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Original Studies |
Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism & Molecular Medicine (P.K., O.K.A. L.S., T.K., J.L.J.), Department of Preventive Medicine (J.D.)2, Northwestern University, Chicago, USA; Unidade de Tiroide, Hospital das Clinicas, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil (H.C., C.L.S.S., G.M.N.).
Address correspondence and requests for reprints to: Peter Kopp, M.D., Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Northwestern University, Tarry 15, 303 Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611. E-mail: p-kopp{at}nwu.edu
| Abstract |
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| Introduction |
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Initial reports on linkage of Pendreds syndrome to chromosome
7q2231.1 were confirmed in subsequent studies and demonstrated
genetic homogeneity (6, 7, 8, 9). These studies also excluded the genes
encoding thyroglobulin (chromosomal location 8q24), thyroperoxidase
(2p25), or the thyroid hormone receptor
(17q11.2) and ß (3p24.3)
in the pathogenesis of this syndrome. By studying additional
consanguineous kindreds, Everett et al.(10) further refined
the critical region from about 1.7 centiMorgans (cM) to a genetic
distance of 1.1 cM and ultimately identified the gene found to be
defective in patients affected with Pendreds syndrome. The Pendred
syndrome gene (PDS) contains an open reading frame of 2343
bp and encompasses 21 exons. The predicted gene product, pendrin, is a
highly hydrophobic 780 amino-acid protein with 11 putative
transmembrane domains. Based on its high homology to several sulfate
transporters found in yeast, plants, and animals, pendrin is thought to
exert a similar functional role (10, 11). Remarkably, mutations have
not only been found in patients with Pendreds syndrome, but also in a
family with non-syndromic deafness (12).
The present study on a large and highly inbred kindred with numerous individuals with deafness and goiter revealed that only a minority of them have true Pendreds syndrome, and that other pathogenic mechanisms generated an identical clinical phenotype in several family members. Because of the possibility of phenocopies, the diagnosis of Pendreds syndrome may therefore be difficult if it is established solely on clinical findings.
| Material and Methods |
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Some of the clinical features of this pedigree have been
presented previously (3, 13). This complex and highly inbred kindred
lives in the remote and poorly developed Serra Talhada region of
Northeastern Brazil (Fig. 1
). Of note,
further information led to some revisions of the family trees. The
index patient (VI-22), a single female of 37 yr, had congenital
deafness, but a normal somatic development and no signs of
hypothyroidism. Her parents are first cousins (Fig. 1
). Clinically she was found to have a
goiter, and on ultrasonographic examination, several small cysts and
microcalcifications were found in the enlarged thyroid gland with an
estimated weight of 27 g. Computer tomography of the inner ear
revealed the presence of a Mondini cochlea. The perchlorate test was
positive with a discharge of 26% of the incorporated iodide 2 h
after administration of 1 gram KClO4. Her thyroid function
tests confirmed a euthyroid metabolic state: T4 9 µg/dL (4.510.5),
free T4 1.3 ng/dL (0.952.93), T3 120 ng/dL (80200), TSH 2 mU/L
(0.54). Her serum thyroglobulin was 23.5 ng/mL, and both
anti-thyroglobulin and anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies were normal. A
TRH stimulation test (200 µg) showed a relatively pronounced
TSH-response: basal TSH 2 mU/L, 30 min after TRH 36.4 mU/L.
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Thyroid weight was estimated by inspection and palpation using the criteria established by the Pan American Health Organization for public health studies conducted in the field (14). In six patients of this kindred it was also possible to examine the thyroid by ultrasonography using a portable ALOKA SSD500 instrument with a 7.5 MHz probe (Aloka Instruments, Tokyo, Japan), confirming the presence of an enlarged thyroid gland in four of these six patients.
The perchlorate test could only be peformed in a subset of the patients (VI-4, VI-9, VI-17, VI-20, VI-22, VI-24, VII-15). Two hours after administration of 131-iodine (50 µCi), 1 g KClO4 was administered, and the discharge was determined after 1 and 2 h.
Linkage studies
DNA was extracted from peripheral leukocytes by standard techniques. PCR was performed with fluorescently labeled primers flanking polymorphic loci (PE Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA; Research Genetics, Inc.,Huntsville, AL) in 15 µL reactions containing 50 ng of genomic DNA. The samples were electrophoresed on 6% denaturing gels (0.4 mm) at 800 V/40 mA/28 W on a DNA sequencer (ABI 373A, PE Applied Biosystems) and analyzed using the Genescan 672 Software (PE Applied Biosysttems, Foster City, CA).
Statistical analysis
Linkage analysis was performed using the software LINKAGE 5.1, with the subroutines ILINK and MLINK from the FASTLINK 3.0 package (15, 16, 17). Two-point logarithm of the odds (LOD) scores were computed separately for the left and right side of the pedigree because of the highly inbred structure. The analysis was performed assuming a fully penetrant autosomal recessive gene with an allele frequency of 0.01. Allelic frequencies of the markers were set to 1/n, where n is the number of distinct alleles present in the pedigree. The analysis was also performed independently for various definitions of the affection status.
DNA sequencing
Exons 2 to 21 of the PDS gene were amplified with primers and conditions reported by Everett et al. (10). The PCR products were purified with Centricon 100 columns (Amicon, Beverely, MA), and both strands were sequenced directly using FS AmpliTaq DNA polymerase with an ABI prism rhodamine dye primer cycle sequencing kit, following the protocol of the supplier. Sequencing products were analyzed on a 373A Sequencer (PE Applied Biosystems).
ScaI restriction analysis
The detected mutation (see Results) eliminates a ScaI restriction site at 279 bp of the coding sequence. The presence of the mutation was therefore independently confirmed by restriction analysis with ScaI (Promega Corp., Madison, WI). A 411 bp fragment encompassing exon 3 was generated by PCR. Gel-purified PCR product (1 µg) was digested with 20 U ScaI overnight at 37 C. After digestion, the DNA fragments were separated on a 1% agarose gel and visualized with ethidium bromide. Digestion of the wild type allele results in two fragments of 288 and 123 bp.
| Results |
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The phenotypes and genotypes of the individuals of this highly
inbred pedigree are summarized in Fig. 1
. Deafness was found in nine
individuals and was of prelingual onset in all of them. Six deaf
individuals of this kindred were not homozygous for the PDS
gene mutation; three were heterozygous, and three were homozygous for
the wild type allele.
Results of the thyroid function tests are shown in Fig. 2
. All individuals had normal peripheral
hormone levels. TSH was minimally elevated with 4.2 mU/L in individual
VII-10, a female homozygous for the PDS wild type allele,
and slightly below the normal range (0.3 mU/L) in the unaffected female
VII-21, whose genotype is not known. In addition, serum thyroglobulin
levels, which may be elevated in patients with Pendreds syndrome (3),
were within normal limits in almost all patients and minimally elevated
in three individuals (Fig. 2
). The thyroperoxidase antibodies were
elevated in a patient homozygous for the wild type allele and normal
thyroid function tests (VII-4), but they were normal in all other
individuals (data not shown).
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DNA sequencing and ScaI restriction analysis
Sequence analysis of the PDS gene revealed that the
index patient (VI-22) with the classical triad deafness, positive
perchlorate test, and goiter is homozygous for a deletion of thymidine
279 in exon 3, resulting in a frameshift and a premature stop codon at
amino acid 96 (Fig. 3
). This premature
stop results in truncation of the protein in the first transmembrane
domain (Fig. 4
). Two other patients with
deafness (VI-17, VII-9) were also found to be homozygous for this
mutation (Fig. 1
). The mutation eliminates a restriction site for
ScaI at 279 bp of the complementary DNA. This allowed
independent confirmation of the mutation by restriction analysis (Fig. 3
). In all 36 patients analyzed at the molecular level, the presence or
absence of the mutation was determined both by sequence and restriction
analysis in 2 separate batches of DNA.
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In the inital phase of the project, linkage studies were performed
with polymorphic markers located within or in proximity to the loci for
thyroid hormone receptor ß, thyroid hormone receptor
,
thyroglobulin, and thyroperoxidase. After publication of reports on
linkage of Pendreds syndrome to chromosome 7q2231.1 (6, 7), this
chromosomal region was analyzed as well. However, these studies showed
no statistically significant linkage to this chromosomal region (data
not shown).
After detection of the mutation in the PDS gene in the index
patient and mutational analysis of the entire kindred, it became
apparent that numerous individuals homozygous for the wild type allele,
or only heterozygous for the mutation, also presented with prelingual
deafness and goiter (Fig. 1
). Haplotype analysis indicated that the
three subjects homozygous for the mutation (VI-17, VI-22, VII-9) were
homozygous for all determined alleles between D7S501 and D7S523 (Fig. 5
). The haplotype of the mother (V-16) of
the index patient (VI-22) was homozygous for these same alleles between
D7S501 and GATA21H01, but differed between D7S525 and D7S486. Based on
this haplotype constellation, it is therefore likely that the
heterozygous individuals VI-19, VI-21, VI-23, and VI-25 inherited the
affected allele from the mother, whereas VI-20 inherited the mutated
allele from the father. Important is the observation that the four
brothers VII-14, VII-15, VII-16, and VII-17 with prelingual deafness,
have a clearly distinct haplotype (Fig. 5
). The fact that three of the
seven siblings of this nuclear family are deaf suggests that a distinct
genetic defect may be causing the hearing loss in these patients.
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| Discussion |
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Goiter is very frequent in this region of Northeastern Brazil, and the major etiologic factor is iodine deficiency (18). Iodine deficiency has been appreciated as a modifying factor of Pendreds syndrome in several clinical studies (18, 19, 20). The high degree of consanguinity in this kindred, together with the pronounced genetic heterogeneity for deafness, make it likely that the prelingual hearing defect is also due to a hereditary cause in the individuals without PDS mutations. This is supported by the fact that at least 50% of the patients with prelingual deafness are thought to have a genetic etiology (21), and about 70% are caused by single gene mutations (22).
The mutation found in this kindred truncates pendrin in the first
transmembrane domain (Fig. 3
). The previously reported mutations in the
PDS gene of patients with Pendreds syndrome resulted in
premature truncations of the protein in transmembrane domain 9 or 10
(frameshift at amino acid 446 with premature stop at 453; frameshift at
amino acid 400 with premature stop at 430) or disruption of a highly
conserved region (Phe667Cys) in the extracellular carboxyterminus (Fig. 4
). In the family with non-syndromic deafness associated with a pendrin
mutation, a point mutation Gly497Ser in transmembrane domain 11 is
likely to result in a functional alteration of the protein (12) (Fig. 4
). The mutated allele harbored an additional amino acid change,
Ile490Leu; this rather conservative alteration may be a simple
polymorphism, but given the absence of any functional studies on
pendrin there is no formal proof for this hypothesis.
Although the function of pendrin is not known, it is thought to be a sulfate transporter based on its high homology to members of this family found in yeast, plants, and animals (10). The closest relatives of the PDS gene are the human DRA (down regulated in adenoma) and the DTD (diastrophic dystrophia) genes (23, 24). Notably, DRA is telomerically oriented in a head-to-tail arrangement in close vicinity to PDS, suggesting an ancient gene duplication. DRA encodes an intestine-specific sulfate transporter which is mutated in congenital chloride diarrhea (23, 25). Mutations in the DTD gene can result in various subtypes of chondrodysplasias caused by impaired development and stability of connective tissues (24, 26).
The function of pendrin and its role in thyroid follicular cells, as well as inner ear development and physiology, remain to be defined. As demonstrated by Northern analysis, PDS gene expression is almost exclusively found in the thyroid gland (10). Only weak signals were demonstrated in adult and fetal kidney, as well as in fetal brain, and PDS expression was also found to be positive by probing a human cochlear cDNA library (10). Thyroglobulin is known to contain sulfate in complex carbohydrates (27, 28, 29), and the impaired organification of iodide commonly observed in patients with Pendreds syndrome could point to a role of pendrin in the sulfation of thyroglobulin (30). Of particular interest is the functional role of pendrin in the inner ear, as PDS defines a new class of deafness genes, a category that is rapidly expanding (31). Pendrin may play a role in inner ear development since one of the most striking features of Pendreds syndrome is the Mondini cochlea. Based on the fact that mutations in sulfate transporters like DTD can cause chondrodysplasias, it is tempting to speculate that mutations in PDS may cause a local form of chondrodysplasia resulting in malformation of the cochlea. Alternatively, pendrin may also play a role as transporter of sulfate or other anions in the inner ear.
In conclusion, a subset of individuals in this complex kindred with the characteristic signs for Pendreds syndrome, deafness and goiter, are homozygous for a novel mutation in the PDS gene. This report illustrates, however, that clinical evaluation may be confounded by the presence of phenocopies caused by distinct environmental or genetic factors. This observation, together with the findings of Li et al.(12) on a family with non-syndromic deafness without cochlear malformations, indicates that analysis of the PDS gene may be crucial for establishing an accurate diagnosis. This study gives further support to the notion that the non-syndromic deafness linked to the DFNB4 locus on chromosome 7q31 is in fact an allelic form of the syndromic hearing loss in Pendreds syndrome (32). Further studies on patients with Pendreds syndrome are particularly important because this disorder may be the cause of both syndromic and non-syndromic deafness in a large number of patients. Molecular analysis of the PDS gene is useful in making a definite diagnosis and will be helpful in determining the true prevalence of this disorder.
| Acknowledgments |
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| Footnotes |
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2 Current address: Josée Dupuis, Genome Therapeutics Corporation,
100 Beaver Street, Waltham, Massachusettes 02154. ![]()
Received August 4, 1998.
Revised September 30, 1998.
Accepted October 12, 1998.
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