Late Diagnosis of 5Alpha Steroid-Reductase Deficiency Due to IVS12A>G Mutation of the Srd5a2 Gene in an Adolescent Girl Presented with Primary Amenorrhea
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HORMONES 2011, 10(3):230-235 Case Report Late diagnosis of 5alpha steroid-reductase deficiency due to IVS12A>G mutation of the SRD5a2 gene in an adolescent girl presented with primary amenorrhea Nicos Skordis,1,2 Christos Shammas,2 Elisavet Efstathiou,1 Amalia Sertedaki,3 Vassos Neocleous,2 Leonidas Phylactou2 1Pediatric Endocrine Unit, Makarios Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus, 2Department of Molecular Genetics Function & Therapy, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus, 3Unit of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, First Department of Pediatrics, Athens University, Medical School, Athens, Greece ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: The clinical spectrum of 5α-reductase deficiency, caused by mutations in the SRD5A2 gene, ranges from complete female appearance of the external genitalia at birth to nearly complete male phenotype. CASE REPORT: A 14-year-old girl presented with primary amenorrhea (PA) and lack of breast development. She was 173 cm in height, had an increased amount of pubic hair and clitoromegaly (3 cm), with a 4 cm blind vaginal pouch. Gonads were palpable in the inguinal canal bilaterally and no uterus was identified on ultrasound. C hromosomal analysis showed a 46,XY karyotype. The Testosterone/DHT ratio was high (16.5) and further increased to 29.4 after stimulation with hCG, thus favouring the diagnosis of 5α-reductase deficiency. Since the issue of gender change was not considered, gonadectomy was performed followed by successful feminisation with hormonal replacement therapy. GE- NETIC STUDIES: Molecular analysis of the SRD5A2 gene by DNA sequencing of all 5 exons revealed the presence of the splice mutation A>G at position -2 of the acceptor site of intron 1/exon 2 (IVS1-2A>G) in homozygosity. Both non-consanguineous parents were found to be heterozygotes for this mutation. CONCLUSIONS: Although rare, SRD5A2 gene defect should be suspected in any girl presenting with PA and virilisation at puberty. The IVS1-2A>G muta- tion of the SRD5A2 gene predominates in Greek-Cypriot patients with 5α-reductase deficiency and very likely reflects a founder effect. Key words: 46,XY disorder of sex development (DSD), 5α-reductase, Male pseudohermaphro- ditism, SRD5A2 gene Address for correspondence: INTRODUCTION Nicos Skordis, MD, Pediatric Endocrine Unit, Dept of Paediatrics, Nicosia 1474, Cyprus, Tel.: +357 22405000, Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is essential for the Fax: +357 22305072, e-mail: [email protected] normal development of male external genitalia. DHT Received 02-01-11, Revised 02-03-11, Accepted 22-04-11 is derived from testosterone (T) by a process catalysed Late diagnosis of 5alpha-reductase deficiency 231 by the membrane-bound steroid 5a-reductase enzyme. CASE PRESENTATION Impaired DHT synthesis caused by 5alpha steroid A 14-year-old girl of non-consanguineous parents reductase deficiency (5α-reductase deficiency) can presented with PA and lack of breast development. lead to incomplete masculinisation of the external She was 173 cm in height, obviously virilised with genitalia in subjects with a 46,XY karyotype.1 The clini- an increased amount of pubic hair extended to the cal spectrum of a 46,XY individual with 5α-reductase inner thigh area and clitoromegaly (3 cm). She also deficiency at birth can range from complete female had a deep voice and prominent Adam’s apple. Go- appearance of the external genitalia to nearly complete nads were palpable in the inguinal canal bilaterally. male phenotype. Most patients, however, present She underwent a gynaecological examination which with genital ambiguity and are diagnosed in infancy. showed a 4 cm blind vaginal pouch. No uterus was At puberty 46,XY patients show virilisation without identified on pelvic ultrasound. breast development, often accompanied by gender identity change, from female to male in individuals in whom gonads had not been removed.2-5 LAORBORAT Y INVESTIGATION AND RESULTS The enzyme steroid 5α-reductase exists as two Chromosomal analysis showed a normal male isoforms, 5α-R type 1 and 5α-R type 2, which have 46,XY karyotype. The diagnosis of 5α-reductase a different expression pattern. Type 1 isoenzyme is deficiency was suspected based on biochemical find- encoded by the SRD5A1 gene located on chromosome ings at base line and following hCG stimulation 5 and expressed at low levels in the prostate, whereas test (hCG 3000 Units daily for 3 consecutive days). type 2 isoenzyme is encoded by the SRD5A2 gene As shown in Table 1, the patient’s Testosterone to that maps on chromosome 2 and is expressed at high DHT ratio (T/DHT) was elevated before (16.6) and levels in the prostate and in many other androgen- further increased after hCG stimulation (29.5). The sensitive tissues.6 diagnosis of 17β-HSD-3, which may have similar 5α-reductase deficiency is caused by mutations clinical presentation, seemed unlikely because of the in the SRD5A2 gene, whereas the SRD5A1 gene has normal response of androstenedione. not been found to be mutated in this disease. To Molecular studies date, 54 different mutations of the SRD5A2 gene The screening for the IVS1-2A>G mutation in have been reported 42 of which are missense/non- our population previously reported showed a carrier sense mutations (http://www.hgmd.cf.ac.uk/ac/gene. php?gene=SRD5A2). Several SRD5A2 mutations have been identified in various populations, while others have only been described in specific ethnic groups. Table 1. Results of the hCG stimulation test (A) and the GnRH Given the significant advances in understanding the stimulation test (B) molecular basis of abnormal sexual development, it A is important to integrate current knowledge to estab- Hormones Before After lish the exact diagnosis in any subject with defects in Testosterone nmol/L 18.2 32.4 sexual differentiation. DHEAS nmol/L 4838.4 5199.4 Although most individuals with 5α-reductase de- Androsteredione nmol/L 18.5 17.5 ficiency are identified in the neonatal period because DHT nmol/L 1.10 1.10 of ambiguous genitalia, some are misdiagnosed as T/DHT 16.6 29.5 androgen insensitivity syndrome, as they often present B with the same clinical phenotype, while others escape Hormones 0 30 60 recognition completely. The current report describes FSH IU/L 10.7 17.7 20.2 the identification of the IVS1-2A>G mutation of LH IU/L 6.7 49.5 49 the SRD5A2 gene in homozygosity in an adolescent Estradiol pmol/L 102.3 - - girl presented with primary amenorrhea (PA) and SHBG nmol/L 24 - - virilisation. 232 N. SKORDIS ET AL rate of 0.98%, or 2 in 204 [95% Poisson confidence this stage. The patient was subsequently placed on interval (CI), 0.12-3.54% and/or using the binomial hormonal replacement therapy and she was success- CI, 0.12-3.5%].7 fully feminised. DNA sequencing of all five exons of the SRD5A2 gene was carried out in the patient and her parents, DISCUSSION 8 as previously described. Briefly, genomic DNA was The present report describes the clinical and mo- subjected to PCR amplification with the forward lecular characteristics of a 14-year-old virilised girl, primer 5’ gttaaggcgaaatggcagag 3’ and the reverse who presented with PA and was finally diagnosed primer 5’acgaggtcattgcagtaggg 3’, which selectively as a 46,XY individual with 5α-reductase deficiency. amplify part of intron 1 and exon 2 of the SRD5A2 The typical clinical features in 46,XY males with gene producing a fragment of 382 bp. For the de- 5α-reductase deficiency are generally those initially tection of the IVS1-2A>G mutation at the splice reported.4 Currently, the diagnosis of 5α-reductase junction intron 1/exon 2, BstNI restriction enzyme deficiency is usually made in the newborn period digest was performed. For confirmation of the iden- because most affected individuals present with am- tified IVS1-2A>G mutation, direct sequencing was biguous genitalia.9 Some children, however, either also employed on an automated Beckman Coulter escape diagnosis or they are misdiagnosed as having CEQ 2000 sequencer. The IVS1-2A>G mutation of partial or complete androgen insensitivity syndrome. SRD5A2 gene was identified in a homozygous state The application of molecular testing is a mandatory in our patient (Figure 1). diagnostic tool for identifying the underlying cause, The diagnosis of SRD5A2 was confirmed by mo- since biochemical findings in such cases can be mis- lecular studies as indicated above. The subsequent leading.7,10 The molecular diagnostic approach using and difficult decision to be made was the possible genetic screening of the SRD5A2 gene permits diagno- gender change and consequent maintenance or re- sis without the need of dynamic testing even in patients moval of the gonads. Based on an extensive discussion, who had their testes removed.4 If the diagnosis is not genetic counselling and psychological support of the made at an early age, the child begins to virilise rather parents, the issue of gender change at this critical than feminise at puberty if the gonads have not been age of the patient was not considered appropriate or removed. The clinical signs in the present case are acceptable. Therefore, gonadectomy was performed those seen in affected individuals at puberty, namely with no plastic surgery of the external genitalia at enlargement of the phallus, virilisation, deepening of the voice, prominent Adam’s apple and absence of breast development. The late diagnosis of affected males with 5α-reductase deficiency has been less commonly reported in recent studies compared to earlier pub- lications, in which the majority of the 168 reported cases were diagnosed in infancy or childhood.4,5,8-36 Most affected subjects with 5α-reductase deficiency presented striking ambiguity of the genitalia with a clitoral-like phallus, severely bifid scrotum, pseu- dovaginal perineoscrotal hypospadias and a rudimen- tary prostate. More masculinised individuals lacked a separate vaginal opening or had a blind vaginal pouch which opened into the urethra.