ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is caused by thyroid gland (TG) dysgenesis or inadequate thyroid hormone biosynthesis in a structurally normal gland. Different etiologies are known to be associated with various clinical, biochemical and imaging markers and a subset of cases have an underlying genetic basis. Despite the presence of neonatal screening programs in the UAE, there is a lack of data on the disease etiology in the area. We aim to study the etiology of CH in our center and examine its relationship with the clinical, biochemical, genetic and radiological features. METHODS: Patients with CH who were followed in our center between 2011 and 2014 are enrolled in the study. Data collected included gender, gestational age, history of CH in a first-degree relative, initial thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine (T4) levels, imaging findings, associated disease/malformation and treatment details. Selected patients with associated systemic disease or familial CH underwent genetic testing. RESULTS: Sixty-five patients were enrolled. Ten patients underwent genetic study: seven patients with associated congenital disease/malformation, one with a sibling and two with cousins with CH. Forty-nine subjects had technetium99 and/or ultrasound scans. Dyshormonogenesis was diagnosed in two-thirds of the patients. Three patients of 10 tested had likely causative genetic mutations; two homozygous thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and one heterozygous thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) missense mutations. CONCLUSIONS: Dyshormonogenesis is the commonest etiology in CH in the studied group. It is expected that genetic mutations are more prevalent in our region due to the nature of the CH etiology and the rate of high consanguinity rate.
Subject(s)
Congenital Hypothyroidism/physiopathology , Thyroid Gland/physiopathology , Adolescent , Autoantigens/genetics , Child , Child, Preschool , Cohort Studies , Congenital Hypothyroidism/diagnostic imaging , Congenital Hypothyroidism/ethnology , Congenital Hypothyroidism/genetics , Consanguinity , Family Health/ethnology , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Hospitals, Urban , Humans , Infant , Iodide Peroxidase/genetics , Iron-Binding Proteins/genetics , Male , Mutation , Radiopharmaceuticals/administration & dosage , Receptors, Thyrotropin/genetics , Retrospective Studies , Technetium Compounds/administration & dosage , Thyroid Gland/diagnostic imaging , Ultrasonography , United Arab EmiratesABSTRACT
Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is the most common neonatal endocrine disorder and 2% of cases have a familial origin. Our aim in this study was to determine the genetic alterations in two siblings with CH coming from a consanguineous family. As CH is often inherited in an autosomal recessive manner in consanguineous/multi case-families, we first performed genetic linkage studies to all known causative CH loci followed by conventional sequencing of the linked gene. The family showed potential linkage to the TSHR locus and our attempts to amplify and sequence exon 2 of the TSHR gene continuously failed. Subsequent RT-PCR analysis using mRNA and corresponding cDNA showed a large deletion including the exon 2 of the gene. The deletion was homozygous in affected cases whilst heterozygous in carrier parents. Here we conclude that CH in both siblings of this study originates from a large deletion including the exon 2 of the TSHR gene. This study demonstrates that full sequence analysis in a candidate CH gene might not always be enough to detect genetic alterations, and additional analyses such as RT-PCR and MLPA might be necessary to describe putative genetic causes of the disease in some cases. It also underlines the importance of detailed molecular genetic studies in the definitive diagnosis and classification of CH.
Subject(s)
Congenital Hypothyroidism/genetics , Receptors, Thyrotropin/genetics , Thyroid Dysgenesis/genetics , Adolescent , Child, Preschool , Consanguinity , Exons , Female , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction , Sequence Deletion , Young AdultABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to investigate the genetic background of thyroid dyshormonogenesis (TDH). CONTEXT: Thyroid dyshormonogenesis comprises 10-15% of all cases of congenital hypothyroidism (CH), which is the most common neonatal endocrine disorder, and might result from disruptions at any stage of thyroid hormone biosynthesis. Currently seven genes (NIS, TPO, PDS, TG, IYD, DUOX2 and DUOXA2) have been implicated in the aetiology of the disease. DESIGN: As TDH is mostly inherited in an autosomal recessive manner, we planned to conduct the study in consanguineous/multi-case families. PATIENTS: One hundred and four patients with congenital TDH all coming from consanguineous and/or multi-case families. MEASUREMENTS: Initially, we performed potential linkage analysis of cases to all seven causative-TDH loci as well as direct sequencing of the TPO gene in cases we could not exclude linkage to this locus. In addition, in silico analyses of novel missense mutations were carried out. RESULTS: TPO had the highest potential for linkage and we identified 21 TPO mutations in 28 TDH cases showing potential linkage to this locus. Four of 10 distinct TPO mutations detected in this study were novel (A5T, Y55X, E596X, D633N). CONCLUSIONS: This study underlines the importance of molecular genetic studies in diagnosis, classification and prognosis of CH and proposes a comprehensive mutation screening by new sequencing technology in all newly diagnosed primary CH cases.
