Diagnostics of SHOX gene rearrangement in 46,XX women with idiopathic short stature

Abstract

Introduction: The SHOX gene has been mapped at the pseudoautosomal region 1 (PAR1) of chromosomes X (Xp22.33) and Y (Yp11.32). The loss of SHOX gene functionality is assumed to be responsible for the Leri-Weill syndrome formation and the disproportionate short stature (DSS). The SHOX gene rearrangements constitute the majority of cases of gene functionality loss. Therefore, a practical application of the method, which allows for the diagnostics of the gene rearrangements, becomes a primary issue. With such an assumption, the MLPA technique (multiplex ligation — dependent probe amplification) becomes the method of choice.

Material and methods: DNA samples were evaluated in the study by means of the MLPA method. The DNA was isolated from peripheral blood of sixty-three (63) 46,XX patients with short stature.

Results: Out of the examined patients, deletions within the SHOX gene were found in five (5) patients, and duplication at the PAR1 regulatory region of the SHOX gene in one (1) case.

Conclusions: The obtained results confirm the opinion that the MLPA method, while enabling the diagnostics of the etiopathogenetic factor of short stature, identified in approximately 9.5% of cases, is a useful tool in the diagnostics of SHOX gene deletion and duplication. (Endokrynol Pol 2016; 67 (4): 397–402)