J. Wang et al., A microdeletion within DAX-1 in X-linked adrenal hypoplasia congenita and hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism, J INVES MED, 47(5), 1999, pp. 232-235
Citations number
12
Categorie Soggetti
General & Internal Medicine","Medical Research General Topics
Background: X-linked adrenal hypoplasia congenita (AHC) is a developmental
disorder characterized by primary adrenal gland failure, which produces ext
reme and potentially fatal endocrine deficiencies. Hypogonadotrophic hypogo
nadism (HHG) also may be associated with AHC, AHC has been shown to result
from a variety of mutations in the DAX-1 gene, which encodes a member of th
e nuclear hormone receptor superfamily,
Methods: The proband, one of the world's oldest living patients with AHC an
d HHG, was diagnosed in 1955, He was on corticosteroid replacement therapy
since that time and androgen replacement therapy since puberty. We sequence
d his DAX-1 gene.
Results: We found a 4 bp ACTC deletion between nucleotides 1464 and 1467 in
the second exon of the normal DAX-1 sequence, This mutation caused a shift
in the reading frame and predicted a premature stop codon at amino acid po
sition 416, The mutation abolished a recognition site for DdeI, allowing fo
r confirmation by restriction analysis.
Conclusions: The position of the mutation confirms the functional importanc
e of the COOK-terminal 10% of the DAX-1 sequence, The clinical history also
reinforces the importance of early diagnosis in AHC, which can be associat
ed with longevity and no obvious morbidity after more than 40 years of horm
one replacement therapy.