FasGene Mutations in the Canale–Smith Syndrome, an Inherited Lymphoproliferative Disorder Associated with Autoimmunity

Abstract
The Canale–Smith syndrome is a childhood disorder characterized by lymphadenopathy and autoimmunity. The similarity between this syndrome and that in mice with the lymphoproliferation (lpr ) phenotype or the generalized-lymphoproliferative-disease (gld) phenotype led us to investigate whether it too is caused by mutations of the Fas gene (lpr mice) or the Fas ligand (gld mice), which regulate apoptosis in lymphocytes.