Identification of ZBTB26 as a Novel Risk Factor for Congenital Hypothyroidism

Congenital primary hypothyroidism (CH; OMIM 218700) is characterized by an impaired thyroid development, or dyshormonogenesis, and can lead to intellectual disability and growth retardation if untreated. Most of the children with congenital hypothyroidism present thyroid dysgenesis, a developmental anomaly of the thyroid. Various genes have been associated with thyroid dysgenesis, but all known genes together can only explain a small number of cases. To identify novel genetic causes for congenital hypothyroidism, we performed trio whole-exome sequencing in an affected newborn and his unaffected parents. A predicted damaging de novo missense mutation was identified in the ZBTB26 gene (Zinc Finger A and BTB Domain containing 26). An additional cohort screening of 156 individuals with congenital thyroid dysgenesis identified two additional ZBTB26 gene variants of unknown significance. To study the underlying disease mechanism, morpholino knock-down of zbtb26 in Xenopus laevis was carried out, which demonstrated significantly smaller thyroid anlagen in knock-down animals at tadpole stage. Marker genes expressed in thyroid tissue precursors also indicated a specific reduction in the Xenopus ortholog of human Paired-Box-Protein PAX8, a transcription factor required for thyroid development, which could be rescued by adding zbtb26. Pathway and network analysis indicated network links of ZBTB26 to PAX8 and other genes involved in thyroid genesis and function. GWAS associations of ZBTB26 were found with height. Together, our study added a novel genetic risk factor to the list of genes underlying congenital primary hypothyroidism and provides additional support that de novo mutations, together with inherited variants, might contribute to the genetic susceptibility to CH.

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Screening for Congenital Hypothyroidism With Specimen Collection at Two Time Periods: Results of the Northwest Regional Screening Program

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.76.5.734 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 76 (5) ◽

pp. 734-740

Author(s):

Stephen H. LaFranchi ◽

Cheryl E. Hanna ◽

Patricia L. Krainz ◽

Michael R. Skeels ◽

Richard S. Miyahira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Congenital Hypothyroidism ◽

Filter Paper ◽

Age Of Onset ◽

Screening Program ◽

Thyroid Tissue ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone ◽

Primary Hypothyroidism ◽

Skeletal Maturation ◽

Second Screen

To determine the benefit of collecting two routine specimens to test for congenital hypothyroidism, we examined the results of our newborn screening program during the last 9.5 years. The Northwest Regional Screening Program (NWRSP) performs a primary thyroxine test with thyroid-stimulating hormone determinations on the lowest 10% of dried blood filter paper specimens. An initial specimen is obtained in the newborn period, and a routine second specimen is collected at approximately 4 to 6 weeks of age in all infants born in Oregon and 25% of infants born in Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and Nevada. Between May 1975 and October 1984, 182 infants with primary hypothyroidism were detected from 811,917 infants screened, a prevalence rate of 1:4,461. The routine second specimen led to the diagnosis of 19 infants of 484,604 infants screened, a detection rate of 1:25,505. When infants detected by the second screen were compared with those detected by the first screen, they had higher thyroxine and lower thyroidstimulating hormone concentrations on filter paper and serum specimens. When thyroid scanning was used, all but one infant detected by the second screen had some residual thyroid tissue, whereas 35% of infants detected by the first screen had thyroid aplasia. Skeletal maturation was more likely to be normal in infants detected by the second screen. These infants appear to have milder hypothyroidism due to a later age of onset or slower evolution of thyroid failure. At a cost of $31,881 per infant detected by the second screen, the NWRSP found it cost-effective to obtain a routine second specimen.

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Identification of PENDRIN (SLC26A4) Mutations in Patients With Congenital Hypothyroidism and “Apparent” Thyroid Dysgenesis

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism ◽

10.1210/jc.2013-2619 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 99 (1) ◽

pp. E169-E176 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Peter Kühnen ◽

Serap Turan ◽

Sebastian Fröhler ◽

Tülay Güran ◽

Saygin Abali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Exome Sequencing ◽

Missense Mutation ◽

Congenital Hypothyroidism ◽

Thyroid Tissue ◽

Primary Defect ◽

Thyroid Dysgenesis ◽

Homozygous Missense Mutation ◽

Slc26a4 Gene ◽

Thyroid Hormone Biosynthesis ◽

First Time

Context: Congenital hypothyroidism, the most frequent endocrine congenital disease, can occur either based on a thyroid hormone biosynthesis defect or can predominantly be due to thyroid dysgenesis. However, a genetic cause could so far only be identified in less than 10% of patients with a thyroid dysgenesis. Objectives: Exome sequencing was used for the first time to find additional genetic defects in thyroid dysgenesis. Patients and Methods: In a consanguineous family with thyroid dysgenesis, exome sequencing was applied, and findings were further validated by Sanger sequencing in a cohort of 94 patients with thyroid dysgenesis. Results: By exome sequencing we identified a homozygous missense mutation (p.Leu597Ser) in the SLC26A4 gene of a patient with hypoplastic thyroid tissue, who was otherwise healthy. In the cohort of patients with thyroid dysgenesis, we observed a second case with a homozygous missense mutation (p.Gln413Arg) in the SLC26A4 gene, who was additionally affected by severe hearing problems. Both mutations were previously described as loss-of-function mutations in patients with Pendred syndrome and nonsyndromic enlarged vestibular aqueduct. Conclusion: We unexpectedly identified SLC26A4 mutations that were hitherto diagnosed in thyroid dyshormonogenesis patients, now for the first time in patients with structural thyroid defects. This result resembles the historic description of thyroid atrophy in patients with the so-called myxedematous form of cretinism after severe iodine deficiency. Most likely the thyroid defect of the two homozygous SLC26A4 gene mutation carriers represents a kind of secondary thyroid atrophy, rather than a primary defect of thyroid development in the sense of thyroid agenesis. Our study extends the variable clinical spectrum of patients with SLC26A4 mutations and points out the necessity to analyze the SLC26A4 gene in patients with apparent thyroid dysgenesis in addition to the known candidate genes TSHR, PAX8, NKX2.1, NKX2.5, and FOXE1.

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