Prevalence of mild apparent mineralocorticoid excess in Mennonites

We have studied an unusual patient with mild low-renin hypertension due to a homozygous mutation in the HSD11B2 gene (PNAS 95:10200-10205, 1998). The patient came from an inbred Mennonite family, and though the mutation identified her as an AME patient, she had a normal birth weight and did not demonstrate the typical features of AME, such as hypokalemic alkalosis, low birth weight, failure to thrive, poor growth, and in many cases nephrocalcinosis. Biochemically, typical patients with AME have abnormal cortisol metabolites and an exceedingly diminished ability to convert [11-3H]cortisol to cortisone. In this patient with mild AME, the conversion of cortisol to cortisone was 58% compared to 0 to 6% in typical AME patients, while the normal conversion is 90 to 95%. Molecular analysis of the HSD11B2 gene of this patient showed a homozygous mutation in codon 227 (P227L). We studied this Mennonite population for the prevalence of the P227L mutation. Our hypothesis was that this mild form of AME would be prevalent in the somewhat inbred Mennonite population to which the patient belongs. Our proposed study was 1) to determine if there are other cases of this mild form of AME, and 2) to establish the heterozygote frequency of the mutation in the Mennonites. RESULTS: We did not detect any additional cases of mild AME. We detected 15 carriers of the P227L mutation out of 445 Mennonites, resulting in a heterozygote frequency of 0.03. CONCLUSION: Since this is an inbred population, the chance of two heterozygotes marrying would be 0.001, which is 1 in 1000 people. This population is known to have large families and therefore the possibility of having an affected child is high. The population consists of 2000 members and we have discovered one affected patient. Thus, there might be one other patient in this population.     

Molecular basis for the apparent mineralocorticoid excess syndrome in the Oman population

11beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11beta-HSD2) plays a crucial role in converting hormonally active cortisol to inactive cortisone, thereby conferring specificity upon the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). Mutations in the gene encoding 11beta-HSD2 (HSD11B2) account for an inherited form of hypertension, the syndrome of "Apparent Mineralocorticoid Excess" (AME) where cortisol induces hypertension and hypokalaemia. We report five different mutations in the HSD11B2 gene in four families from Oman with a total of 9 affected children suffering from AME. Sequence data demonstrate the previously described L114Delta6nt mutation in exon 2 and new mutations in exon 3 (A221V), exon 5 (V322ins9nt) and for the first time in exon 1 (R74G and P75Delta1nt) of the HSD11B2 gene. These additional mutations provide further insight into AME and the function of the 11beta-HSD2 enzyme. The prevalence of monogenic forms of hypertension such as AME remains uncertain. However, our data suggests AME may be a relevant cause of hypertension in certain ethnic groups, such as the Oman population.     

Apparent mineralocorticoid excess.

Apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME) is a potentially fatal genetic disorder causing severe juvenile hypertension, pre- and postnatal growth failure, hypokalemia and low to undetectable levels of renin and aldosterone. It is caused by autosomal recessive mutations in the HSD11B2 gene, which result in a deficiency of 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11 beta-HSD2). The 11 beta-HSD2 enzyme is responsible for the conversion of cortisol to the inactive metabolite cortisone and, therefore, protects the mineralocorticoid receptors from cortisol intoxication. In 1998, a mild form of this disease was reported, which might represent an important cause of low-renin hypertension. Early and vigilant treatment might prevent or improve the morbidity and mortality of end-organ damage.     

Two homozygous mutations in the 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 gene in a case of apparent mineralocorticoid excess

The human microsomal 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11 beta HSD2) metabolizes active cortisol into cortisone and protects the mineralocorticoid receptor from glucocorticoid occupancy. In a congenital deficiency of 11 beta-HSD2, the protective mechanism fails and cortisol gains inappropriate access to mineralocorticoid receptor, resulting in low-renin hypertension and hypokalemia. In the present study, we describe the clinical and molecular genetic characterization of a patient with a new mutation in the HSD11B2 gene. This is a 4-yr-old male with arterial hypertension. The plasma renin activity and serum aldosterone were undetectable in the presence of a high cortisol to cortisone ratio. PCR amplification and sequence analysis of HSD11B2 gene showed the homozygous mutation in exon 4 Asp223Asn (GAC-->AAC) and a single nucleotide substitution C-->T in intron 3. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we generated a mutant 11 beta HSD2 cDNA containing the Asp223Asn mutation. Wild-type and mutant cDNA was transfected into Chinese hamster ovary cells and enzymatic activities were measured using radiolabeled cortisol and thin-layer chromatography. The mRNA and 11 beta HSD2 protein were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. Wild-type and mutant 11 beta HSD2 protein was expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells, but the mutant enzyme had only 6% of wild-type activity. In silico 3D modeling showed that Asp223Asn changed the enzyme's surface electrostatic potential affecting the cofactor and substrate enzyme-binding capacity. The single substitution C-->T in intron 3 (IVS3 + 14 C-->T) have been previously reported that alters the normal splicing of pre-mRNA, given a nonfunctional protein. These findings may determine the full inactivation of this enzyme, explaining the biochemical profile and the early onset of hypertension seen in this patient.     

In vitro expression studies of a novel mutation delta299 in a patient affected with apparent mineralocorticoid excess

Apparent mineralocorticoid excess syndrome (AME) is an autosomal recessive disorder that results in low renin hypertension and other characteristic clinical features. Typical patients present with severe hypertension, hypokalemia, and undetectable aldosterone. Most patients also have low birth weight, failure to thrive, and nephrocalcinosis. The 11betahydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11betaHSD2) defect is documented by demonstrating a failure to convert cortisol to cortisone. Here, we report a patient with typical phenotypic features of AME who does not carry any of the previously described mutations in the HSD11B2 gene. This female patient from a consanguineous Pakistani family presented at age 9 yr. She had a low birth weight compared with her siblings and presented with hypertension (225/120 mm Hg), low plasma renin activity, hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, suppressed aldosterone, and bilateral nephrocalcinosis. Echocardiogram did not reveal left ventricular hypertrophy, and baseline ophthalmological evaluation did not demonstrate hypertensive retinopathy. However, at age 12 yr, she developed mild to moderate hypertensive retinopathy. Biochemical analysis showed an elevated urinary cortisol to cortisone metabolites ratio (tetrahydrocortisol and 5alpha-tetrahydrocortisol/tetrahydrocortisone) of 28 (normal, 0.66-2.44). She had a cortisol secretion rate of 0.43 mg/d (normal, 5-25 mg/d). Sequence analysis of the HSD11B2 gene revealed a novel homozygous delta299 mutation in exon 5. In vitro expression in Chinese hamster ovary cells revealed that this mutation resulted in no activity.     

The role of the 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 in human hypertension

The 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11 PHSD2) enzyme inactivates 11 betahydroxy steroids in sodium-transporting epithelia such as the kidney, thus protecting the non-selective mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) from occupation by cortisol in humans. Inhibition by xenobiotics such as liquorice or mutations in the HSD11 B2 gene, as occur in the rare monogenic hypertensive syndrome of apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME), result in a compromised 11 betaHSD2 enzyme activity, which in turn leads to overstimulation of the MR by cortisol, sodium retention, hypokalaemia, low plasma renin and aldosterone concentrations, and hypertension. Whereas the first patients described with AME had a severe form of hypertension and metabolic derangements, with an increased urinary ratio of cortisol (THF+5alphaTHF) to cortisone (THE) metabolites, more subtle effects of mild 11 beta HSD2 deficiency on blood pressure have recently been observed. Hypertension with no other characteristic signs of AME was found in the heterozygous father of a child with AME, and we described a girl with a homozygous gene mutation resulting in only a slightly reduced 11 beta HSD2 activity causing 'essential' hypertension. Thus, depending on the degree of loss of enzyme activity, 11 beta HSD2 mutations can cause a spectrum of phenotypes ranging from severe, life-threatening hypertension in infancy to a milder form of the disease in adults. Patients with essential hypertension usually do not have overt signs of mineralocorticoid excess, but nevertheless show a positive correlation between blood pressure and serum sodium levels, or a negative correlation with potassium concentrations, suggesting a mineralocorticoid influence. Recent studies revealed a prolonged half-life of cortisol and an increased ratio of urinary cortisol to cortisone metabolites in some patients with essential hypertension. These abnormalities may be genetically determined. A genetic association of a HSD11 B2 flanking microsatellite and hypertension in black patients with end-stage renal disease has been reported. A recent analysis of a CA-repeat allele polymorphism in unselected patients with essential hypertension did not find a correlation between this marker and blood pressure. Since steroid hormones with mineralocorticoid action modulate renal sodium retention, one might hypothesize that genetic impairment of 11 beta HSD2 activity would be more prevalent in salt-sensitive as compared with salt-resistant subjects. Accordingly, we found a significant association between the polymorphic CA-microsatellite marker and salt-sensitivity. Moreover, the mean ratio of urinary cortisol to cortisone metabolites, as a measure for 11betaHSD2 activity, was markedly elevated in salt-sensitive subjects. These findings suggest that variants of the HSD11 B2 gene may contribute to the enhanced blood pressure response to salt in some humans.     

46,XY Sex Development Defect due to a Novel Homozygous (Splice Site) c.673_1G>C Variation in the HSD17B3 Gene: Case Report

The enzyme 17-β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 3 (17β-HSD3) catalyzes the biosynthesis of testosterone (T) from Δ4- androstenedione, and plays an important role in the final steps of androgen synthesis. 17β-HSD3 deficiency originates from mutations in the HSD17B gene, causing an autosomal recessive 46,XY sex developmental disorder (DSD). Patients with 46,XY karyotype can exhibit a wide phenotypic spectrum, varying from complete external female genitalia to male genitalia with hypospadias. Here we report a case of 17β-HSD3 deficiency diagnosed in the infantile period who was later found to have a novel HSD17B3 gene variation. The 14-month old patient, who exhibited a female phenotype, presented with a bilateral lump in the inguinal area. Imaging revealed bilateral testicular gonads in the inguinal area. Hormonal evaluation showed low levels of basal and stimulated serum T, a high level of androstenedione (A), and a low T/A ratio. Chromosomal analysis showed 46,XY karyotype. Sequence analysis of the HSD17B3 gene revealed a c.673_1G>C homozygous class 2 (splice site) variation in intron 9. The consanguineous parents were sequenced, and both were heterozygous for the same mutation. This variation has not been previously reported in the literature. In conclusion, a 46,XY DSD should be considered in patients with a female phenotype who exhibit gonad(s) in the inguinal area at an early age. Furthermore, in patients with insufficient T synthesis and high levels of androstenedione, 17β-HSD3 should be considered, and molecular analysis should be done for a definitive diagnosis and subsequent genetic counseling.     

Mutations in the 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type II Enzyme Associated with Hypertension and Possibly Stillbirth

The 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type II enzyme (11ßHSD2) converts cortisol into cortisone, thus preventing occupation of the non-selective mineralocorticoid receptor by glucocorticoids in the kidney. Placental 11ßHSD2 is also thought to protect the fetus from the high maternal circulating levels of glucocorticoids. Mutations generating inactive enzymes have been described in the HSD11B2 gene in the congenital syndrome of apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME) — a low renin form of hypertension. Recently, a mutation has been identified in a family with AME and in which there is a high incidence of stillbirths. In this study we have expressed the R374X mutation and show that the mutant is devoid of enzyme activity in intact mammalian cells expressing a significant level of the truncated protein. While this observation elucidates the cause of AME in this family the degree to which R374X also contributes to the higher incidence of failed pregnancies remains to be determined.     

11β-HSD1 is the major regulator of the tissue-specific effects of circulating glucocorticoid excess

The adverse metabolic effects of prescribed and endogenous glucocorticoid (GC) excess, Cushing syndrome, create a significant health burden. We found that tissue regeneration of GCs by 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1), rather than circulating delivery, is critical to developing the phenotype of GC excess; 11β-HSD1 KO mice with circulating GC excess are protected from the glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia, hepatic steatosis, adiposity, hypertension, myopathy, and dermal atrophy of Cushing syndrome. Whereas liver-specific 11β-HSD1 KO mice developed a full Cushingoid phenotype, adipose-specific 11β-HSD1 KO mice were protected from hepatic steatosis and circulating fatty acid excess. These data challenge our current view of GC action, demonstrating 11β-HSD1, particularly in adipose tissue, is key to the development of the adverse metabolic profile associated with circulating GC excess, offering 11β-HSD1 inhibition as a previously unidentified approach to treat Cushing syndrome.Estimates suggest that 1–2% of the population of the United States and United Kingdom take prescribed glucocorticoids (GCs) for the treatment of a broad spectrum of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases (1, 2). Despite the efficacy of GCs, 70% of patients experience an adverse systemic side-effect profile. The resultant Cushingoid features include central obesity, proximal myoatrophy, hypertension, skin thinning, osteoporosis, hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes (3, 4). Collectively, this contributes to increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality (5, 6). These features are replicated in patients with much rarer endogenous GC excess (Cushing syndrome), as first described by Harvey Cushing in 1932 (7). Current medical therapeutic options that reverse the tissue-specific consequences of hypercortisolism are limited.GC availability and action depend not only upon circulating levels but also on tissue-specific intracellular metabolism by 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (11β-HSDs). Key metabolic tissues including liver, adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle express 11β-HSD type 1 (11β-HSD1), which coverts inactive cortisone to active cortisol [11-dehydrocorticosterone (11DHC) and corticosterone (CORT) in rodents, respectively] (8). In the setting of GC excess, the relative contribution to the metabolic effects induced by GCs of simple delivery of active GCs (cortisol or CORT) to a target tissue, compared with the regeneration of active GCs by 11β-HSD1 within the tissue, has not been determined.Type 2 11β-HSD (11β-HSD2) is predominately expressed in the kidney, colon, and salivary gland and catalyzes the inactivation of cortisol to cortisone (CORT to 11DHC in rodents). This not only protects the mineralocorticoid receptor from occupancy by cortisol but also crucially provides substrate for 11β-HSD1 in peripheral tissues.Transgenic animal models have highlighted the critical role of 11β-HSD1 in the regulation of metabolic phenotype in individual tissues. Mice overexpressing 11β-HSD1, specifically in adipose tissue, develop visceral obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension (9, 10). Similarly, liver-specific 11β-HSD1 overexpression results in insulin resistance and hypertension, but not obesity (11). Importantly, circulating CORT levels were not elevated in either model, suggesting increased intracellular GC availability underpins the observed phenotypes. Indeed, this was confirmed in the adipose-specific 11β-HSD1–overexpressing mice, where twofold higher intraadipose CORT levels were recorded in comparison with WT controls (9). Ultimately, this has led to the development of selective 11β-HSD1 inhibitors as a potential treatment for patients with diabetes, obesity, and hypertension (12, 13).Although it is clear that 11β-HSD1 has a critical role to play in governing GC availability, its potential dynamic role in the setting of GC excess has not been fully explored (14–16). We have previously reported a patient with Cushing disease who was protected from the classic Cushing phenotype, owing to a functional defect in 11β-HSD1 activity, as evidenced by serum and urinary biomarkers (17). Based on this observation, we have hypothesized that tissue intrinsic 11β-HSD1 activity is the major determinant of the manifestations of GC excess and that 11β-HSD1 deletion will ameliorate the associated metabolic abnormalities. To determine the relative tissue-specific contribution to this effect, we have generated tissue-specific 11β-HSD1 deletions in liver and adipose tissue.     

Late-onset apparent mineralocorticoid excess caused by novel compound heterozygous mutations in the HSD11B2 gene

Mutations in the gene encoding 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2, 11beta-HSD2 (HSD11B2), explain the molecular basis for the syndrome of apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME), characterized by severe hypertension and hypokalemic alkalosis. Cortisol is the offending mineralocorticoid in AME, as the result of a lack of 11beta-HSD2-mediated cortisol to cortisone inactivation. In this study, we describe mutations in the HSD11B2 gene in 3 additional AME kindreds in which probands presented in adult life, with milder phenotypes including the original seminal case reported by Stewart and Edwards. Genetic analysis of the HSD11B2 gene revealed that all probands were compound heterozygotes, for a total of 7 novel coding and noncoding mutations. Of the 7 mutations detected, 6 were investigated for their effects on gene expression and enzyme activity by the use of mutant cDNA and minigene constructs transfected into HEK 293 cells. Four missense mutations resulted in enzymes with varying degrees of activity, all <10% of wild type. A further 2 mutations generated incorrectly spliced mRNA and predicted severely truncated, inactive enzyme. The mothers of 2 probands heterozygous for missense mutations have presented with a phenotype indistinguishable from "essential" hypertension. These genetic and biochemical data emphasize the heterogeneous nature of AME and the effects that heterozygosity at the HSD11B2 locus can have on blood pressure in later life.     

11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and its role in the syndrome of apparent mineralocorticoid excess.

Aldosterone, the most important mineralocorticoid, regulates electrolyte excretion and intravascular volume mainly through its effects on renal cortical collecting ducts, where it acts to increase sodium resorption from and potassium excretion into the urine. Excess secretion of aldosterone or other mineralocorticoids, or abnormal sensitivity to mineralocorticoids, may result in hypokalemia, suppressed plasma renin activity, and hypertension. The syndrome of apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME) is an inherited form of hypertension in which 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11-HSD) is defective. This enzyme converts cortisol to its inactive metabolite, cortisone. Because mineralocorticoid receptors themselves have similar affinities for cortisol and aldosterone, it is hypothesized that the deficiency allows these receptors to be occupied by cortisol, which normally circulates at levels far higher than those of aldosterone. We cloned cDNA and genes encoding two isozymes of 11-HSD. The liver or 11-HSD1 isozyme has relatively low affinity for steroids, is expressed at high levels in the liver but poorly in the kidney, and is not defective in AME. The kidney or 11-HSD2 isozyme has high steroid affinity and is expressed at high levels in the kidney and placenta. Mutations in the gene for the latter isozyme have been detected in all kindreds with AME. Moreover, the in vitro enzymatic activity conferred by each mutation is strongly correlated with the ratio of cortisone to cortisol metabolites in the urine, with age of diagnosis, and with birth weight. This suggests that the biochemical and clinical phenotype of AME is largely determined by genotype.     

Severe Undervirilisation in a 46,XY Case Due to a Novel Mutation in HSD17B3 Gene

17-β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 3 (17β-HSD3) is an important enzyme involved in the final steps of androgen synthesis and is required for the development of normal male external genitalia. 46,XY individuals with deficiency of this enzyme present a wide clinical spectrum from a female appearance of the external genitalia through ambiguous genitalia to a predominantly male genitalia with micropenis or hypospadias. This paper reports a one-year-old 46,XY patient with 17β-HSD3 deficiency who presented with female external genitalia and bilaterally palpable gonads in the inguinal region. The low T/Δ4 ratio after human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) stimulation suggested 17β-HSD3 deficiency. A homozygous mutation, c.761_762delAG, was determined at the intron 9/exon 10 splice site of the HSD17B3 gene. To the best of our knowledge, this mutation has not been reported thus far, but its localization and type would imply a complete disruption of the 17β-HSD3 which may explain the phenotype of our patient.     

11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 knockout mice show attenuated glucocorticoid-inducible responses and resist hyperglycemia on obesity or stress

Glucocorticoid hormones, acting via nuclear receptors, regulate many metabolic processes, including hepatic gluconeogenesis. It recently has been recognized that intracellular glucocorticoid concentrations are determined not only by plasma hormone levels, but also by intracellular 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (11β-HSDs), which interconvert active corticosterone (cortisol in humans) and inert 11-dehydrocorticosterone (cortisone in humans). 11β-HSD type 2, a dehydrogenase, thus excludes glucocorticoids from otherwise nonselective mineralocorticoid receptors in the kidney. Recent data suggest the type 1 isozyme (11β-HSD-1) may function as an 11β-reductase, regenerating active glucocorticoids from circulating inert 11-keto forms in specific tissues, notably the liver. To examine the importance of this enzyme isoform in vivo, mice were produced with targeted disruption of the 11β-HSD-1 gene. These mice were unable to convert inert 11-dehydrocorticosterone to corticosterone in vivo. Despite compensatory adrenal hyperplasia and increased adrenal secretion of corticosterone, on starvation homozygous mutants had attenuated activation of the key hepatic gluconeogenic enzymes glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, presumably, because of relative intrahepatic glucocorticoid deficiency. The 11β-HSD-1 −/− mice were found to resist hyperglycamia provoked by obesity or stress. Attenuation of hepatic 11β-HSD-1 may provide a novel approach to the regulation of gluconeogenesis.     

11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1: relevance of its modulation in the pathophysiology of obesity, the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus

Recent evidence strongly argues for a pathogenic role of glucocorticoids and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) in obesity and the metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) that includes insulin resistance (IR), dyslipidaemia, hypertension and visceral obesity. This has been partially prompted not only by the striking clinical resemblances between the metabolic syndrome and Cushing's syndrome (a state characterized by hypercortisolism that associates with metabolic syndrome components) but also from monogenic rodent models for the metabolic syndrome (e.g. the leptin-deficient ob/ob mouse or the leptin-resistant Zucker rat) that display overall increased secretion of glucocorticoids. However, systemic circulating glucocorticoids are not elevated in obese patients and/or patients with metabolic syndrome. The study of the role of 11β-HSD system shed light on this conundrum, showing that local glucocorticoids are finely regulated in a tissue-specific manner at the pre-receptor level. The system comprises two microsomal enzymes that either activate cortisone to cortisol (11β-HSD1) or inactivate cortisol to cortisone (11β-HSD2). Transgenic rodent models, knockout (KO) for HSD11B1 or with HSD11B1 or HSD11B2 overexpression, specifically targeted to the liver or adipose tissue, have been developed and helped unravel the currently undisputable role of the enzymes in metabolic syndrome pathophysiology, in each of its isolated components and in their prevention. In the transgenic HSD11B1 overexpressing models, different features of the metabolic syndrome and obesity are replicated. HSD11B1 gene deficiency or HSD11B2 gene overexpression associates with improvements in the metabolic profile. In face of these demonstrations, research efforts are now being turned both into the inhibition of 11β-HSD1 as a possible pharmacological target and into the role of dietary habits on the establishment or the prevention of the metabolic syndrome, obesity and T2DM through 11β-HSD1 modulation. We intend to review and discuss 11β-HSD1 and obesity, the metabolic syndrome and T2DM and to highlight the potential of its inhibition for therapeutic or prophylactic approaches in those metabolic diseases.     

Genotype-phenotype correlations of mutations and polymorphisms in HSD11B2, the gene encoding the kidney isozyme of 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase

Mutations in the HSD11B2 gene encoding the kidney (11-HSD2) isozyme of 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase cause the syndrome of apparent mineralocorticoid excess, a form of salt-sensitive hypertension. Enzymatic activities of mutant enzymes measured in cultured cells are correlated with several parameters of clinical severity including urinary steroid product:precursor ratios, age at diagnosis, birth weight and potassium levels, but not with blood pressure. In normals or in subjects with essential hypertension, sensitivity of blood pressure to salt loading is correlated with activity of renal 11-HSD2, as measured by an increase in the ratio of urinary free cortisol/urinary free cortisone (UFF/UFE), and also correlated with length of a CA repeat polymorphism in the first intron of HSD11B2. A functional explanation for these associations remains to be elucidated.     

表观盐皮质类固醇激素过多综合征的研究进展

表观盐皮质类固醇激素过多综合征（AME）是由于11β-羟化类固醇脱氢酶2（11β-HSD2）缺陷所致的常染色体隐性遗传性疾病。11β-HSD2转化皮质醇为无活性的皮质酮,从而保护醛固酮对盐皮质类固醇激素受体的特异性结合。AME患者,皮质醇大量蓄积,大量激活盐皮质类固醇激素受体,导致水钠潴留,引起严重低。肾素性高血压。本文将从基因水平到疾病的诊断治疗进行综述。     

Association of HSD11B1 rs12086634 and HSD11B1 rs846910 gene polymorphisms with polycystic ovary syndrome in South Indian women

The 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) enzyme generates cortisol from cortisone for local glucocorticoid action in hepatocytes and adipocytes. Functional polymorphisms within 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (HSD11B1) gene have shown an association with various factors including insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity. In this study, we have assessed a candidate gene association study in order to examine the association of HSD11B1 gene polymorphisms with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A total of 200 women were investigated in this case-control study. DNA samples from PCOS women (n?=?100) and the age-matched control women (n?=?100) were analyzed. Genotyping of HSD11B1 rs12086634 and rs846910 variants was performed using tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system (TETRA-ARMS) PCR. Odds ratio and 95% confidence interval were calculated to determine the association of HSD11B1 gene polymorphisms with polycystic ovary syndrome. The association analysis indicate that HSD11B1 rs12086634 showed positive association with polycystic ovary syndrome (OR?=?1.95; 95%CI?=?1.11–3.44, p?=?0.0195) and women with HSD11B1 rs12086634 TG genotype had significantly higher body mass index (28.05 kg/mt², p?=?0.001), higher waist circumference (89.68 cms, p?=?0.019), higher triglycerides (120.37 mg/dl, p?=?0.049), and lower HDL levels (45.56 mg/dl, p?=?0.004) compared to the women with HSD11B1 TT genotype. HSD11B1 rs846910 did not show any association with PCOS (OR?=?0.57; 95%CI?=?0.311–1.051, p?=?0.072). Our results suggest that HSD11B1 rs12086634 polymorphism is associated with PCOS and HSD11B1 rs846910 gene polymorphism is not associated with PCOS in South Indian women.     

Urinary free cortisone and the assessment of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in man

OBJECTIVE Two isoforms of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD) catalyse the interconversion of cortisol to hormonally inactive cortisone; defects in the 11β-HSD2 isoform result in hypertension. The kidney, expressing high levels of 11β-HSD2, is the principal source of cortisone in man. We have validated the measurement of urinary free cortisone (UFE) excretion in normals and in patients with disorders of the pituitary-adrenal axis in an attempt to more accurately measure the activity of 11β-HSD2 in vivo. SUBJECTS Forty-one normal adults, 12 normal children <12 years of age, 15 patients with Cushing’s syndrome, 12 with hypopituitarism on replacement hydrocortisone, 12 with the syndrome of apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME) and 7 volunteers consuming liquorice. MEASUREMENTS A complete 24-hour urine collection was analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for ‘A-ring’ reduced cortisol and cortisone metabolites, i.e. tetrahydrocortisols (THF and allo-THF) and tetrahydrocortisone (THE). In addition, urinary free cortisol (UFF) and urinary free cortisone were quantified using deuterium-labelled internal standards. RESULTS In normal adults and children, UFE excretion exceeded that of UFF (UFF 30.4 ± 2.4 μg/24h (mean ± SE), UFE 54.6 ±4.1 μg/24h, adults) (for conversion to nmol/24h multiply E by 2.78 and F by 2.76 respectively). Thus the normal UFF/UFE ratio was 0.54 ± 0.05 in contrast to the (THF+allo-THF)/THE ratio of 1.21 ± 0.06. UFE excretion was normal in hypopituitary patients on replacement hydrocortisone. Although UFE was elevated in all forms of Cushing’s syndrome, the UFF/UFE ratio was grossly elevated in patients with the ectopic ACTH syndrome (14.0 ± 6.7, n=6). UFE was below the lower limit of the assay (<1 μg/24h) in most patients with the so-called type 1 variant of AME and significantly reduced in 4 patients described as having the type 2 variant of AME (10.5 ± 3.5 μg/h, P<0.05) and in 7 volunteers consuming liquorice (26.8 ± 10.0 μg/24h, P<0.01). In ectopic ACTH syndrome, AME, and liquorice ingestion the UFF/UFE ratio was more deranged than the (THF+ allo-THF)/THE ratio. CONCLUSION In normals the discrepant THF + allo-THF/THE and UFF/UFE ratio suggests that much more of the UFE is derived from the kidney. Reduction in UFE excretion is seen following liquorice ingestion and in both variants of AME, though it is more profound in AME1. The high UFF/UFE ratio in the mineralocorticoid excess state seen in the ectopic ACTH syndrome is compatible with substrate-saturation of renal 11β-HSD2. The measurement of UFE and the UFF/UFE ratio is a significant advance in the analysis of human 11β-HSD activity in vivo; in particular, the UFF/UFE ratio appears to be a more sensitive index than the (THF+allo-THF)/THE ratio of renal 11β-HSD2 activity.     

Cortisone-reductase deficiency associated with heterozygous mutations in 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1

In peripheral target tissues, levels of active glucocorticoid hormones are controlled by 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1), a dimeric enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of cortisone to cortisol within the endoplasmic reticulum. Loss of this activity results in a disorder termed cortisone reductase deficiency (CRD), typified by increased cortisol clearance and androgen excess. To date, only mutations in H6PD, which encodes an enzyme supplying cofactor for the reaction, have been identified as the cause of disease. Here we examined the HSD11B1 gene in two cases presenting with biochemical features indicative of a milder form of CRD in whom the H6PD gene was normal. Novel heterozygous mutations (R137C or K187N) were found in the coding sequence of HSD11B1. The R137C mutation disrupts salt bridges at the subunit interface of the 11β-HSD1 dimer, whereas K187N affects a key active site residue. On expression of the mutants in bacterial and mammalian cells, activity was either abolished (K187N) or greatly reduced (R137C). Expression of either mutant in a bacterial system greatly reduced the yield of soluble protein, suggesting that both mutations interfere with subunit folding or dimer assembly. Simultaneous expression of mutant and WT 11β-HSD1 in bacterial or mammalian cells, to simulate the heterozygous condition, indicated a marked suppressive effect of the mutants on both the yield and activity of 11β-HSD1 dimers. Thus, these heterozygous mutations in the HSD11B1 gene have a dominant negative effect on the formation of functional dimers and explain the genetic cause of CRD in these patients.