Mutation screening of the LDLR gene and ApoB gene in patients with a phenotype of familial hypercholesterolemia and normal values in a functional LDL receptor/apolipoprotein B assay

Mutations in the LDL receptor (LDLR) or the apolipoprotein B-100 genes causing familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and familial defective apolipoprotein B-100 (FDB), two of the most frequent inherited diseases, are the underlying genetic defects in a small proportion of patients suffering from premature atherosclerotic heart disease.
Consequently, secure diagnostic tools for these conditions allowing early preventive measures are needed. Since clinical and biochemical diagnosis often is inaccurate, assays analyzing patient LDLR function and LDL affinity have been established. These assays are, however, not able clearly to differentiate between suspected FH/FDB samples and normal controls. To evaluate if this may be caused by other hitherto undescribed genetic defects or to failure of the functional assays, we undertook denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis based mutation screening of the LDLR gene and the codon 3456–3553 region of the apolipoprotein B gene in six French FH/FDB patients with normal outcomes on functional assays. In all six patients, pathogenic LDLR mutations were found, including three previously undescribed mutations, suggesting that failure of the functional assays explains the normal results found in some phenotypic FH/FDB patients and illustrating the need for DNA based screening techniques for routine genetic diagnosis in FH/FDB.