Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2009) 20 P232

1Endocrinology and Diabetes Research Group, Hospital de Cruces, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain; 2CIBERER, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain.


Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) is a term applied to a heterogeneous group of disorders whose common feature is resistance to parathyroid hormone. Most of the PHP forms are caused by defects in GNAS: PHP-Ia (characterized by PTH and TSH resistance with Albright Hereditary Osteodystrophy) is caused by heterozygous inactivating mutations in those exons of GNAS encoding the α subunit of the stimulatory G-protein, and the autosomal dominant form of PHP-Ib (PTH and TSH resistance without phenotypic manifestations) is caused by alteration in the methylation pattern of the locus, usually associated with microdeletions at STX16 gene that are maternally transmitted.

Aim: To analyze the complete GNAS locus, including deletions at STX16, in order to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in the etiology of pseudohypoparathyroidism.

Methods: G activity, GNAS mutation and haplotype, and GNAS methylation analyses were performed for the probands and family members.

Results: The genetic and epigenetic study of 60 PHP patients revealed 25 point mutations (all associated with PHP-Ia), two paternal 20qUPD (one PHP-Ia and one PHP-Ib) and 23 loss of imprinting at GNAS locus (nearly half of them associated with PHP-Ia), only 5 associated to previously described STX16 deletions. A 2q37 deletion was also identified.

Very preliminary studies on genotype–phenotype correlations showed that patients with epigenetic alterations are diagnosed latter than those with genetic mutations.

Conclusion: There seems to be an overlap between the molecular and clinical features of PHP-Ia and PHP-Ib as molecular alterations previously associated with PHP-Ib are also present in patients diagnosed as PHP-Ia.

Article tools

My recent searches

No recent searches.