A recurrent splice variant sheds light on 11beta-hydroxylase deficiency in a unique large cohort

Abstract

Context: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) can be due to 11β-hydroxylase deficiency (11βOHD). Sporadic reports of 11βOHD are frequent but overviews on molecular landscape in some populations are lacking.

Objective: The aim of this research was to compile a genetic landscape from a 11βOHD cohort, and to report a novel yet recurrent splice variant.

Design: An overview of CYP11B1 variants in a cohort of 11βOHD is presented here. The functional impact of NM_000497.4(CYP11B1):c.954+148C>G was studied in silico and in vitro, and a genotype-phenotype correlation study ("SPLICYP" study, #22_1787) was conducted.

Setting: Patients with 11βOHD who underwent genetic testing at the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology department were considered for inclusions.

Patients: A total of 250 patients, diagnosed from 1990 to 2024, underwent CYP11B1 sequencing. Forty-four patients carried a novel deep intronic variant (NM_000497.4(CYP11B1):c.954+148C>G). Four were excluded from genotype-phenotype correlation due to missing criteria.

Main outcome measures: Functional validation was performed using a Minigene Reporter Assay. We retrospectively analyzed genetic findings, clinical features of 11βOHD, and hormonal assays.

Results: The Minigene study confirmed that the c.954+148C>G disrupts splicing by activating a cryptic donor-site. Patients carrying this variant had significantly lower steroid precursor levels (p < 0.034) and delayed pubertal onset (p = 0.005) compared to severe variants carriers.

Conclusions: This retrospective study provides genetic data in a wide cohort of 11βOHD, and identifies c.954+148C>G as the most recurrent variant in our Caucasian recruitment. The screen of deep intronic regions, coupled with functional in vitro tools, must not be overlooked in the strategy to avoid diagnostic failure.

Keywords: 11b-hydroxylase deficiency; CYP11B1; congenital adrenal hyperplasia; molecular biology; splicing.