Not Applicable
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BS1 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Allele frequency is greater than expected for disorder.
Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
Frequency >0.0003 (0.03%) in gnomAD subpopulations. Subpopulations must have >2,000 alleles tested and a minimum of 5 alleles present.
Modification Type:
Disease-specific
Moderate
Supporting
Instructions:
In general, the most recent/most comprehensive gnomAD version should be used. Not Applicable
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BS2 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Observed in a healthy adult individual for a recessive (homozygous), dominant (heterozygous), or X-linked (hemizygous) disorder, with full penetrance expected at an early age.
Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
40+ unrelated females from a single source are tumor-free through age 50 (caveat: ratio of BS2-eligible females to PS4-eligible probands must be ≥ 40:1) OR 2+ observations of homozygosity in healthy individuals OR 1+ observation(s) of homozygosity in a healthy individual with status confirmed by parental testing.
Modification Type:
Disease-specific
Moderate
Supporting
10+ unrelated females from a single source are tumor-free through age 50 (caveat: ratio of BS2-eligible females to PS4-eligible probands must be ≥ 10:1) OR 2+ observations of homozygosity in individuals lacking clinical information
Modification Type:
Disease-specific
Not Applicable
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BS3 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Well-established in vitro or in vivo functional studies show no damaging effect on protein function or splicing.
Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
For intronic or synonymous variants, no splicing impact observed via RNA assay. (Should be observed more than once.)
Modification Type:
Disease-specific
Moderate
Supporting
An in vitro cleavage assay must demonstrate the variant produces both 5p and 3p microRNAs from a pre-miRNA (positive and negative controls also performed). An example of an appropriate assay to which criteria could be applied is Wu et al. 20187.
Modification Type:
Disease-specific
Instructions:
This rule should be used and weighted appropriately for variants with functional evidence of no splicing impact and/or no reduced DICER1 ability to cleave pre-miRNA. Follow SVI guidance regarding control numbers for functional studies. Not Applicable
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BS4 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Lack of segregation in affected members of a family.
Caveat: The presence of phenocopies for common phenotypes (i.e. cancer, epilepsy) can mimic lack of segregation among affected individuals. Also, families may have more than one pathogenic variant contributing to an autosomal dominant disorder, further confounding an apparent lack of segregation. Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
Family members should be phenotype-positive (must be high- or moderatespecificity phenotype; see phenotype table), genotype-negative 1st, 2nd, or 3rd degree relatives of the proband.
Modification Type:
General recommendation
Moderate
Supporting
Not Applicable
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BP1 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Missense variant in a gene for which primarily truncating variants are known to cause disease.
Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
Moderate
Supporting
Not Applicable
Comments:
This rule code does not apply to this gene, as truncating variants account for only a portion of disease-causing variants.
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BP2 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Observed in trans with a pathogenic variant for a fully penetrant dominant gene/disorder or observed in cis with a pathogenic variant in any inheritance pattern.
Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
Moderate
Supporting
≥1 observation in trans with P/LP DICER1 variant or ≥3 observations in cis or phase unknown with 2+ different P/LP DICER1 variants.
Modification Type:
Disease-specific
Not Applicable
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BP3 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
In frame-deletions/insertions in a repetitive region without a known function.
Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
Moderate
Supporting
Not Applicable
Comments:
Not applicable at this time.
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BP4 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Multiple lines of computational evidence suggest no impact on gene or gene product (conservation, evolutionary, splicing impact, etc)
Caveat: As many in silico algorithms use the same or very similar input for their predictions, each algorithm cannot be counted as an independent criterion. BP4 can be used only once in any evaluation of a variant. Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
Moderate
Supporting
For missense variants, REVEL score < 0.50 and agreement in splicing predictors that no splicing effects are predicted. For synonymous/intronic/non-coding variants concordance of MaxEntScan and SpliceAI.
Modification Type:
Disease-specific
Instructions:
All variants should be assessed by MaxEntScan (MES) and SpliceAI for predicting de novo and cryptic splice sites. However, for predicting impact to consensus splice sites, SpliceAI scores alone should be considered for variants outside the MES validation threshold, as MES is not capable of predicting native splice site impact for such variants. (MES validation threshold = last 3 nucleotides of exon through intronic position +6 (donor sites); intronic position -20 through first 3 nucleotides of exon (acceptor sites)) Not Applicable
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BP5 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Variant found in a case with an alternate molecular basis for disease.
Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
Moderate
Supporting
Not Applicable
Comments:
Given the broad spectrum of DICER1-related neoplasms and the General recommendation lack of evidence of other high-penetrance germline variants that could account for such neoplasms (except perhaps for some already low-specificity phenotypes such as Wilms tumor), this rule should not be used at this time.
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BP6 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
Reputable source recently reports variant as benign, but the evidence is not available to the laboratory to perform an independent evaluation.
Not Applicable
This criterion is not for use as recommended by the ClinGen Sequence Variant Interpretation VCEP Review Committee.
PubMed : 29543229
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BP7 | ||||
Original ACMG Summary
A synonymous variant for which splicing prediction algorithms predict no impact to the splice consensus sequence nor the creation of a new splice site AND the nucleotide is not highly conserved.
Stand Alone
Very Strong
Strong
Moderate
Supporting
Silent variant OR Intronic variant at or beyond +7 to -21 positions OR Other intronic or non-coding variant if the variant is the reference nucleotide in ≥1 primate and/or ≥4 mammalian species. Caveat: Variant must meet BP4 to apply BP7
Modification Type:
General recommendation
Not Applicable
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